The Sinners of Saint Amos - Logan Fox Page 0,24

I say, jutting my chin into the air. “She won’t stand for it.”

“What if she’s the one who told me to film you in the first place?” He reaches for me again, and this time I take two steps back.

By now, boys are starting to file into the dining hall. Thankfully, one of them is Perry. The blond guy glances toward the doorway and then back at me. “I got work to do, pretty thing,” he drawls through a wicked smile. “I’ll catch hell if you distract me much longer.”

He hurriedly offloads the rest of the trays and pushes the trolley away without looking back. I start after him, but then stop. I don’t have the guts to demand his name. I mean, I barely stood my ground.

I grab a tray and hover around the table until Perry comes up to get one too. He spotted me from the doorway already. When he gets close, he moves around like a skittish deer, as if he’s convinced I’m going to go for his throat.

“Morning!”

He flinches. “Hey.”

“Sleep well?”

“What do you want?” he asks, frowning at me as he grabs a tray and steps back. Did I look like that when I was dodging the blond-haired guy? Like a nervous rabbit facing off with a wolf?

I’m such a wuss.

Here I am, minutes after the provost tells me how remarkable I am, and I can barely hold a conversation?

Screw that.

I’ve been in the passenger seat for way too long while some anonymous driver takes me from point A to point B. Time to take the wheel.

“I wanted to thank you,” I tell him.

He glances back warily when I trail him to his seat. I sit beside him before he has a chance to object, and a moment later another kid boxes him in on the other side.

“What for?”

“I really think I can help Jasper.” I lay my hand on top of Perry’s. “I want to help him. And if I can, and he passes, then he’s got you to thank for it.”

Perry stares at me for a second as if I’ve totally caught him off guard.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Perry snatches away his hand and ducks his head. I turn and beam up at Jasper. “Waiting for you, silly.” I point at the empty space opposite us. “I want to talk to you about something.”

Jasper growls out something that could have been a curse—was definitely a curse—but he sits anyway, wincing the last inch of the way as if he can’t bear the thought of spending breakfast with me.

“So talk,” he says, taking a noisy sip from his cup without making eye contact.

“I need a student to tutor. Do you know anyone that needs help?”

Jasper frowns at me, and then moves that look to Perry. “No,” he says. “Ask the teachers.”

“Oh, right!” I snap my fingers and point at him. “Of course. Why didn’t I think of that?”

Because I don’t want to try and teach just any kid. Jasper doesn’t like me, but he seems bright enough. I want to show Father Gabriel I can do this so I’ll aim for some low hanging fruit first. Plus, if I can get him to stop treating me like shit while I’m still his roommate, it would make my life that much easier.

Two birds, one stone.

Jasper scrapes his spoon through his oatmeal for a few seconds. I slurp at my coffee and take a bite of my toast, happy to shut up and wait.

I don’t think he’s going to go for it, when he suddenly asks, “Will it get me out of swimming practice?”

“Will what?” I ask through a mouthful of toast. I know I’m pushing it, but I need him to think this is his idea.

“Extra classes.”

“What, for you? You need extra classes?”

“You said you need practice.”

“I do.” I drop my toast and dust my hands. “Yeah, I guess I could do a few with you. Just while I figure things out. What do you need help with? Is it math? I could def—”

“English,” Jasper cuts in.

I nod, frowning a little. “Okay. Let’s do it.” I hold out my fist.

He stares at it until I put it back in my lap. “See you at three,” he says.

I salute him with my mug of coffee.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how it’s done.

I don’t risk pissing off Jasper by joining him at lunch. Instead, I sit off to one side and munch on a slightly soggy cheese and tomato sandwich while I steal glimpses