|| Thursday, midday ||

     Callum had a hard time reading Elliot, since he was supressing his emotions like he always did. But Callum felt as if something was bothering. Elliot was more silent than ever, only replying to Callum whenever he asked a question or told something about emotions.

There was no small chit-chat like on Sunday. There were no casual stories about Elliot’s life, no discussions about whether or not their educational system made any sense—which both of them didn’t think was the case. There was nothing, other than strictly tutoring.

And it stung.

“Okay,” Callum took away Elliot’s notebook when he was done writing down all mild and strong emotions, in order of his ability to control them.

“What are you doing? I need to write things down, right?” Elliot blankly stared at him, blinking a few times.

“What’s going on? Why are you silent the whole time?” Callum tapped his watch. “We’ve been here for an hour and all we did was tutoring.”

“Isn’t that why you’re here, though?” Elliot blinked again but showed no confusion.

“Last Sunday we had fun while tutoring. We talked about things more… elaborate.”

Elliot shrugged, playing with his pencil.

“What’s bothering you?”

Elliot took in a deep breath and Callum saw he exchanged a look with his sister, who was seated on the coach behind Callum.

“Just ask,” Raleigh said with a chuckle. “He won’t bite you.”

Elliot’s look switched from his sister to Callum, who felt uncomfortable and insecure.

“What is it you want to ask?”

“Why are you refusing to tutor Constance or Lewis, while they obviously could use your help?” Elliot asked, his shoulders slumping down a bit. There was a small pout that Callum found hard to ignore.

“Oh, eh, because I want to focus on you,” Callum answered lamely. “I’m not an official licenced teacher and I think they can ask someone else…”

“But aren’t you, like, the best?” Raleigh asked, getting up from her seat to join them at the small dinner table. “You could teach them the things they don’t understand in, like, two weeks.”

“Exactly,” Elliot agreed with her with a nod. “If that would help them, then why don’t you? It’s only two weeks of your time.”

“Free time, might we add.” Raleigh added again, annoying Callum a bit. “Like, you graduated primary school early so you have, like, a few months to spare.”

“Don’t you ever notice you say ‘like’, a lot?” Callum asked, sending her an annoyed look.

“I’ve been told, yes,” She giggled before shrugging a shoulder. “Old habits die hard.”

“Raleigh, could you leave us alone? It’s hard to say what I want to say if you keep interrupting our conversation. I can handle it,” Elliot said with a soft voice. If Callum would’ve said the same thing, there would be annoyance seeping through every word.

Not with Elliot, though. Elliot supressed the feelings and his voice was way too sweet to demand someone to leave them alone. Callum was surprised Raleigh even listened to him, and stood up again.

“Sure,” Raleigh replied with a smile. “I’ll be in my room. But don’t hold back on what you want to say, Elli.”

“I won’t,” Elliot mumbled, waiting for her to leave the room before he continued. “She makes it sound like something bad, but I really just wonder why you won’t help others too.”

“Like I said, I want to focus on you. I might get confused helping three people at once. This is my first go on tutoring too.”

“Okay, but why me?” Elliot asked, staring at him with his bright brown eyes.

“Because you need help,” Callum said with a shrug. He didn’t want to tell Elliot the real reason he was adamant about tutoring him. But he knew if Elliot continued to question his motives, he’d spill the tea before one could blink their eyes.

“Others do too,” Elliot mimicked Callum’s movements, shrugging a shoulder. “Why me?” he repeated, this time emphasising the word ‘me’. “Why, out of everyone who would love to have you as a tutor, did you pick me? What’s different about me?”

Callum sighed, clanking around the room to make sure Raleigh or Mrs. Ainsley wasn’t eavesdropping in on them. When he was sure they were both upstairs, doing whatever it was they did, he turned to face Elliot again.

“Because I like you,” Callum admitted with a trembling voice. “And I mean that I’m romantically interested in you from the moment I first saw you.”

“What?” Elliot chocked on his own breath, coughing loudly. He was wheezing still, when he was able to reply. “You? Callum Marlowe, talent of the century and son of some of the most powerful people on Terraqua? You’re interested in me?”

“Yeah, romance doesn’t work the same way as our society. Once you learn to recognize romance, and love, and admiration? You’ll know that those feelings don’t listen to rules of society, or cast-systems. Romance doesn’t place people into boxes.” Callum told him with more warmth and feeling than when he explained any other emotion.

“Love, to me, is the best emotion someone could feel. And I truly hope I will be able to make you feel those feelings. Because to be in love is the best feeling in the world.”

“Even if it’s unanswered love? Raleigh liked this guy—"

“The emotions that come with being in love are more powerful than any feeling I have ever experienced,” Callum cut him short with a smile. “Even if you would turn me down, the feeling of being in love remains as powerful as it is. The pain that comes with being turned down might be bad, but it won’t change the feelings I have to begin with.”

“That sounds… really nice,” Elliot frowned. “Is it normal that it gave me goosebumps?”

“What did?”

“The way you describe being in love,” Elliot showed his arms, that were covered in goosebumps.”

“It’s good, goosebumps can be caused by cold, but also by fear or excitement. Let’s keep it to excitement in your case,” Callum told him, unable to stop himself from grinning proudly.

“So…” Elliot started, lolling his head to the right a bit. “You want me to feel those feelings. To control them. So that I can fall in love with you?”

“If you don’t develop feelings for me, at least I tried,” Callum mumbled, knowing full well it was a possibility Elliot would develop those emotions, and then fall for someone else. “But I’ll do everything in my power to make you feel those emotions, even if you eventually fall for someone else. Because you getting to be with someone who makes you happy, is still better than you not experiencing those feelings at all.”

“That’s… nice of you,” Elliot forced himself to look Callum in the eye. “But, okay, if you promise you will help Lewis and Constance, and maybe others, I’ll allow you to work your magic on me and make me fall in love with you.”

“Really?” Callum asked in surprise. “Just like that?”

“Yeah, why not? Like you said; we can at least try.”

“Well in that case, deal.”