The Asher Complex

02: Mindset

POPPY

"What do you mean I need to sign an NDA? Who is this person? A prince?" I ask, frustrated. "It's just tutoring."

Tonya's voice briefly breaks up over the phone. "It was a request from the client. And honestly, the amount they're offering to pay per hour is worth the paperwork."

I sigh. "Ok, well, are you going to email me the contract? I can sign it later tonight. I'm just at the Windsor's right now."

"No, you'll have to wait until next week to sign. She wants to go over the conditions in person. I'll email you the address but I have to omit the names."

Goodness, when did needing additional academic help become so scandalous?

"Ok, I guess." Like I have a say. It would be nice to know who I was meeting. "So, when is the appointment scheduled for?"

"They requested every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30 pm."

"Ok."

"I'll send you a follow-up email in a few hours."

"Sounds good, bye, Tonya."

I hang up and walk back into the dining room to find the twins not working. Seriously? I leave them alone for five minutes!

"Oh, my God. He's so cute! I wonder if he has a girlfriend." Victoria muses as she scrolls through her phone.

"More like multiple girlfriends. Didn't you see what TMZ posted yesterday? He was seen with Jade Jenkins from White Lies at Pierce Nightclub and then with a different girl like two hours later!" Kira exclaims as she hands her twin sister an iPad.

 "I love that show! How could he do that to Jade? Also, he's not even 21 yet! How does he get into all these clubs and bars?"

"Money! Duh!"

I hate tutoring high school girls. 

I clear my throat as I sit back down and tap the stack of textbooks sprawled out on the dining room table. "Girls, can we please get back to work? I'm sure whatever debauchery-" I lean over to look at Victoria's phone. "Asher Prescott is getting into will be available for you to view after we're finished. Let's focus on atoms right now, ok?"

Victoria and Kira huff in annoyance but do as they're told. They're not allowed to go to Winter Formal unless they both get at least a C+ in all their classes. That's a lot of pressure. For me! Kira told me that their entire social life is in my hands. I'm basically their educational fairy godmother right now.

The twins really aren't so bad, it's their parents that drive me completely bonkers. The company I work for, Golden Education, is the go-to for uppity parents whose children are struggling academically. Our website says 'Results Guaranteed' and I swear parents think I have a wand that will somehow magically increase the IQ of their offspring. I'm a good tutor, but I'm not a miracle worker.

Kira and Victoria are some of my more...inept pupils. They're completely sweet and have the biggest hearts but sometimes I think that their brains cells were split equally at birth.

Is that mean? Perhaps. But unfortunately, it's accurate. But I'm determined to get them to Winter Formal even if that means unpaid overtime.

"Ok!" Victoria says after thirty minutes. "We're done with the worksheet. Take a look! How'd we do, Poppy?"

I begin to mark their answers with a pink pen. I find that red pens cause my students to get anxious.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.