Tegan's P.O.V
April 2013
~~~
"There is no way in heck I'm tutoring Romeo Fitzroy." I shake my head, sitting in front of my English teacher.
"Tegan, you're brilliant! You've understood the material quicker than most students. Plus, this will give you the opportunity to make a new friend. After all, you're still new to our school." She attempts you persuade me. "Romeo's mum insists on getting him a tutor, before school ends, to help him pass this final test."
"I'll have to talk to-"
"I already emailed Adelaide praising your brilliance. I mentioned the chance you could tutor and she was over the moon!"
I do not want to be at Romeo Fitzroy's house three days a week for the rest of the year. Even if there's only three weeks of school left.
"Alrighty then," I plaster my best artificial smile.
Relieved, she hands me a schedule of our sessions and the material we need to go over.
Dreadfully, I walk out of the school building. Niall is picking me up in Adelaide's car.
They're staying in a hotel, but they haven't seemed to be able to stay away from the penthouse for more than eighteen hours.
"Unbelievable," I groan, throwing myself into the passenger's seat. "Me tutoring Romeo Bloody Fitzroy. Truly sounds like trouble in paradise."
Immediately, Niall bursts out laughing.
"Do you perhaps have a crush on this little, Romeo Fitz-what was it?"
"Fitzroy," I correct him. "Also, not a chance, leppy! How could I have a crush on him?"
"Fitzroy, that sounds so familiar to me. I'll have to give me mum a rink." He ponders.
I can't believe I was going to be spending my Wednesday afternoon at Romeo Fitzroy's house.
~~~
I type Romeo's address in my phone. Niall is driving me there. I've just eaten supper and now I'm going to his house to study. On a school night, how unbelievable.
We arrive in a completely transformer environment of our small suburb. A side I've Paris I've never witnessed.
"Uh, Niall I don't think we're in the right neighborhood." My eyebrows furrow together.
"Check the address on the paper again." He instructs, keeping his eyes on the road.
I pull the paper out of my pocket and compare it to the address in my phone.
"It's the same one." I tell him.
We enter an park of mobile homes.
"This is it!" Niall chirps, turning his car off in front of a cream coloured short home.
At the same time, Niall and I open our doors stepping out. I lift my sunglasses up from over my eyes, squinting at the home.
Unbelievable, Romeo always tells stories durning lunch about his massive backyard with a trampoline and treehouse. He talks about the basketball goal in his bedroom.
I take my sweet time walking up to the front door while Niall practically jogs. I stand beside Niall as he knocks on the door. A tall woman with a bandana tied around her head opens the door.
"Ello, I'm Niall and this is Tegan. She's come to tutor your son." He gestures towards me.
"Well, I'll be dammed, your dad rung me just yesterday, saying he reckoned I'd see you soon!" The woman covers her mouth with her hand.
I furrow my eyebrows.
"I gave em a ring yesterday, asking where I'd heard the name Fitzroy before." Niall nods. "Remarkable babysitter you were!"
She laughs.
"Come in, you two!" She gestures. "I'll go fetch Romeo."
We step inside and she walks down a hall.
"Back in the day, she ran a daycare. My brother Greg and I came everyday while our dad worked. It was called Fitzroy's Fun House or something real corny, that's why the surname struck me the other day. My dad said he heard she moved around since Mullinger." Niall explains, shoving his hands in his pants pocket.
"Wow, I'm glad you could reconnect with her again." I am genuinely impressed.
"Crazy, she's aged so much since I've seen her. I was just a tyke then, but it's looks like something else." Niall reasons.
"Come on," Romeo's voice interrupts Niall and I's conversation.
He wraps his fingers around my wrist, dragging me away from Niall. He leads us outside.
"Where are we going?"
Without dropping my arm, we go around the side of his home. There's a ladder leaned against the back side of the house. He drops my wrist, beginning to climb the ladder. When he reaches the roof, he stands, looking down on me.
"Are you coming?" He inquires, impatiently.
I scrunch my nose and he rolls his eyes. I decide to make this easier for the both of us and oblige. As I climb up, he sits down, taking his backpack off. When I arrive, I sit criss cross applesauce on the roof next to him.
"Go on," He mumbles, spreading his papers around.
"What?"
"Give me hell for my piece of shit house." His voice lacks confidence.
"I'm not going to do that." I whisper.
He snorts.
"Whatever, let's just get this over with."
I roll, but begin explaining the symbolism in Othello.
"Can we take a break?" He groans.
We've been discussing the story for only thirty minutes, but I was tired of it after ten.
"Yeah," I agree.
He leans back, laying flat down on his roof. The sun is beginning to set, a orange glow in the sky.
"So which boy was that?" He asks me, offhandedly.
"His name is Niall. You would know that, if you introduced yourself before dragging me away."
"Yeah? Oh, well."
"They know each other." I pretend I not to notice his dismissive response.
"What?" He sits up on his elbows.
"Your mum knows Niall's dad." I clarify. "Niall's car is still here, looks like they're chatting up."
"Great," his tone reveals that he doesn't think that's great.
"Why are you so negative about everything?" I can't help but laugh.
I pull my knees to my chest, watching the sun go down.
"I don't even want you here. Not to mention a bogtrotter."
~~~