“Guess I better go.” I gather my book and notebook, stuffing them into my bag. Toby slides off the bed and reaches for my hand. I take it, noticing Tori’s eyes on us. I let go the second my feet touch the carpet. As I walk past Toby’s desk, I spot Elvis and wave a finger at him. “Hi, little guy.” I turn to Toby. “Thanks for helping me.”

“Any time.” He smiles, and all I can think about is how he said it’s good to know I’m not dating anyone.

Chapter Four

“Check out my hair,” Tori says, walking up to my locker. “How does it look?” She fluffs up the ends and smiles.

“Great.”

“Thanks again for braiding it for me. I was so worried it was too dry already because you and my brother took so long studying.”

I try not to smile at the thought of how Toby wanted to hang out after we finished studying. “Sorry, but he really helped me. I’m actually looking forward to trig today, even if I do have detention after school thanks to Mr. Rollar.”

“I’m still so proud of you for that.”

“Proud enough to land yourself in detention with me? I’m already imagining me with all those delinquents. I’m not sure I’ll come out of there alive.”

“Oh, please. Detention is nothing.”

“Says the girl who never gets in trouble.” I shut my locker and look down the hall. Toby is talking to Ryder. Their fan club isn’t as big today. Now that basketball is over, the crowd will find some other team to rally around.

Tori follows my gaze. “Please don’t tell me you have a thing for Ryder too. I don’t want to have to fight my best friend for him.”

Tori would never fight me for a guy. She’s too good a friend to go after someone I like. “He’s definitely hot, but I wouldn’t go there. I know you like him.” I need to watch the way I look at Toby or Tori is going to figure out how I really feel about him.

“Good. That’s a relief.” She loops her arm through mine, and we head to first period. “So, are you and Toby studying again tonight?”

“I don’t know. We didn’t talk about it.” Mostly because Tori pulled me out of Toby’s room last night.

“Oh. Weird. I heard him tell Meredith he couldn’t go out tonight because he had to tutor someone.”

“Did he say tutor someone or did he mention my name?”

She shrugs. “Does it matter?”

I stop walking. “Yes. Meredith is my neighbor, and she hates me. If she finds out I’m the reason Toby blew her off two nights in a row she’ll make my life a living hell.”

“True. I can’t remember him saying your name though, so I don’t think you have to worry.”

He didn’t say my name. Why? Does he not want Meredith to know he’s tutoring me? Is he embarrassed by me?

I don’t see Toby for the rest of the day, and when it’s time for trig, I’m really nervous. Not only do I have to face Mr. Rollar after yesterday’s incident, but I’m most likely going to have to do some problems on the board.

I keep my head down as I take my seat and get out my homework. I know all my answers and my work are correct, but I feel like I forgot everything Toby taught me last night. Mr. Rollar calls roll, not even looking up when he says my name. And when he walks around to check homework, he only glances at mine quickly. For once, I have every problem completed, and he doesn’t even care. Teachers. Doesn’t he realize he was torturing me yesterday? Maybe my comment was out of line, but so was he.

He doesn’t even acknowledge me all period, and when there are only ten minutes left in class, I can’t take it anymore. I raise my hand.

“Yes, Miss Daniels. Is there something you want?”

“I’d like to work out the last problem.”

“Really?” He doesn’t mask his surprise.

“Really. May I?” I’m trying to keep my tone polite. I don’t want to wind up with another detention.

He steps away from the white board. I carry my book and notebook, but when I walk by him, he grabs the notebook from my hands. “I’ll hold on to this.”

“Why?” I stop and stare at him.

“I see you have the correct answer, but I want to see how you arrived at it.”

“I was planning to show my work.”

“No.” He shakes his head. “You were planning to copy what you have written in your notebook. I’d rather see you work out the problem.”

He thinks I copied someone else’s work! Unbelievable! “Fine.” I catch my bitchy tone before I get into more trouble. “I’d be happy to show you.” I force a smile.

I take a deep breath as I walk to the board. Staring at the problem in the book, it looks completely foreign. No, I had this last night. I can do this. I just can’t let Rollar rattle me. I picture Toby explaining the problems to me, and go through all the steps, one by one. When I finish, I step back and look at Mr. Rollar. “Did I do it correctly?”

“You tell me.” He puts my notebook back on my desk and folds his hands in front of him. “Is that how you did the homework last night?”

He’s trying to get me to admit to cheating. “Yes.”

“Then you have your answer.”

I did it right. I smile and walk back to my seat. Mr. Rollar nods as I pass by him. “Your tutor said you’re doing well. I guess he’s right.”

So Toby talked to him already. But then why would Rollar put me through that? Why make it sound like he thought I cheated? When the bell rang I held back, determined to find out. After the last student left, I walked up to Mr. Rollar’s desk.

“Do you need something, Ms. Daniels?”

“Yes. I need to know why you give me a hard time. I’m not trying to be disrespectful, but I feel like you don’t like me or something. You made it sound like I copied someone else’s homework, but then you admitted Toby told you about tutoring me. I don’t get it. I’m trying to improve my grade. I really am.”

“I see that now, but yesterday you came in here with an almost blank piece of homework after you swore you were going to study and have the homework completed. Look at it from my perspective.” He leans back in his chair. “It seemed to me like you were just telling me what you thought I wanted to hear and that you had no intention of doing anything about your grade.”

“I studied with Tori at first, but she couldn’t help me much. I did try, though. It’s frustrating. And so I got Toby to tutor me. He’s a really good teacher.”

Mr. Rollar nods. “Then I suggest you ask him to keep working with you.” He stands up and grabs his briefcase. “You may just manage a good grade after all.” He smiles and walks out.

It wasn’t the victory I was hoping for, but I’ll take it.

I head to my locker and get my books before dreaded detention. I told Mom and Dad Tori and I were studying at the library after school. As long as Mr. Rollar and Vice Principal Davidson don’t call home, I’ll be fine. And considering this is my first detention ever, I don’t see why they would call.

I take a seat in the second row by the door and open up my history book. I have to read a chapter and answer questions. Mindless work that I can do in here and save myself from having to lug the giant textbook home. Halfway through the second page of the reading, someone sits down next to me.

“Using your time wisely, I see.”

I look at Toby, my eyes widening. “What are you doing here? You couldn’t possibly have detention.”

He leans back in his chair. “What can I say? I had a bad day yesterday.”

“No way!” Vice Principal Davidson shoots me a look, and I lower my head, pretending to read from my history book again. After a couple minutes, I discreetly turn toward Toby. “What did you do?”

“I was caught in the halls without a pass.”

“When?”

“Right after I left you.”

“So, you’re here because of me?”

“Don’t sweat it. I told you, everyone gets detention once in a while.”

Something doesn’t add up. Toby isn’t the type to cut class. If he was in the hallway yesterday when I ran into him, he must have had a pass. “Why were you in the halls?”