5

If it matters, it produces controversy.

~Jay Greene

After leaving Mr Robertson's office, Raphael and I stood in the hallway.

"What subjects are you-" I started but he didn't let me finish. 

"I have an important meeting to attend to right now so we'll do this tomorrow." He told me.

"But Mr Robertson sa-" I started but he cut me off.

"I heard what he said." He started. "I'll be free tomorrow, we can start then." 

Not bothering to get a reply he walked away. 

"Whatever." I whispered to myself and went to the library so I could do my calculus homework. 

"Raphael." I called for the third time.

"What." He groaned turning to face him.

 Classes were over and he was with his friends, the same ones who bullied me, going for what looked like practice. 

"What do you want." He glared at me. 

"It's time for our tutorial." I reminded. 

"Ok, I'll meet you there when I'm done with practice." He shrugged. 

"That's what you've been saying for the past month." I sighed. 

"Well I said it again." 

"You can't keep  -" I tried to reason but he wasn't having it.

"I can say it a thousand times if I want pigtails." He stated and made fun of the pigtails I had done in my hair. 

His friends laughed making me angry. 

"Well it'd be better if you had good grades." I retorted. 

"What did you say nerd." The smug look that graced his face quickly changing to a glare. 

"I-I just-" I stuttered taking a step back. "I didn't mean it like that." 

"She thinks she's so damn smart." Marcus spat striding towards me but Raphael stopped him. 

"Go to the gym, I'll meet you guys there." He told the group of me that were looking at me with murderous expression. 

"Not after what she said, let us handle her." A guy spat charging at me but he held him from getting any closer. 

"I said what I said, go to the gym and I'll find you there." Raphael ordered. 

Sighing everyone looked at him feeling defeated. 

"You better deal with that little disrespectful mouth of hers." Marcus told him before walking off and the other guys followed. 

When they were out of sight I finally let out a breathe I didn't know I was holding. 

"Talk to me like that again I'll let them do as they please with you." Raphael warned. 

"I'm sorry." The apology came out of my mouth and a smug look graced his face as he looked down at me with his piercing eyes. 

"You should be." He smirk. "Now about our tutorial session, I'll find you by the benches outside the library." 

"You can't keep saying that at the expense of Mr Robertson getting mad at me for your poor grade." I poked his chest. "If you won't be attending the tutorial sessions then at least get better grades and remove me from my misery." 

"Now why would I do that." He smirked at my desperation. 

"Mr Robertson will be on my neck." I whined. "Please."

"Fine, I'll meet you by the benches in an hour." He told me. 

"Sure." I sighed finding it hard to believe him. 

Watching him walk away I tightened the grip on my bag and went to the benches. 

It had been a month and Raphael had not been attending any of our tutorial sessions, at first I was not bothered, I didn't care to remind him about it until Mr. Robertson approached me. His performance was supposed to be getting better but instead it kept getting worse and somehow that was my fault. I tried explaining to him that it was not my fault and that Raphael had decided to be skipping the sessions on his own accord and never bothered to give me any reasons. He didn't listen to my reasoning and told me that it was my job as a tutor to make him attend our sessions. 

"Hey." A girl with blonde hair greeted sitting opposite me. 

"Hi." I waved. 

"I always see you here, we attend biology together." She told me. "I'm Emilia." She offered her hand. 

"Lyra." I shook it. "How come I've never noticed you?" 

"No offense, you don't really pay attention to anyone when in class." She let out a soft laugh. 

"Right." I chuckled taking no offense in her words. She was not wrong, I payed no mind to the people in my class, especially the ones that enjoyed bullying me. 

"What are you doing?" She asked staring at my journal. 

"Nothing." I said quickly shut it. 

I hated people looking at my things. 

"Ok." She rose her hands in surrender. "I've noticed you are usually alone, don't you have friends?" 

"I don't like people." I told her and she gave me an expression I was not expecting.

It was true, I never enjoyed the company of people. They always got on my nerves with the comments they made about me. 

"I don't like people either." She smiled. "Human beings are so annoying." 

"Don't patronize me." I frowned. 

"Who said I was." She shrugged. 

"Whatever." I sighed looking at the antique rose gold watch wrapped around my right wrist.

It was the last gift my father had gotten me, he had travelled to Japan for business and we hadn't seen each other for months, he sent it to me with a postcard attached to it telling me how much he missed me and that the watch reminded him of me because I loved antique things. 

The smile I had changed into a frown when the memory of how my father had left and not bothered to contact or ask about me resurfaced. 

"Are you ok?" Emilia asked mimicking my expression. 

"I'm fine." I take a deep breath and push the thoughts of my father to the back of my head and reminding myself now was not the time to start thinking about him. 

"I have to get going." I packed my journal and pens into my backpack and got up. "It's getting late." 

"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow then?" She smiled and waited on my response.

"Yeah sure." I nod not meaning it. 

"I'm new and I don't have any friends here so maybe you and I can be friends, you seem chilled." She explained. 

"Sure." I nod again and turn around making my way out of the sitting area. 

Feeling annoyed I walked to the exit. My annoyance was not directed towards Raphael or the fact that he had not shown up, I expected it but the thing that annoyed me was that I was going to suffer for his poor grades like I was the one writing on his behalf. 

"Ugh." I groaned after bumping into someone. 

"Now where are you storming of to." A familiar deep voice asked.

I looked up and there he stood staring down at me with a smirk. 

"This is past an hour." I frowned.

"I'm only a few hours late." He scoffed after glancing at the expensive looking Rolex watch on his wrist. 

"I'm not at your neck and call Raphael, I have more important things to do and that does not include waiting on you." I snapped. "I will not be taking the fall every time you get bad grades." 

"And who told you to take the damn fall." He snared. 

"Mr Robertson says it's my responsibility to make sure you have good grades Raphael, unlike you I don't have any basketball to career to lean on if tutoring goes sideways." I vented. "This is everything to me but you clearly don't care." 

"You have one big mouth." He taunted looking at me irritatedly. 

"I can't deal with you." I sigh trying to walk away but he grabs my arm. 

"Where are you going?" He quizzes. 

"Home." I grab my arm out of his hold and walk towards the car pack where I was sure to find Arnold.

"Tomorrow then pigtails." I heard Raphael yell after me. 

Scoffing I reach the car and get in. It had been a long day and all I wanted to do was go to bed.