Maid for My Nemesis novel · Chapter 5 of 24

Chapter 5: Tutoring

"She's going to tell everyone," Julian said.

We were standing in the kitchen with the mop between us, listening to Presley's engine fade down the drive.

"She's going to post it," I said. "A picture, a rumor, something with a clock on it."

"I'll deny it."

"Julian, she saw my bucket."

"I'll say you were here for some other reason."

"What reason? What are you going to say, that I wandered in to admire your furniture?"

He opened his mouth and closed it again.

I picked up the mop and leaned on it, thinking hard.

The thing about a lie is that someone else can always pull on it.

The thing about a truth is that you get to choose which part to hold up first.

"What's your calculus grade?" I said.

His ears went pink.

"Why?"

"Because I looked over your shoulder on Saturday while you were pretending to read."

"Your textbook was open to chapter four. We finished chapter four in September."

"I'm fine."

"You have a sixty-one."

"I have a sixty-three," he said, with dignity.

I laughed so hard I had to hold the table.

"Julian. I got a hundred and two on the last test, with the bonus."

"I know. I saw the board."

"Then it's simple," I said. "I tutor you. I come here for calculus. That's the truth, and it's even a little bit true."

He looked at me for a long time.

"They'll never believe it," he said.

"They will, because I'm going to say it first, and I'm going to say it where everyone can hear."

The next day, Presley called an emergency meeting of the student council.

It was in the old library, a long room with green lamps and a table that sat twelve.

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