Lessons in Love

Chapter 17: "I have a tattoo on my ass from a drunken experience."

I groaned as I walked into the library for my after school study session with Ali. She idn't know she was tutoring me yet and I could only imagine the look on her face when she saw me. I couldn't get her out of my head all week, I had been waiting anxiously for this day so I could see her, be with her, but now I wanted to turn and run.

I tried already, but Sara and Taylor were behind me to make sure I went through with this. Plus, if I knew these two girls as well as I thought I did it, Will and Nate were somewhere in case I got past Sara and Taylor. I could see those two getting suckered into this. It made me wonder what Taylor and Sara had promised them for helping with this. Actually, I didn't want to think about that because I had a feeling I didn't want to imagine wha tthey offered.

I looked around to see Ali sitting at an empty table, except for her and the papers and books that surrounded her. I glanced back at Taylor, Sara must have gone to hide so they could blend in like normal people instead of creepers following me around. They would start to look like over possessive girlfriends and they wouldn't want that. Taylor waved her wave to motion me toward Ali as she walked in between the stacks of books.

"What are you doing here?" Ali asked as I took a seat next to her.

"You tell me. I'm meeting my new tutor here."

"I thought Sara was your tutor." 

"She's my science tutor..." I said awkwardly looking around for her, but she was staying well hidden even from me.

"How many tutors do you have?"

"Sara for science, Will for history, Nate for Math, Taylor for film." I said listing them in procession. As I said them I realized that these were all people that I recently made friends with or reconnected with. These were the people that cared enough about me to keep me in school with them.

"Wow that's a lot." Ali said blinking her eyes repeatedly as if to process what I had said.

"Yeah, I'm not to smart, but I've got street smarts and I know my way around a woman's body." I said with a smirk as I looked at Ali.

"Tell me something I don't know Jace." She said in a disgusted tone.

"I have a tattoo on my ass from a drunken experience."

"That's disgusting!" She yelled.

"You asked!"

"I didn't want you to actually tell me!" Ali yelled. She promptly relieved a similar 'shh' command from the librarian that Sara had gotten, but unlike Sara, Ali apoligized and promised it wouldn't happen again. She was so sweet and quick to apoligize that it was cute. She had an embarrassed blush forming on her cheeks and it made me smile.

Stop it, Jace! she's a number remember you have to prove Sara wrong. I said to myself as I remembered last week when I walked in on a sleepover with Taylor. I had walked into Sara's house because the door was unlocked and the lights were off. I didn't want to wake her just to let me in if I could do it myself. 

I was about to take my position on the couch when Will and Nate came out of nowhere with Sara's field hockey sticks ready to beat me to a pulp.

"What the hell guys!?" I asked as I took the weapons from their hands.

"Sara heard a noise and it freaked her and Taylor out. Why didn't you ring the door bell?" Will asked as he waved his hand so I would follow him. 

"Becuase I thought everyone was asleep and I didn't want to wake them up. Why are you here?" 

"Movie night. Sara and Taylor are having a sleep over, and we are having a double date until they are ready to go to bed." Nate said as he pulled the popcirn form the microwave.

"Well I need Sara's help before this study session with Ali. Her teaching sucks, but I need a girl's advice."

"I'm a great teacher, thank you!" Sara said as she came into the kitchen with Taylor right behind her. They were both in pajamas and oversize shirts as they went to their respected man.

"Sara, you wouldn't know romance if it bit you in the ass!" Taylor asserted.

"She's a good teacher." I said, defending one of the only true friends I had made in years.

"Thank you Jace!" Sara said proudly as Will chuckled and hugged her tightly.

"She may be, but she can't teach you about romance." Taylor said with a flick of her hair as she looked triumphantly at Sara. Sara looked at me and shrugged, she knew Taylor was right or just didn't care enough to argue.

"And you can?"

"Yes, I can."

"Then please teach me." I said with a bow as if she was my queen. The undisputed queen of Romance and love.

"I will if you tell me why you interrupted our double date." Taylor said with a straight face. I froze, I didn't know what to say/

"He needed a place to sleep while his house was fumigated and I offered. I didn't hink he would take my offer though." Sara said with straight face, but when I looked at her I saw how hard it was for her to lie in front of Will. She didn't want to lie to him, it was hard for her and it was because of me that she was lying.

"Sara's just covering for me. I used to get beaten at home. I told Sara and made her promise not to tell, but I can tell you now because the divorce is official and I will be staying with my mom. Dad will be leaving shortly and I will stop sleeping over so much."

"It was never a bother man." Nate said stepping in to care for me.

"I know, but it will feel good to go home and know I'm safe."

"Well then, let's get you ready for your study date with Ali." Taylor said as an awkward silence crept over the room.

I clutched the flowers that I had hidden behind my back as Ali continued to explain something that I hadn't been listening to. I'm amazed she didn't figure out I wasn't listening by now. I hadn't spoke, nodded or even cleared my throat. Maybe she just wanted to get away form me so she tried ot finish up the lesson as fast as possible. Even if I wasn't paying attention and didn't know what she was saying.

Wasn't her teaching reflected on me as well like Sara's was? Maybe Ms. Mac just gave her extra credit and which ever way gets her away from me the fastest she liked best. Too bad for Ali my plan had worked and I had her right where I wanted her.

"Ali, Will you go to the wedding with me?" I asked, bring the flowers from behind my back and handing them to her.