Chapter Fifteen- The Northerner’s Greeting

“Oh, no, you don’t!”

I jumped as my locker slammed closed in front of me- only just missing my fingers- and braced myself as I looked up into Dougie’s furious face, “Problem?”

“Mrs. Dobson called me to see her this morning…” he drawled casually. “Now, why might that be…? Except to tell me that my tutor has decided to wimp out on me!!”

“Can you have a conversation without being a drama queen?” I sniped. “It’s not like I left you in the lurch. I found you another tutor.”

He rolled his eyes, “Barely. Howard Blake… I bet he calls them ‘cuss words’ and freaks out whenever you say ‘crap’.”

“What does it matter whether he swears or not?”

“It doesn’t matter,” he admitted. “I’m just pissed that you seem to be able to throw me off so easily. I don’t want any old tutor.”

I pulled my locker open again in irritation, lowering my voice so no-one except him could hear what I was about to say, “I figured that after we almost had sex, it would be better not to be in such close proximity.”

He punched the locker next to mine, his frustration showing through, “That wouldn’t happen again!”

“I’m not willing to risk it!” I snapped. “I’m not willing to risk hurting him like that. So you’re getting a new tutor, Dougie. And, if you want to pass, you’ll study with him like a good boy.”

As I closed my locker and made to walk off, he blocked my path- something he was very good at, despite his small stature. “Don’t patronise me!” he spat. “Don’t act like you’re above me!”

I was well aware that we were now attracting unwanted attention, but right now I also didn’t care. “I’m not acting like I’m above you, but it you don’t shape up, and realise you have to buckle down to pass this, you won’t. He’s your best shot now, so if you want to pass, I suggest you go and you listen to him.”

He let out a bitter laugh, “And why would I listen to someone who doesn’t even have the balls to carry on tutoring me themselves?” With a final sneer, he turned and stalked off. A few people had made a pitying noise at his last remark, and were still watching me to see what I would do.

I sighed, raking a hand through my hair, and turned to walk in the other direction, smacking straight into someone else. Water splashed up from their bottle, soaking my front. There was a sharp intake of breath from the crowd. “Oh, leave it,” I requested wearily. “The drama’s gone… He went that way. Disperse, will you?” They did as asked, much to my relief, having decided I wasn’t about to go ape at the unfortunate bystander. I looked down at my hoodie in resignation.

“I’m so sorry,” the guy I’d walked into apologised. “I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s fine.” I pulled off my jumper and turned back to my locker, shoving it in. As I turned round again, I tugged down the t-shirt that had ridden up. “It’s just shaping up to be one of those days…”

He looked off in the direction Dougie had gone sympathetically, “Boyfriend?”

“Ex.”

“Ah. I thought you had that look to you.” He cocked his head to the side, “Right. Do you know where the Rector’s office is? I’m meant to go there.”

New student. I thought I hadn’t seen him around before, and the bold Northern accent hinted at it. “You know where you came in?”

“It’s right next to that, isn’t it?”

I laughed at the dread in his voice, “Not quite. When you come in, take a right and walk along that narrow corridor. It’s the second on the right. It says on the door. You can’t miss it.”

“Thanks,” he said with a smile. The bell rang loudly, making me wince.

“And I’m late…Perfect. I have to go. Good luck.”

He flashed me a stunning grin, “Same to you.”

*****

I sighed to myself as I knocked on the door of the Rector’s office. Yep. This was going to be a stellar day… I had sped into Registration just to be told that I had to go back down three flights of stairs- the same ones I had just bolted up. Fate was angry at me today.

At the call, I stepped into the office, “You wanted to see me, sir?”

“Ah, yes… Tom.” Mr. Graham looked up at me with his piercing blue eyes, “Were you late?”

My jaw dropped. How had he known that?! “I-”