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You hadn’t planned it, you swore you didn’t. It was Karen who approached you one day, asking if you’d help his son with some schoolwork in exchange of some extra money — he had fallen behind on history, where you were a star student. Something in you told you it’d be wrong to accept her offer, that you didn’t know for sure how good you would be able to concentrate teaching Mike if Mike’s gorgeous sister would be in the next room.
Yeah, you had been head over heels for Nancy Wheeler for a while now. A rather long while, in fact. And you were worried that teaching Mike while hearing Nancy laugh in the next room would prove itself too difficult to handle.
But still, your temptation had won, along with your need of money.
And that’s how you ended up in the Wheeler house kitchen every Tuesday, two hours after school, a plate of snacks between you. It was a feeble attempt to make the study sessions little more enjoyable for him, but at least he did touch them.
“Now, let’s see… the chapter that begins on page 257,” you muttered, browsing your notes as Mike started to search for the right page with a scowl on his face. The boy was smart and you could tell he enjoyed history, but pre-teen years started to press down on him, normal rebelling peeking around the corner, preferring to run around with friends than study for his future.
“Battle of Franklin?” Mike groaned. “We just finished reading about another war last week!”
“Yeah, well, the history is bloody in this country,” you sighed. “And Civil War will be the main theme in the upcoming test you’ll have.”
Mike grumbled, took a cookie and shoved it into his mouth,before he slouched down to reach the first paragraph.
Then, steps came down the stairs, before Nancy appeared to the doorway. “Mom, have you seen my— oh, hi. I didn’t know Mike has a tutor over today.”
You immediately melted into a sputtering idiot. “H-hi. Yeah. He has a tutor. The tutor is me. Hi.”
Nancy grinned. “I’m glad someone is brave enough to help him. I’m Nancy, Mike’s sister.”
You nodded, still a stupid grin plastered on your face. “Yeah, I know who you are. Or I mean, how couldn’t I, everyone knows who you are.”
Nancy frowned slightly. “I… didn’t think I was that popular.”
You blinked, then shook your head. “I mean not like that, it’s just that, uh. Forget it.”
A small smile danced on her lips. “Okay… well, mom will do stuffed peppers for dinner. And ice cream for dessert by Holly’s request. You’re welcome to join us?”
“I… I’d love to,” you stuttered and she grinned.
“Great! I’ll tell mom to make sure you get one.”
She ran off, leaving you staring after her, but were snapped out of it by Mike’s chuckle. “You like my sister.”
You whipped your head around to look at him. “What? No, I was just—”
He still kept smirking. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell her, as long as you make sure I get an A+ out of this test.”
You opened your mouth, closed it and opened it again, before realising you couldn’t deny it. “Blackmailing, are we? Fine. Just… don’t you dare tell her,” you grumbled. “It will pass and everything will be normal after that. Now, page 257.”
Mike smirked as he replayed the look on Nancy’s face when she saw you on his head — yeah, she was immediately smitten.