Turns out Easton is an excellent techer. We spend about three hours in the library and he gives me a rundown of all the topics we\'ve been doing in Algebra, helps me memorize formulas and even recites mnemonics to use in case I forget a particular formula. I think I\'m confident enough to ace Algebra come Monday.

More like B-ce it.

\'\'Mel, mum said you should put the clothes in the dryer,\'\' Sophie yells from downstairs. Saturday equals cleaning day which means Sophie and I slated to do laundry and make sure the house is spotless. We did make a promise to mum.

\'\'No, she didn\'t. She told you to do it,\'\' I yell back. \'\'She literally just told you to do it and you want to pass it on to me.\'\' Kids.

\'\'You\'re so annoying, Mel.\'\'

\'\'Right back at you, Sophie.\'\'

I move my position from the bed to my reading table and take out my glasses from its case. Fun fact: I started using glasses when I was ten because I\'m shortsighted. Over the years, my sight has improved but I still use it from time to time when I\'m using my laptop or when I\'m reading.

And also when I can\'t find something that is super important. For example, I can\'t find my copy of Ode to a Nightingale and now I\'m freaking the fuck out.

Ode to a Nightingale, where are you?

....

I did eventually find my Ode to a Nightingale. It was gently hiding under my bed along with a pair of fluffy slippers I swore I left at Paris\' house. It\'s currently 12:00pm and I\'m mentally exhausted. I\'ve being studying for three hours straight, with no interruptions, thank God, and I\'m beat.

I need a snack.

Trudging downstairs, I make my way to the kitchen and pass by Sophie in the living room watching some show on Netflix. I\'m starting to think she\'s obsessed with that streaming service.

\'\'Where\'s mum?"\' I ask her as I bring out a bag of Doritos from the drawer and my signature Maltesers chocolate.

\'\'In her room," she responds, not taking her eyes away from the laptop.

\'\'Don\'t you have homework?\'\'

\'\'Who has homework on a weekend?\'\'

Every normal student in this country.

\'\'Tests?\'\'

\'\'Upper week.\'\'

\'\'Chores?\'\'

\'\'Done it. Now will you shut it and let me watch Julie and the Phantoms in peace?\'\' Sophie snaps in irritation and I go back to what I was doing with a smirk. Annoying her brings me so much joy. I grab a plastic plate from the rack and pour a quarter of the tortilla snack on it along with the chocolate. As I grab a bottle of water from the freezer, the doorbell rings.

\'\'Sophie, can you get that?"\' Mum yells from upstairs.

\'\'On it.\'\'

She uncrosses her legs and heads to the door while I stick my neck out to try and see who it is. I\'m not expecting anyone and I don\'t think Mum is expecting anyone either. She barely has friends (don\'t tell her I said that though) and even if she does, I wouldn\'t know because I haven\'t seen anyone introduce themselves as Mum\'s friend before in all my seventeen years of existing on this planet.

I really should tell her to go out more and experience life because she\'s not getting any younger. Her life shouldn\'t revolve around just taking care of Sophie and I alone. She needs to just let loose and have fun.

\'\'Mel. You might want to come to the door. Now.\'\' Sophie yells with urgency. I drop my plate and water and head to the door and my jaw slacks open.

Like literally slacks open, so much so that I almost choke on a stray bug.

\'\'Isn\'t that the guy you went all Grey\'s Anatomy on?"\' Sophie remarks and I shoot her a look to zip it. I don\'t like to recall that day at all because it was probably one of the scariest days of life. I honestly thought he was going to die in my hands and I\'d like go to jail for manslaughter.

\'\'Try not to mention that in front of Mum,\'\' I warn. \'\'I mean it.\'\' She sticks her tongue out and turns her attention to the boys in front of us. Sophie may have run her mouth to her about how I brought in a bleeding man and \'went all Grey\'s Anatomy\' but she doesn\'t know who it was exactly and I\'d like to keep it that way. The last thing I need is to play a game of twenty questions.

I blink once, then twice, then the third time just so I\'m seeing right.

\'\'What is going on?\'\'

\'\'Hey, Mel,\'\' Ryan answers for the duo, a backpack on his shoulder. \'\'I know this is completely unexpected and I know you have no reason whatsoever to help us but we need your help.\'\'

Sophie glances at me and I shrug. \'\'Go on.\'\'

\'\'We\'re failing English-Lit,\'\' Ryan and Jason say at the same time. Yes, you heard right. Jason is at my door again, only this time he\'s not badly bruised and I will never ever stitch a human being up again.

I fold my arms across my chest with a frown on my face. \'\'How is that my problem?\'\'

\'\'It\'s not,\'\' Jason responds hurriedly. \'\'But you\'re literally the smartest person in English-Lit and the only one we can turn to right now.\'\' I snort out loud. What happened to Mariah or Bea or the rest of the basketball team?

Jason isn\'t the sharpest toolbox in the shed but he does maintain average grades, as for Ryan, I\'m quite surprised he\'s failing English Lit considering how well we did on our History project.

\'\'We were hoping you could tutor us, just for a bit?\'\' Ryan pleads with his eyes. \'\'If we fail this class, Blake will drop us from the team.\'\'

\'\'Again, not my problem. Have a lovely day, boys.\'\' I proceed to close the door but Mum stops me. Where did she come from? \'\'Melody Lianna Jones, that is not how we treat guests.\'\' she reprimands.

She turns to the duo and smiles brightly, her pearly whites fading into view. \'\'Excuse her rude, boys, she probably woke up on the wrong side of the bed.\'\' Gee, thanks for having my back, Mum. \'\'I assume you both are her friends from school?\'\'

\'\'Yes ma\'am,\'\' Ryan responds eagerly. How about no! Jason is definitely not a friend and Ryan is an acquaintance who was going to turn into a friend but has now been demoted to somebody I used to know because of this shit. A little heads up would have been nice before you bombard me with tutoring duties. Ryan has my number so I wonder why he couldn\'t have called first.

\'\'We tried calling her phone but it was switched off,\'\' Ryan explains to my mum. I nod in understanding but I\'m still annoyed. Usually, when I\'m reading, I switch off my phone to avoid distractions-phone calls, emails and messages.

\'\'I didn\'t know she had friends other than Paris,\'\' Mum says, impressed. I didn\'t know that too Mum but apparently that\'s the case. I shoot them both a dirty look and they give me a sheepish smile.

\'\'It\'s nice to see that she\'s expanding her circle of friends and any friend of hers is welcome in my home.\'\' Are you kidding me?

\'\'Come in. Sophie will take you to the living room.\'\' They both high-five each other and I resist the urge to roll my eyes. \'\'Melody, come with me please.\'\'

She pulls me to the closet where we keep junk near the front door and closes it. \'\'What was that, Mum?"

\'\'I should be asking you that. Why were you rude to them?"\'

\'\'Because I do not like them,\'\' I say like it\'s the most obvious thing in the world. \'\'Okay, one I almost like, but the other I absolutely can\'t stand. Mum don\'t you see that we don\'t run in the same social circles? They\'re the popular and rich ones and I\'m not. They literally could have asked anyone of their popular friends to tutor them, so why me?\'\'

Seriously, why me?

Mum smiles. \'\'Because you\'re smart and they know you\'ll do a good job. Besides, where\'s your Southern hospitality?\'\'

Down the drain along with my hatred for green tea.

\'\'They look like nice boys so it wouldn\'t hurt to tutor them for a bit.\'\' Nice? Mum, they\'re gangleaders and one of them threatened me, the fuck? \'\'Besides, we all need to help ourselves every once in a while. It\'s a sign of love.\'\'

\'\'If we help every stray cat on the street, Mum, we might as well open an animal shelter.\'\'

\'\'Be nice,\'\' she warns lightly and I groan. \'\'Why do they need my help? They\'re rich enough to hire a Literature Professor if they want to.\'\'

\'\'But they didn\'t and that\'s why they came to you. Doesn\'t that mean something to you?\'\'

Um, yes it means they want to irritate me.

\'\'If not for anything,\'\' she starts. \'\'Do it for your applications. Colleges like to hear that you volunteered your time and energy to help others.\'\'

Looking at it from that angle, it does make sense.

\'\'If you say so,\'\' I mumble. \'\'Just for college.\'\'

\'\'Don\'t do that, Mel. I\'m sure you\'ve needed help recently and someone came to your rescue.\'\'

\'\'Well,\'\' I drawl. Easton did help me with Algebra so I guess I could help them with English-Lit. How hard can tutoring be? I\'ve tutored Sophie before so it should be a breeze.

\'\'That\'s the spirit,\'\' Mum encourages and squeezes my shoulder. \'\'I\'ll bring some hot chocolate for y\'all.\'\'