| TUTOR | under editing

47. "Wait until we get home."

I actually CANT stretch this to fifty. so we may be looking at 48 or 49.
I already wrote the epilogue, y'all are gonna love it!!!

Chris

Weeks had passed since both mine, and Bria's birthday. With Forest and I celebrating her eighteenth with a visit to the CN Tower. Forest gifted her a painting of a flower with the help of me. I gifted her a pair of shoes she wanted..and also dick.

With it now being March, finals were rapidly approaching. So was graduation.

We were now in Biology, enjoying a free period— due to an abundance of the class failing the last test and having to retake.

My teacher sent everyone who made a 79 or above to the back of the class to do whatever. This group only consisted of Bria, Me, Devyn, and a couple other people.

"You wanna eat dinner at my house tonight?" I asked Bria, who was on her phone.

"Sure." She said, continuing to do what she was doing.

I noticed Devyn tapping her foot quickly, as if she was urging to say something. God, please keep her mouth shut.

"Sooo college. Tell me about it." Devyn spoke up, causing me and Bria to look up at each other.

"University Of Toronto." Bria said, not caring to converse with her.

"Oh you got accepted! Yay. I'm going to school in the states."

"Cool." Bria said looking down at her phone.

"Yeah I decided Canada doesn't have much else to offer me. You wanna know where I'm going?"

"No we're good." I spoke up for Bria. I could tell Devyn was trying to push her buttons, knowing how badly Bria wanted to go to school in the states.

Brianna nudged me, letting me know to stop being rude.

"UNC Chapel Hill. They have the exact programs I want." She told us anyway. Bria ignored her. I didn't.

"I said we were good."

"Chris..Are you even going to college? Or will you be stuck living with your parents? Well..I guess I shouldn't say parents..but whatever it is you have-"

"Would you mind shutting the hell up?" Bria said calmly, still looking down at her phone.

"I know you won't be staying with your mother..maybe your dad and his..partner?"

"Devyn stop it." Brianna raised her voice a bit more.

"Before you start talking to me crazy Christopher, take a look at your life. Do you even have room to talk?"

I don't.

Bria

As hard as he tried to play it off, I know Devyn's comment took at toll on him. As insecure as he was about his future..he felt even worse about the condition of his family.

I've known him to the point where I could read his every emotion. And right now his blank expression was telling me whatever it was going on inside his head...wasn't good.

There was going to be tears, or there was going to be violence.

"Christopher."

No response.

"I wasn't trying to offend him. Just trying to tell him not to disrespect me, or I'll disrespect him back." Devyn shrugged, noticing Christopher's face begin to redden.

"Chris go outside for a minute. Take a minute to yourself." I tried to whisper to him. A reaction was inevitable at this point, though it was still unclear which one.

It wasn't Devyn that had gotten to him. It was college. It was his dad. It was his mom. It was the things he swept under a rug so he could remain strong for both himself and I, and it was if Devyn snatched the rug away. At the worst possible time.

He turned around in his desk, and placed his head down. It was decided. Tears.

Though he was silent, I felt like I was watching him sob and I couldn't do anything about it.

"Shit...is he crying? I barely even said anything." Devyn said louder than needed.

Heads began to turn, soon many more eyes were on Christopher..whose head was still down, deject over coming him.

"Chris bro you ok?" Samaad said from the other side of the class.

"He's fine. All of y'all can turn back around."

Most of the kids shrugged and turned back around, except for a few lingering eyes.

"Christopher it's okay. We're almost done with this, just three more months." I told him quietly, just so only he could hear.

He started to sit up, before the bell rand dismissing class.

"Everyone turn in your tests!" Ms.Taylor said, as all the students dropped their tests packets on her desk and rushed out the door.

"Christopher don't mind her."

"It ain't about her. It's about me. My mother's dead and it's my fault. My father lost his husband and it's my fault. I'm not gonna be shit and life and it's my fault."

"What makes you think that? You have so much going for you. Your art is like nothing I've ever seen-"

"Brianna and Christopher wrap this up I have somewhere to be."

"Relax Chris. You'll be ok I promise." I told him as he sat up. "And we need to hurry up so we can get Forest from school, so we good?"

He silently nodded. He wasn't all the way good, but he would get there.

Chris

There was a feeling of shame instilled in me, due to my reaction of just some words Devyn said to me. Words.

I can't explain why it hurt like it did, and Bria mercilessly trying to comfort me only made it worse. She probably sees me as effeminate, just like my mom did.

The car ride to get Forest seemed longer than usual, most likely due to the tension between Brianna and I. Tension that I unintentionally created..by giving her short, stupid answers to her questions.

It was clear the random questions were an attempt to lighten the mood, but it was only slightly helping.

"What's your dad up to?" She asked breaking the short silence.

"Being a whore."

"Chris don't-"

"Bria it seems like every day when I get home he's gone on some date."

"What if it's always the same guy? Don't call your dad a whore, Chris. That's not right."

"Can I call him a s-"

"I'm gonna stop you there. Don't call him names at all. He's your dad and he loves you." She said scoffing at me.

If it's one thing Brianna could do, it was scold me. Not scold in a way where it's hurtful, but scold me in a way where it kind of makes you laugh because of how tough she thinks she is.

"You're adorable."

She smiled and rolled her eyes.

"How come the only thing that can make you happy is making me mad?" She asked, as we pulled into Forest's school.

"It's fun to see you mad. Plus you look sexy."

"Chris- wait until we get home." She mumbled shaking her head. Brianna went inside to sign Forest out, giving me some time to myself.

I sighed to myself, being embarrassed about my slight meltdown. I always told myself I was gonna be fine. Shit, just a year ago all I had to worry about was my mom calling me a name I don't like. School was a place I came to for an escape, and I had a bunch of friends to assist me with that. Now school was a part of the problem. But Brianna keeps me out of slipping into a depression about my problems, that's why I can't fathom not having her.