Wrong About the Guy by Claire LaZebnik Read Free Book Online Page B

“We only have a week before school starts and we won’t be able to get as much done then. I want to pinpoint whatever you’re still struggling with so we can focus on it.”
    â€œI’m not struggling with any of it,” I said, following him into the kitchen.
    â€œProve it. Take the test.”
    â€œThat takes hours!”
    â€œWhere else do you have to be?”
    â€œI have a life, you know.”
    â€œWant me to text your mother and ask her what she thinks?”
    â€œIt is so uncool to constantly be threatening to tell my mother on me. You know that, right?” I dropped into a chair. It had turned really hot, brutally hot, the kind of hot LA only gets in late August and early September. The air-conditioning was blasting throughout the house, but I was wearing my shortest shorts and a tank top because I could see how hot it was through the window.
    â€œI’d hate to have you think I’m not cool,” he said stonily.
    â€œYeah, that ship has sailed. . . . Can I at least have Heather come do it with me so it’s more fun?”
    â€œIf it will cut down on the whining. I can print up two copies.”
    I texted Heather and told her to come over but didn’t tell her why, because I didn’t want her to say no and I knew she hated taking tests.
    She wrote back: Okay. My mom says we should pay for my half of the tutoring tho
    Tell her you make me work harder and we should be paying you to come
    That’s ridiculous
    We’ll talk about it later
    I didn’t want her money. George was my tutor and she only came as my invited guest, and that’s how Iwanted it. I liked being the one in control.
    Once he had finished printing up the tests, and we were just waiting for Heather to arrive, George started firing vocabulary words at me. “Define euphemism .”
    â€œPolite word for something that isn’t polite. For instance, instead of saying that someone puked, I would say that they ‘prayed to the porcelain god’ or something like that.”
    â€œ Avuncular .”
    â€œBehaving like an uncle to someone. Michael is very avuncular toward me. But when I marry his son, he’ll be more paternal . Do you want some tea?” I stood up.
    â€œNo, thanks. Fatuous. ”
    I put a tea pod into the coffee maker and hit the start button. “I’m not sure I can define it, but I’m pretty sure you’re an example of it.”
    â€œWrong,” he said. “It doesn’t mean wildly handsome.”
    â€œOh, well played, Georgie! You win that round.”
    Soon after that, Heather buzzed in at the gate. “I have good news and bad news,” I told her as we walked along the hallway toward the kitchen. “The good news is we’re going shopping later.”
    â€œAnd the bad news is that I can’t afford to buy anything.”
    â€œYes, you can. I’m treating.”
    â€œThen the bad news is that it’s so hot, my car willmelt before we leave.” She was dressed for the brutal heat in a pair of Daisy Dukes and a gauzy tee.
    â€œNot that either.”
    â€œThen what’s the bad news?”
    We entered the kitchen and I gestured toward George, who was sitting there in his usual jeans and oxford shirt—dressed for a completely different climate. “First we have to take a practice SAT.”
    â€œOh no,” she said, backing away. “You didn’t tell me we were going to do that. That’s not fair.”
    â€œCome on.” I took her hand and pulled her toward the table. “It’ll be fun. We’ll do it together.”
    â€œNo, you won’t,” George said. “I’m putting you in separate rooms. You need to take this seriously or there’s no point.”
    â€œYou go ahead,” Heather said. “I’ll wait. I can watch something or talk to George.”
    â€œGeorge doesn’t want to talk to you,” I said.
    â€œI beg your