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That shuts me up. As much as I don’t want to admit it, she’s right. This is probably the longest we’ve spent time together in a very long time. I hate it, but what can I do when I’m so busy?
Mom lowers herself on Mia’s bed and rubs her temples. “Okay, clearly this isn’t working. Mia, I think we need to find you a tutor.”
“I can do it, Mom,” I assure her. “Ifsomeonewould just pay attention.” I give my sister a pointed look. She sticks out her tongue.
Mom shakes her head. “No, I think it’s best for Mia to have a tutor. And I can’t ask you to take time away from your app when you’ve been working so hard on it, Willow. For now, I’ll study with you, Mia. Willow, finish your homework and continue working on your app.”
Mia’s face falls. “But I was so excited for Willow to tutor me.”
Mom gets up and kisses the top of her head. “I know, sweetie. But sometimes it’s hard to work with the people you love.”
“I didn’t have problems with Dad when we worked together on our movies.”
“Your relationship with Willow is different from your relationship with your father,” Mom explains. “I’ll be back in a second to study with you. I need to check on dinner.”
I get up and start packing away my things. “I’m sorry I yelled at you,” I tell Mia.
She shrugs. “It’s okay. I was being a brat.”
Shaking my head, I sigh. “You’re not a brat. You just want to hang out with me. Like you’re clinging onto me because you’re scared you’ll lose me. But you’ll never lose me, Mia. I just need to focus on my app right now. I promise I’ll hang out with you when I have more free time.”
Her eyes light up. “You’ll help me create the perfect character in the new RPG I’m playing? She’s an elf who is resistant to fire. She has ashy skin and red eyes.”
“Sounds cool.” I step over and wrap my arms around her. “I love you, even if you annoy the heck out of me.”
“Likewise, big sis.”
I smile before leaving her room and settling down in mine. I finally start working on my homework when I get another text from VP Rivera. There’s a new problem with the app.
“Darn that darn thing to heck,” I grumble before shoving my textbook away and reaching for my computer.
Chapter Five
Willow
After school the next day, I hug my friends goodbye and make my way to coding class. Chloe, who has just recently been given the position of editor-in-chief for our school paper, the Edenbury High Times, is off to work on the next issue. Liam and Xavier are headed to basketball practice, and Lily joins because she loves watching them, and Ava and Aidan are probably going to get ready for another charity dinner. The Knights are invited to so many, it’s crazy.
Coding class is one of my favorite subjects, but I’m a little more advanced than the other students. I coded my first program when I was nine, and I won the robotics competition in eighth grade. But Mr. Bryant is an amazing teacher and welcomes everyone to his class. As long as you want to learn to code, his door is open.
I’m the only girl in the class. Sometimes our small town of Edenbury feels a little behind in the times. Thankfully, the guys don’t give me crap or anything. They mostly ignore me like the rest of the school.
As everyone else files into the classroom, I take out my school laptop and get started on some of my homework. It’s not long before all nine of us are here.
“Good afternoon, students,” Mr. Bryant greets with a grin as he walks in. “How are we all doing today?”
After some of the boys enlighten him about something pertaining to sports, he announces that for today’s assignment, he wants us to work in pairs. Considering there are only nine students in class, I always do the projects alone. Which is fine by me because I do my best work alone.
“Oh, and just a reminder about the coding competition,” he says. “I still need a few students to submit a short description of your app. Willow, you got anything for me?”
“Not yet. There are some things I need to fix first.”
“Okay, but I’ll need it soon or I won’t be able to submit it.”
Shoot. The deadline is approaching and I still have no idea if I’ll even have my app ready in time.
“Okay,” Mr. Bryant says. “About the assignment—”
The door opens and someone walks in. Every single head in the classroom turns to see Colton Andersen standing there with a bored look on his face. His eyes move over the room, assessing the students sitting at their desks with computers before them, and Mr. Bryant at the front of the room with his computer. It looks like Colton wants to spin around and hightail it out of here.
