TUTORS ; E.D.

FOUR: HOME

"It's not weird at all, E," Aphrodite reassures. "People are just assholes."

Biting his tongue, he asks a question he immediately regrets, "Then why are you so insistent on helping me lose it?"

She pauses, surprised that he had the courage to ask. He feels his chest tightening every second she doesn't answer, fiddling with his fingers and staring up at the ceiling. If it wasn't a big deal, then what was the point of all this anyway?

Aphrodite takes a second to get her words right, wanting to articulate her thoughts correctly. This is a very sensitive subject for the boy who stands in front of her.

"I can tell that it's something that bothers you," she admits, reaching for her water. With how often people taunt him about it, it's hard not to notice that it gets under his skin. "It's not weird or a bad thing, but it definitely does. You deserve better than that. I don't wanna force you to do anything, and I thought I made that clear so I'm sorry if I didn't. I just wanted to repay you for tutoring me, and figured with how quiet you are and how much it obviously irritated you, I could help push you toward a girl you like and prepare you so you're not so nervous when it does happen, whenever you are ready."

"No, it.. you're not forcing me," he whispers, relaxing his muscles. "I'm ready--I'm okay with it. I just wanted t-to know, I guess."

"Cool," she gives him a smile, glad to hear that he's okay with everything.

Ethan needed affirmation that she wasn't doing this because she thought he was weird or that she pitied him. Plenty of people looked at him and thought he was for being so quiet, for being a little awkward, for being a virgin at the measly age of 18 as if that wasn't normal. Especially after hearing about Grayson going to hookup with Rachel, he just needed to be sure.

They hangout in the kitchen for about 15 or so minutes before getting back to studying. With a clearer head, Aphrodite is getting the hang of it.

She still does most of the talking, but things are calm. Until her phone buzzes a few times. Instinctively she reaches for it, but then sighs at Ethan's raised, judgmental brow. Shocking coming from him, but she listens.

"Sorry, I'll leave it," Aphrodite whines, picking up her pencil again. Ethan lets out a chuckle that's for some reason encouraging. Until her phone starts ringing with a call. She glances at it against better judgement, seeing her brothers contact. "I gotta get this."

There's no opportunity to say hello before his voice is heard. "Dee, I'm--will you be home soon?"

"I'm studying right now dude, what's up?"

"I got in a fight and my ribs really hurt and I'm bleeding and I--"

"You what?" Aphrodite gapes, shaking her head. "Hades, I'm gonna kick your ass after I make sure you're okay. Sit down and don't move." After hanging up, she starts packing her things. "I'm sorry, I gotta go, Ethan."

"Oh--yeah, okay. Gray left the keys so I-I can just run you home now? Or we can study there... if you want."

She stops cold, groaning.

Aphrodite forgot that she didn't drive herself today. Grayson picked her up because they were meeting Carla and Elijah for breakfast and skipping first period, and then she rode with them to their house after school.

It was rare that she brought people over to her house. Grayson and Joey knew where she lived, but had never been inside. Carla slept over once or twice when she needed a place to stay, and that was pretty much it, other than childhood friends who she was no longer in contact with, and ex boyfriends she let in before.