I slump against the back of the seat. “You don’t have to be condescending. I know you think I’m dumb and all, but…”
“I don’t think you’re dumb,” he blurts. He chews his lip, his eyes moving from the pages on the table, and then back up to me. “I can help you with this stuff. I promise.”
“Why do you want to help me? Maybe I’d get it if it were one class,” I sweep my hand across the mess of papers, “but I need help with all of my classes. Why would you put this much effort in?”
“Well, I’m not struggling that much in class. Plus, I tutor people anyway.” He shakes his head, looking down at the papers. “It’s not a big deal.”
I avert my eyes and mutter, “It’s not like I’m struggling with every single thing.”
“Is there anything you want help with first? We can work on our King Lear homework.”
I wince. “Nope. Thinking about Thy and Thou gives me a headache, and my head already hurts enough.”
“But you need to hand in the homework. If you don’t turn things around now, your grades won’t improve.”
I rub my temples, frowning. “I can’t do this.”
Milo sits taller, and a perkiness bounces in his tone. “Don’t give up before we get started. Why don’t we start with something easier? Like a warm-up.”
“A warm-up?” My head tilts as I look at him. “I don’t think of any kind of homework like a warm-up.”
“You have those at soccer practice, right?” Milo replies. “You do easier things to warm-up to harder things? I don’t know, stretches or something?”
“Well, you need to do stretches or you seize up.” I look down my nose at him, the beginnings of a smirk curling the corner of my lip. “You did know that, right?”
Milo shrugs, straightening the papers on the table. “I dunno. It doesn’t matter.”
“It does if you want to be good at the sport,” I counter. “Is Milo struggling with phys-ed?”
“Let me guess,” he says, resting his chin in his palm, “phys-ed is the only subject you’renotstruggling with.”
“I could do without the health class portion, but yes, I do all right.”
“To be honest, I could do without it.”
“No way. Not uncoordinated Milo,” I joke. “I can’t believe that.”
He flicks at the papers. “Ha ha.”
“If I was a skeptical person, I’d guess you’re tutoring me so I’ll help you with phys-ed.”
Milo looks away, fixing his glasses as his raised eyebrows poke over the top.
I laugh. “Am I right?”
“Would that be possible?” Milo asks cautiously. “Hypothetically speaking.”
“So, you’re not asking for my help?”
“Would you agree if I asked you?”
This is too much fun. How much can I make him squirm? “Ask me what?”
Milo exhales hard, looking up at the ceiling. When his eyes connect with mine, he asks, “Will you help me pass my phys-ed assignment? I need to show three skills in a sport. I have nothing.”
“Three skills?” I ask doubtfully. “In what sport?”
He shrugs. “You could teach me soccer.”
