So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti Read Free Book Online Page B

love that one!”
    We talk about our favorite eps until class starts, tossing quotes back and forth. It’s obvious I’ve totally won him over with my Jam tee. I like this Scott. This Scott is interested in what I’m saying. It’s easy to talk to him. Not that we’re only going to talk about The Office from now on. It’s just that I don’t have to worry about what I’m going to say to him as much. We’ll always have this. And once we have a few other things, we’ll be so much closer.
    The fun times continue. We get to work in pairs today, which means I can talk to Scott for the whole class. I’m on a natural high. We even keep talking after class and walk out together. Which is when I come back down to earth.
    Leslie is waiting for Scott across the street.
    He looks happy to see her.
    And suddenly it’s like I’m not even there.
    It’s sad how quickly a day can deteriorate.
    “See you tomorrow,” Scott says.
    “Okay.”
    Pretending to be waiting for someone, I watch Scott go over to Leslie. Her outfit is incredible. She’s wearing an expensive-looking cropped jacket over a silk cami that I desperately want. Why does she have to be one of those girls who looks like she just stepped out of Vogue ? I don’t even want to know how much her jeans were.
    Wait. Since when do I care about this stuff? I’ve never been insecure about my style. At my old school, kids complimented me on my clothes and accessories all the time. But here, things are a lot different. The urban vibe I thought I was rocking back home was nothing compared to what some of these kids wear every day. It’s unreal. Except for a few unique pieces, I’ve been owned.
    Suddenly, I feel like a big, fat dork, loitering on the sidewalk in my Jam tee. That doesn’t even fit right. Why wouldn’t Scott notice Leslie more? She stands out while I’m barely blending in.
    Just when it seems like life is getting good, something always has to come along and ruin it.

Nine
    Sadie wouldn’t stop bothering me about becoming a peer tutor. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t interested. The girl was not hearing it.
    So here I am. At my first peer-tutoring session. As a freaking peer tutor.
    Yesterday in calculus, Ms. Jacobs asked me to help someone with one of the problems. I didn’t know that Sadie was watching me the whole time. Later, she pointed out how that girl was stuck on something that was beyond simple for me. Didn’t I see how much I could help people?
    I guess Sadie had a point. She was just so determined to get me here. Whatever. Maybe explaining stuff wouldn’t be the worst thing if it makes someone’s day a little easier. I can relate to feeling like you might not survive past second period.
    Mr. Peterson is the faculty advisor for peer tutoring. Before I could start, I had to take an aptitude test to see which subject I excel at. That subject will be the one I’ll tutor. The aptitude test sort of reminded me of that IQ test we took in eighth grade.
    I wonder if these results will be as major as those.
    Even though the year just started, the tutoring center is packed. I actually like it in here. There’s room for all your stuff on the tables, and the chairs are really comfortable. The space is airy and bright, with big skylights. Finding a room at school where you can breathe is not easy. As an added bonus, there are cupcakes. Sadie brought them in from someplace called Crumbs. Apparently, she’s a cupcake addict.
    Mr. Peterson comes back with my aptitude test.
    “Huh,” he says.
    He just stands there, staring at the test. Not explaining the “huh.”
    I’m not about to ask. I don’t want to appear too interested. Once teachers think you’re interested in any part of the standardized testing/labeling/herding process, they assume they have you.
    Mr. Peterson sits down across from me. “Usually,” he starts, “tutors specialize in one subject area. This test is very good at telling me what that subject is.”
    “Can’t you just ask