The Tutor
Chapter 1
"Mr. Maxwell, that's three assignments you haven't handed in this week," said Ms. Hartwell, the English teacher.
"I've, uh, been sick," said Duo, squirming in his seat. Actually, he hadn't been sleeping well because his aunt and uncle had been getting tanked and fighting every night, but he wasn't going to say that in front of the whole class. A girl behind him snickered and he flipped her the bird under his seat.
She mouthed, "I'll kick your ass," to him when the teacher wasn't looking.
"Bring it on, bitch," he mouthed back at her.
"To catch up these assignments, I'm going to assign you an in-class tutor," said Ms. Hartwell, pushing up her glasses. "Mr. Chang, I want you to assist Mr. Maxwell with his English assignments. Mr. Chang is my best student, as you all know."
At the moment, Wufei Chang looked as though he wished the earth would open up and swallow him whole. He ducked slightly behind his notebook.
"Kiss ass," said a tough looking blond kid with a crewcut in front of Wufei.
"What was that, Mr. Winslow?" asked Ms. Hartwell, "You have something to share with the class?"
"I was just congratulating Wufei Chang on being the best student, Ms. Hartwell," said Winslow in an innocent tone.
"And I'm the Tooth Fairy," said Ms. Hartwell, giving him a withering stare.
Winslow flushed red and clenched his fists.
"I'm screwed," thought Wufei, but he opened his textbook to the page the teacher assigned and began to read, first putting on his glasses.
Duo gave the Chinese student an appraising look. "Typical stuck up good- boy," thought Duo. "But maybe I can con him into doing my papers for me."
Duo grinned and rubbed his fingertips together, seeing an opportunity to make good.
After class, Wufei reluctantly came up to Duo. Duo was known as the class goof-off, and with that long braided hair, whispers of "faggot" and "girly- man" followed him at first, but were soon taken care of when everyone found that Duo was a tough, street-smart fighter who didn't easily give up.
He could take as good as he got, too. Wufei had the feeling that Duo hadn't exactly been raised in the lap of luxury. He heard rumors that Duo was an orphan being raised by indifferent relatives. He could easily believe it.
He approached the long-haired boy and stuck out his hand. "I'm Wufei," he said politely. "I'm supposed to help you with English, remember?"
"Seems kinda weird that you're gonna be teachin me English, don't it?" asked Duo, giving him a big grin.
"Why?" asked Wufei, still being polite.
"Well, isn't Chinese you're um, first language?" asked Duo. "I mean, you are Chinese, aren't you?"
"Yes," said Wufei, looking puzzled. "But I grew up speaking both languages, like most Chinese people who were born here."
"Oh," said Duo, a little embarrassed. "Sorry, I guess I sound like some kind of a racist asshole."
"No, it's okay," said Wufei. "An understandable mistake."
"Hey," said Duo, "Let me make it up to you, buddy. I'll get you a soda, okay?"
"That'd would be fine," said Wufei politely. "But we need to use this free period to do your assignment."
"How about Pepsi?" asked Duo, walking over to the soda machine "Might as well get some caffeine with your sugar rush, I always say."
"Fine," said Wufei, beginning to get slightly irritated, but containing his temper.
Duo reached into a pocket of his cargo jeans and pulled out a sliver of metal, and proceeded to expertly jimmy the soda machine lock open. He reached in and grabbed 3 bottles of Pepsi and quickly shut the door again.
Wufei smothered an exclamation of dismay. Duo had just casually thugged soda in broad daylight.
Duo came back over holding his 3 prizes.
"Look, Wu-dude!" he said, pulling a chair around. "Three. Two for me, one for you." He laughed, throwing his head back easily like it was an everyday event for him to rob soda machines.
"It probably was," thought Wufei.
He cleared his throat. "My name is Wufei," he said, pronouncing it distinctly.
"I heard," said Duo. "I call all my friends stupid names," he told Wufei. "You and me, were gonna be friends, right?"
Wufei nodded dumbly. Duo Maxwell was rather overwhelming, especially to a somewhat introverted person such as himself.
"Can we get started on this assignment?" asked Wufei.
"Sure, go ahead," said Duo, "Get on with it." He was sitting on a chair the wrong way, with the back of the chair against his chest.
"Wait a minute," said Wufei, "YOU'RE going to do this and I'm going to help you. I'm not doing your assignment for you."
"Why not?" Duo pouted beguilingly. "I thought we were buddies?"
"I barely know you!" said Wufei, taking off his glasses and throwing down the textbook in disgust. He'd had enough of this goof-off. They'd already wasted 15 whole minutes stealing soda and arguing!
"I don't cheat," said Wufei stubbornly. He folded his arms across his chest and glared at Duo. "And I don't help other people cheat."
Duo looked genuinely offended. "But, you're gonna help me, right?" he said quietly.
"Yes," said Wufei, "I apologize for loosing patience. But we have to get started."
Duo nodded, sighing. "Okay, Wu-dude, explain it to me." He cocked his head and gave Wufei an appraising look. "Let's see if you're smart enough to teach a dumb-ass like me anything."
Wufei raised his own brows. "I hardly think you're stupid," he said. "After all, that was quite a trick you just pulled with the soda machine. I haven't a clue as how to do something like that."
"Ah, that," said Duo, winking. "That's basic stuff. Known how to do that since I was a kid."
"If you don't mind me saying so, that's a little scary," said Wufei.
Duo laughed. "I guess it is," he said. "I never really thought about it."
Wufei opened the textbook again. "This chapter is about the Gothic/Romantic movement in American literature. You'll like this. The origins of the horror story, and the detective novel."
"Really?" exclaimed Duo. "I like horror movies." He opened his book.
"Okay, lay some Gothic on me, Teach," he said, taking a huge swig of Pepsi.
A half hour later, Wufei was impressed at how much Duo had absorbed.
"He really is smart," thought Wufei. "Just undisciplined and not used to applying himself."
"That was good," said Wufei. "I think you understand enough to do the assignment, now."
"Can we do that next time we get together?" asked Duo.
"Can't you do the assignment at home?" asked Wufei.
Duo averted his eyes. "I can't concentrate there like I can here in free period," he said quietly. "Please?"
Wufei nodded. Duo was hard to turn down. "I'll help you until you've caught up all your assignments."
"Great!" said Duo, smiling again. Wufei noticed he had a few freckles across his short turned up nose, and very long eyelashes surrounding large dark blue-violet eyes. Along with the long curly brown hair worn in a French braid, no wonder he got teased about being a "girly-man".
"You're staring at me," said Duo, grinning.
Wufei blushed. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about the assignment," he lied. "I didn't realize I was staring."
"You checkin' me out?" Duo asked lightly. "I don't mind, just don't lie about it," said Duo.
Wufei stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow, Duo." He gathered up his books and left.
Duo watched him walk away, and smiled. "So, the Wu-man thinks I'm cute," he said to himself. He grinned widely.
"Score one for Maxwell!" he said, jumping up and snagging a senior dance banner off the wall and laughing wildly as he ran down the hallway.
Chapter 1
"Mr. Maxwell, that's three assignments you haven't handed in this week," said Ms. Hartwell, the English teacher.
"I've, uh, been sick," said Duo, squirming in his seat. Actually, he hadn't been sleeping well because his aunt and uncle had been getting tanked and fighting every night, but he wasn't going to say that in front of the whole class. A girl behind him snickered and he flipped her the bird under his seat.
She mouthed, "I'll kick your ass," to him when the teacher wasn't looking.
"Bring it on, bitch," he mouthed back at her.
"To catch up these assignments, I'm going to assign you an in-class tutor," said Ms. Hartwell, pushing up her glasses. "Mr. Chang, I want you to assist Mr. Maxwell with his English assignments. Mr. Chang is my best student, as you all know."
At the moment, Wufei Chang looked as though he wished the earth would open up and swallow him whole. He ducked slightly behind his notebook.
"Kiss ass," said a tough looking blond kid with a crewcut in front of Wufei.
"What was that, Mr. Winslow?" asked Ms. Hartwell, "You have something to share with the class?"
"I was just congratulating Wufei Chang on being the best student, Ms. Hartwell," said Winslow in an innocent tone.
"And I'm the Tooth Fairy," said Ms. Hartwell, giving him a withering stare.
Winslow flushed red and clenched his fists.
"I'm screwed," thought Wufei, but he opened his textbook to the page the teacher assigned and began to read, first putting on his glasses.
Duo gave the Chinese student an appraising look. "Typical stuck up good- boy," thought Duo. "But maybe I can con him into doing my papers for me."
Duo grinned and rubbed his fingertips together, seeing an opportunity to make good.
After class, Wufei reluctantly came up to Duo. Duo was known as the class goof-off, and with that long braided hair, whispers of "faggot" and "girly- man" followed him at first, but were soon taken care of when everyone found that Duo was a tough, street-smart fighter who didn't easily give up.
He could take as good as he got, too. Wufei had the feeling that Duo hadn't exactly been raised in the lap of luxury. He heard rumors that Duo was an orphan being raised by indifferent relatives. He could easily believe it.
He approached the long-haired boy and stuck out his hand. "I'm Wufei," he said politely. "I'm supposed to help you with English, remember?"
"Seems kinda weird that you're gonna be teachin me English, don't it?" asked Duo, giving him a big grin.
"Why?" asked Wufei, still being polite.
"Well, isn't Chinese you're um, first language?" asked Duo. "I mean, you are Chinese, aren't you?"
"Yes," said Wufei, looking puzzled. "But I grew up speaking both languages, like most Chinese people who were born here."
"Oh," said Duo, a little embarrassed. "Sorry, I guess I sound like some kind of a racist asshole."
"No, it's okay," said Wufei. "An understandable mistake."
"Hey," said Duo, "Let me make it up to you, buddy. I'll get you a soda, okay?"
"That'd would be fine," said Wufei politely. "But we need to use this free period to do your assignment."
"How about Pepsi?" asked Duo, walking over to the soda machine "Might as well get some caffeine with your sugar rush, I always say."
"Fine," said Wufei, beginning to get slightly irritated, but containing his temper.
Duo reached into a pocket of his cargo jeans and pulled out a sliver of metal, and proceeded to expertly jimmy the soda machine lock open. He reached in and grabbed 3 bottles of Pepsi and quickly shut the door again.
Wufei smothered an exclamation of dismay. Duo had just casually thugged soda in broad daylight.
Duo came back over holding his 3 prizes.
"Look, Wu-dude!" he said, pulling a chair around. "Three. Two for me, one for you." He laughed, throwing his head back easily like it was an everyday event for him to rob soda machines.
"It probably was," thought Wufei.
He cleared his throat. "My name is Wufei," he said, pronouncing it distinctly.
"I heard," said Duo. "I call all my friends stupid names," he told Wufei. "You and me, were gonna be friends, right?"
Wufei nodded dumbly. Duo Maxwell was rather overwhelming, especially to a somewhat introverted person such as himself.
"Can we get started on this assignment?" asked Wufei.
"Sure, go ahead," said Duo, "Get on with it." He was sitting on a chair the wrong way, with the back of the chair against his chest.
"Wait a minute," said Wufei, "YOU'RE going to do this and I'm going to help you. I'm not doing your assignment for you."
"Why not?" Duo pouted beguilingly. "I thought we were buddies?"
"I barely know you!" said Wufei, taking off his glasses and throwing down the textbook in disgust. He'd had enough of this goof-off. They'd already wasted 15 whole minutes stealing soda and arguing!
"I don't cheat," said Wufei stubbornly. He folded his arms across his chest and glared at Duo. "And I don't help other people cheat."
Duo looked genuinely offended. "But, you're gonna help me, right?" he said quietly.
"Yes," said Wufei, "I apologize for loosing patience. But we have to get started."
Duo nodded, sighing. "Okay, Wu-dude, explain it to me." He cocked his head and gave Wufei an appraising look. "Let's see if you're smart enough to teach a dumb-ass like me anything."
Wufei raised his own brows. "I hardly think you're stupid," he said. "After all, that was quite a trick you just pulled with the soda machine. I haven't a clue as how to do something like that."
"Ah, that," said Duo, winking. "That's basic stuff. Known how to do that since I was a kid."
"If you don't mind me saying so, that's a little scary," said Wufei.
Duo laughed. "I guess it is," he said. "I never really thought about it."
Wufei opened the textbook again. "This chapter is about the Gothic/Romantic movement in American literature. You'll like this. The origins of the horror story, and the detective novel."
"Really?" exclaimed Duo. "I like horror movies." He opened his book.
"Okay, lay some Gothic on me, Teach," he said, taking a huge swig of Pepsi.
A half hour later, Wufei was impressed at how much Duo had absorbed.
"He really is smart," thought Wufei. "Just undisciplined and not used to applying himself."
"That was good," said Wufei. "I think you understand enough to do the assignment, now."
"Can we do that next time we get together?" asked Duo.
"Can't you do the assignment at home?" asked Wufei.
Duo averted his eyes. "I can't concentrate there like I can here in free period," he said quietly. "Please?"
Wufei nodded. Duo was hard to turn down. "I'll help you until you've caught up all your assignments."
"Great!" said Duo, smiling again. Wufei noticed he had a few freckles across his short turned up nose, and very long eyelashes surrounding large dark blue-violet eyes. Along with the long curly brown hair worn in a French braid, no wonder he got teased about being a "girly-man".
"You're staring at me," said Duo, grinning.
Wufei blushed. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about the assignment," he lied. "I didn't realize I was staring."
"You checkin' me out?" Duo asked lightly. "I don't mind, just don't lie about it," said Duo.
Wufei stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow, Duo." He gathered up his books and left.
Duo watched him walk away, and smiled. "So, the Wu-man thinks I'm cute," he said to himself. He grinned widely.
"Score one for Maxwell!" he said, jumping up and snagging a senior dance banner off the wall and laughing wildly as he ran down the hallway.