Chapter Text
Klunk. Kah-thunk.
Eli winced as his ‘car’ shuddered to a stop. Then jolted and shuddered some more. The noises were loud. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as he willed the car to calm down.
His wonderful backseat driver scowled. “You really need to get your car fixed”
Eli unbuckled his seat belt carefully. Pull too hard to the left and the thing simply falls off the wall. He smoothed his hair back from his sticky forehead - his aircon hadn’t worked in months and he was scared to fix it. The dust that was no doubt settled in the damn thing…. “I know”
Che’ri’s nose wrinkled. She grabbed her pink backpack from the backseat of the car. “Is that gas ?”
“That is not gas, it is fine” Hopefully.
She didn’t look impressed. The beady eyes and braided pigtails together were formidable. “If I end up dying in that wheeze machine, I will definitely haunt you” Che’ri climbed out of the car, slamming the door behind her.
Eli sighed and left the car, grabbing his leather satchel through the stuck open back window before following her. For someone he had met scarce half an hour ago, she sure was comfortable criticising him. Breathe, calm, count to ten “Good to know”
His scratched, wheezy, three wheeled monstrosity looked wrong parked outside of these houses. His car belonged on a sketchy back street or, better yet, a dump. Not here. The houses were fine and tall and shockingly white. Professional landscaping and windows buffed to shine. Only the slightest humm of cars and a whirl of sprinklers. The sun was shining, hard and harsh. This was far removed from his world. Eli winced as he looked at the car parked in the driveway, and looked back at his own.
He turned back around and was greeted by air. Che’ri was already at the wide red door, fumbling in her bag for her keys. Eli grimaced and set to follow. No house in his neighbourhood took more than twenty seconds to walk up the front path.
“I know they are in here somewhere…”
“Your parents aren’t home?” Eli asked.
“Nope” Che’ri replied. “Why else would I risk my life and get driven by you?”
“Very funny” Che’ri wasn’t the first ‘precocious’ ten year old he had dealt with. She wasn’t going to scare him off.
There was a rattle of keys and the big door creaked open.
“Take off your shoes” Eli walked into the lobby and tried to keep his face even. A curved staircase hugged the left well, curling and going on forever. A high ceiling that shone with seemingly impossible light. The fine wooden floor was covered in a plush rug. His hands suddenly felt abnormally sweaty.
“Shoes off” Che’ri said sharply. Eli quickly complied. He didn’t want the muck from his boots ruining anything. “I don’t want to do this anymore than you, I wanna get this homework down in an hour” The girl scampered off through the house, Eli have to hurry to catch up. Che’ri lead him through a wide, clean living room into a large open plan kitchen. She dumped her school bag on the wooden table. Eli flinched automatically.
“What is it you are studying in class?” He carefully placed his bag down on the floor next to his chair.
“Fractions” Eli had never heard someone pack so much disgust into a single word. She fiddled with the zip on her backpack, pulling out a thick worksheet. “No way I could get you to do this for me?”
“Nope”
“Lame” Che’ri sat on her chair, her legs tucked underneath her. “Alright. I am ready to learn maths”
“I hate maths”
“I know, but you are smart enough. You just aren’t trying” Eli resisted the urge to run his hands through his hair. Che’ri was clever. She was very clever and she knew it. Her teacher had shown Eli her transcript. She had pulled A’s until two months ago, when her grades started dropping. Hard. Eli had been brought in to do some quick damage control.
“I hate maths”
“You said”
“Why do we even have to learn any of this? When am I going to use it in the real world?”
Eli sighed. “That’s what everyone says, but if you think about it-”
“I am done, I give up” Che’ri threw down her pencil with perfect dramatic flamboyance. Eli miraculously did not roll his eyes.
“Che’ri, maths is incredible . It has rhymes and patterns and beauty that you can untangle. Maths has perfect order with fantastic depth. It is layers of pure music in the most complex form once discovered is simplicity itself. It simply is. It deserves admiration and respect. And those fractions aren’t going to divide themselves so pick up the damn pencil before I snap it in half”
There was a cough from behind them.
Eli froze.
“Oh. Hey dad”
“Sweetheart”
Eli turned in his chair and his breath hitched.
There was a man standing behind them in workout gear. Tight workout gear. A sleeveless shirt and shorts that hugged his hips and ended mid thigh. Sweat was beaded along his hairline and his high cheekbones had the slightest flush. His face was sharp and angular with narrow dark eyes. There were the slightest wrinkles framing his nose and mouth. His dark hair had the slightest dash of salt at his temples. Dignified . He was wrapping corded headphones around an old fashioned blue ipod, a water bottle tucked under his arm.
Eli’s eyes drifted to the man’s own and he flinched. He didn’t look happy.
The man took a long drink from his water bottle. Eli’s jaw twitched. “Who is this?” The man’s voice was quiet and cool. Eli almost had to strain to hear.
“He’s my math tutor” Che’ri replied, turning back around to face her books. “I told you about this last week”
His eyes flashed. “No you did not”
“Well, I told mom” Che’ri grumbled, picking up her pencil once again. The man’s expression tightened before turning to eye up Eli.
The man looked Eli up and down lazily. Eli swallowed. His gaze flicked back down to the textbooks.
“You look older than a high school tutor”
“I…I am at college” Eli replied, his cheeks flushing.
“Dad. we are busy ” Che’ri rolled her eyes, flicking her hand at him.
“No attitude in front of your tutor, Che’ri” The man reprimanded sharply. “It is not polite. You are a host to this young man, and he is helping you”
The girl was sullen and did not look up. “Yes, dad”
The man turned his attention back to Eli again. “What is your name?”
Eli’s tongue felt too big for his mouth. A droplet of sweat ran down the man’s face to the sharp edge of his jaw. “Eli…Vanto. Eli Vanto”
The man raised an eyebrow. “Where do you go to college, Eli Vanto?”
“UCLA. For mathematics, specialising in pure math” Eli replied.
“Hmm. Better to get on with your fractions, Eli Vanto” The man’s eyes narrowed. Che’ri shrunk down in her seat. “Che’ri. No cheek”
“Yes, dad” The man walked out of the kitchen towards the main stairwell. “You really don’t have to listen to him. He’s a total dickhead”
“Eli?”
Eli coughed. “Yes, fractions”
One of Eli’s biggest woes in life was kicking off his boots without untying the laces first. It was simple laziness that cost him minutes when he was racing to get somewhere, or get out of somewhere. Like now.
“Eli Vanto”
Eli froze from his awkward squat at the foot of the curved staircase. He stood quickly, one shoe on, one shoe off.
The man was standing up at the top of the stairs. He had changed from workout gear to a pair of slacks and a t-shirt; simple and elegant. The slacks followed the lines of his legs, the t-shirt straining against his chest.
“Sir” Eli bowed his head politely.
The man walked down the stairs slowly, stopping a few steps above Eli. “I wish to ask you something”
“I…alright. Go for it”
“Why are you tutoring my daughter?” The man’s voice was calm and inquisitive, despite his odd question.
Eli blinked. “Oh, well, her teacher said she needed some help and I was available-”
“I don’t believe that was the question I asked” He smiled elusively. The man’s hands were clasped together tightly. “Why are… you ?”
“... Why am I tutoring?” Eli asked. All he got back was that elusive smile. His satchel began slipping down his shoulder, and he adjusted it. “I signed up for it at college. It is an optional extra credit assignment”
The man straightened up, his posture arrow straight.. “You do not need extra credit” It wasn’t a question.
Eli didn’t know how to respond. But the man’s eyes burned into his and he knew he couldn’t lie. “I don’t”
A slight smirk.“How much do you usually charge?”
Eli choked. “ Excuse me ?”
“For tutoring” The man said. Eli cursed himself and his woolly brain. Stupid stupid stupid “I assume that is the set up - the school provides tutors under the guise of no pay but expects the parents to tip anyway. It is only polite”
“I mean I don’t want to pressure you” Stupid stupid stupid. Eli’s cheeks were horribly hot. “If you can’t afford, I do not mind. I simply want to help”
The man’s smile became one of genuine humour. “Does it look like I cannot afford to pay you?” His gaze drifted up to the ceiling which - unlike in ordinary houses - wasn’t a few feet above their heads. More like thirty.
“No, sir”
“My name is Mitth’raw’nuruodo” The man let out a slight huff of laughter at the look on Eli’s face.“But you may call me Thrawn”
Eli let out a sigh of relief. “Thrawn”
“Shall we say fifty for the hour- have you got means of transportation? Do you need a bus fare?”
How embarrassing . “No, I have a car” Eli replied, a slight hint of pride at his worst horror.
“Gas money then” Thrawn brought his wallet out from his pocket. “Let us call it seventy, and we shall be seeing you next week?”
Eli’s eyes widened. “For only an hour?”
“My daughter is quite… insolent, she has been acting out for some months now” Thrawn’s gaze drifted away for a moment, before coming back. Eli shifted awkwardly.“I am aware she is not easy to deal with”
“Oh no sir, she is fantastic to teach” Eli said quickly. All rich people wanted their children to be darling angels, whether they actually are or not. Eli did not need another drink thrown in his face.
Thrawn tutted, a sardonic smile on his face. “What did we say about sir? Also, you are a very poor liar”
“I…” Eli trailed off. Thrawn simply rolled his eyes and fished the bills from his wallet. Thrawn descended the last few steps off the staircase, standing close to Eli. Eli inhaled sharply. A sweet vanilla soap . Thrawn held out of his hand.
“You will need to pick up my daughter from school again next week, I will not be able to”
Eli took the money, willing Thrawn not to notice how sweaty his hands were. “Of course s-Thrawn”
Thrawn’s eyes looked him up and down again once more, and Eli shivered.
“I will leave you to your shoes,” Thrawn said, walking away. “Close the door on your way out”