Love by the Numbers by S.L. Danielson
Love by the Numbers
S.L. Danielson
Love by the Numbers
S. L. Danielson
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2011 S. L. Danielson
Discover other titles by S. L. Danielson at Smashwords.com:
Lust in London http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/9815
For the Heart of Phillip http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/17972
Bernard; Diary of 46-yr-old Bellhop https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/30818
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Acknowledgements:
To my math teachers in high school, I wish I’d had a tutor like Scott!
I would like to thank the following for their help and advice in the creation of this book:
Dustin S.
Barry C.
James B.
And of course…my loving husband and parents.
Chapter One
Seventeen-year-old Scott Williams glanced up at the clock; it was almost 2 o’clock and he sat in his fifth period class—Advanced Algebra. It had been a long day already, and this class just would not end. He adjusted his six foot three inch frame in his very uncomfortable wooden chair. The classroom was deadly silent as the teacher, Mrs. Maureen O’Reilly, wrote out instructions for tomorrow’s class.
Suddenly, there was the interjection of another sound in the room. Senior Jared Adamson impatiently tapped his pencil on his desk. His brown eyes kept close watch of the time as well. He repeatedly swept away his curly blond hair; it kept falling onto his tan face. Jared began tapping his foot in time with the pencil. This irritated Mrs. O’Reilly to no end. She was a wafer-thin, blue-suited, tightly-bunned, spectacled warden, well known for being one of the toughest disciplinarians in school. Scott speculated, along with other classmates, that if she would wind her black hair any tighter, would it make her dull green eyes pop out?
As the clock ticked away, Jared showed his growing displeasure. He sighed audibly, rolled his eyes, and slumped deep into his chair. A few classmates grinned, including Scott. Scott had watched Jared from the start of the semester two months ago. He’d been instantly smitten with the school celebrity. Scott had seen Jared’s picture in the trophy case along the main hallway. Now, seeing him in person and getting to be his classmate piqued his curiosity. For the past two months, he’d watched Jared come in, usually a couple minutes late. Most of the class would snicker in amusement. He’d always have some scantily clad girl or muscle-bound guy by his side.
Today was no different. Jared had come in bookended by two blonde cheerleaders. All he had to do was flash his glowing smile at them and they followed him everywhere. Scott was jealous of his popularity. He wished for one moment he could be as popular as Jared, and get away with what he did. An excellent example was the pencil symphony being performed at the moment. Jared’s surrounding classmates smiled and egged him on, Scott included. However, Mrs. O’Reilly was not amused in the slightest and turned around quickly. She crossed her arms violently against her flat chest and shot a piercing glare at Jared.
“Mr. Adamson, sit up!” she barked.
Jared groaned and sat up a little. It wasn’t quite enough to satisfy the warden, however. She uncrossed her arms, marched quickly over to his desk, and rapped a twelve inch wooden ruler on his desk. The sound reverberated throughout the room, visibly rattling some of the students, including Jared.
“Sit UP!” she demanded with a yell.
Jared pushed up his five foot eleven inch one hundred seventy pound frame straighter. He adjusted his white sweater and blue jeans. He looked into her green eyes with a look that asked, ’Is this okay?’
The teacher recoiled and smiled slightly. “Thank you Mr. Adamson.” She turned sharply on her heel and strode toward the front of the room. “Class, I have your last tests over here. Mr. Williams, would you please pass them out?”
Scott dutifully rose from his seat and adjusted his outfit of black cargo shorts, black tee, and a dark olive shirt, took the papers and distributed them in his usual methodical manner.
When Scott passed by, Jared tried to catch a glimpse of his classmate’s face but Scott’s head was always down, always hidden. Jared’s attention was diverted when he saw the oversized brilliant red “F” at the top of his page. He growled and rolled his eyes, a move which did not go unnoticed by the teacher.
“Good job class. Most of you did very well. Those of you who didn’t, I need to speak with after class. Class dismissed. See you tomorrow.”
Scott usually lagged behind, giving himself time to gather his things. He watched Jared slowly shuffle over to the teacher, facing her. She shook her bony finger at him.
“Mr. Adamson, you are failing this course. The semester began over two months ago! I suggest you forget next spring’s baseball season and get more serious about your studies.”
Jared’s eyes grew wide, but his tone remained irritated. “The homework is too hard! No one but the real brains can even pass your tests. Ain’t there another way?”
Mrs. O’Reilly curled her lip and raised her brow. “First of all, the correct word is isn’t, Mr. Adamson. English should be another focus of yours, I see.” She looked at Scott out of the corner and offered a crafty grin. “I think you could benefit greatly by getting a tutor.”
Jared laughed aloud, but he was the only one who found it amusing. His posture stiffened. “A tutor? Me? Come on! How would that look for me to have a freakin’ tutor?”
Mrs. O’Reilly scowled and gritted her teeth. “You’re not the first ’hot jock’ in this school to have a tutor, young man! It’s your only chance, Mr. Adamson. I’ve informed your parents of your difficulty. If improvement isn’t seen very soon, you cannot be on the team next spring.”
At the sound of Jared’ groan, Scott looked up briefly. He noted the eye roll, and he saw the other teen run his hands through his curly hair in frustration. The teacher noticed as well and looked extremely satisfied.
Jared shifted his feet, before finally meeting the teacher’s eye.
“Fine. Whatever. Just who would this tutor be anyway?” he asked in an exasperated tone.
The teacher grinned and looked over at the class assistant. “Mr. Williams, would you be willing to tutor this young man? You’re my best pupil.”
Scott shyly grinned at the compliment. He’d watched Jared from the day school began and had been dying to talk to him or spend any amount of time with the hot blond. He glanced at Jared for a moment and lightly shrugged. “Uh, yeah. Sure,” he said quietly.
Mrs. O’Reilly bowed her head in thanks.
“Thank you, Mr. Williams. Well, I suggest you two get going and become better acquainted. You both have much work ahead.” She gathered her books and left the room swiftly.
“Whatever man, this is fucked up. That bitch! Me having a tutor, holy shit,” Jared grumbled to himself as he plowed past Scott.
“Uh, wait a minute, Jared? Wait up!” Scott sighed, gathered his books and walked out into the hallway. He heard Jared call after him.
“Hey, Williams!”
Scott turned around. His thick wavy brown hair pelted him in the face. His light blue eyes looked right into Jared’s brown ones. Jared approached and peered up into Scott’s large face.
“I’m sorry, man. What’s your name?”
Scott grinned slightly and put his hand on the back of his neck; something he always did when he was nervous. “Oh, it’s cool. My name is Scott. Dude, I think you’re the only one who knows my first name. You’re not really pissed off about this tutor thing, are you?”
Jared chuckled and clapped the teen on his shoulder. “No… it’s not your fault. We both got drafted into this. Where did you want to meet?”
Scott curled his lip in thought. “I guess my house would be good. My parents are decent about most everything.”
“Awesome. When can we start?”
“I guess tonight’s okay. My Mom usually makes dinner for a small army. I grade your papers. I know what areas you’re weak in already.” Scott noted.
“Okay. The warden ordered some tough assignments. I guess I’ll ride home with you. Who picks you up from this prison?”
Scott bowed his head and replied in an ashamed tone. ”I uh, I take the bus.”
Jared smiled nervously and replied in a chipper tone. “Wow, no ride except the kiddy cab? Man that sucks. Oh well, no problem. I’ll take your bus home with you.”
Scott ran his hand nervously through his hair. He stepped back a bit from the handsome teen. “Sure you won’t get laughed at?”
Jared tried to capture the boy’s gaze to reassure him. “It’ll be cool. I can build up my fan base with the urchins.” He glanced at the clock over Scott’s shoulder. “Oh shit! Look at the time! I’ll miss economics class! I gotta go. I’ll meet you in the bus yard at three, okay?”
“Okay.”
“It’s Scott, right?”
“Yeah.”
“See you, Scott!” Jared turned on his sneakered heel and bolted down the hallway to his class, dodging the growing throng of teenagers in his way.
Scott lagged behind for a moment, watching the young man dash off. He turned on his heel and headed towards his next class, looking over his shoulder one last time to catch a glimpse of the very handsome Jared as he ran down the hall.
Chapter Two
They met in the bus yard as planned.
“You get permission?” Scott asked.
“Right here.” Jared held up a pass card. “Let’s ride.”
They walked to the number four bus together. Scott usually sat alone at the very front of the bus, right behind the driver. He leaned over to tell her that Jared would be getting off at his stop today and possibly tomorrow.
She looked over at Jared. “You have your pass card?”
He handed it to her and she smiled. “Good job. Take a seat, boys.”
Scott was about to sit down in his usual spot, but Jared motioned him towards the back.
“All the cool kids sit in the back. Come on.” Jared chose a seat near the back and they sat together. Scott felt his pulse race; he just hoped Jared didn’t notice.
About fifteen minutes later, the bus stopped at the entrance to Scott’s subdivision, The Pines. They gathered their backpacks and exited the bus. Jared even waved goodbye to the other students.
“Hey, Jared, go Lancers!”
Jared shone his winning smile and replied, “Thanks! Just wait ‘til spring! We’ll get them next season for sure!”
Scott watched in pure admiration and seething jealousy. In all the time he’d ridden the bus, no one had spoken to him at all.
They began their trek to Scott’s house. The day was chilly, but tolerable. It was about fifty-five degrees and still sunny out. Neither wore a jacket. When the wind struck, they both quickened their pace.
“I thought it was gonna be warmer today!” Jared lamented.
Scott nodded. “So did I, but I’ve got enough insulation to survive for years.” Before Jared could reply, Scott announced their arrival. “Here we go, #17 Birchwood Court.”
It was a lovely ranch home, all on one level. The house was all clay red brick on the exterior; the front door complemented by two white pillars that flanked it on either side. The windows were all quite large, echoing the house’s 1950s’ construction. The mullions on the living room pane were on a diagonal, creating a diamond pattern. The landscaping was lush and impeccably cared for. Most of the flowers and trees were becoming bare and dormant, but the pine trees still had their show on. A few of the chrysanthemums still had some of their yellow color to them.
Jared raised a brow. “Whoa, you have a nice crib, man!”
Scott blushed. “Thanks. My dad’s been pretty successful at his new job. We moved here about ten years ago from Springfield. This house is about twice as big as that old dump.”
The teens continued onward and stopped at the base of the property. There was a substantial hill in the front yard and a long, horseshoe-shaped asphalt driveway.
“Ready for a hike?” Scott jested.
Jared grinned. “This is a bitch of a hill! Must be a real blast in the wintertime getting outta this driveway. Damn, with how cold it’s getting, that’s gotta be hitting us soon.”
Scott rolled his eyes and laughed to himself. “Ya know my Dad drives Mom insane with the way he drives up the hill at top speed just to make it. She’s always been the safe one. She's overly cautious, very mothering.”
“It just means she cares about her little boy. She and I are cool though. I can tell her just about anything. Are your folks like that?”
Scott nodded. “Yeah, my old man and I get along great, and my Mom’s the best cook. How about your old man?”
Jared fell silent for a moment. Scott swore he saw Jared’s fists clench for a moment. “Oh, we don’t see him much, luckily. Come on, let’s get inside, it’s cold out here!”
The teens hiked their way up to the decorative glass front door. Scott unlocked it and the two stepped inside. He glanced over at the woman humming to herself at the kitchen counter. It was his mother, forty-four-year-old Margaret Williams. She was in her favorite spot, the kitchen. Scott cleared his throat and got her attention.
“Hello?” She straightened her blue dress, stopped working on her homemade dinner, and turned her attention to the two young men.
“Hi, honey. Who’s this?”
“Mom, this is Jared Adamson, I’m going to be tutoring him in math. Jared, this is my mom.”
Jared extended his right hand. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Williams. You have a great looking house here.”
Margaret smiled and tucked her chin-length brown hair behind her ear. She wiped her pale, slender hands on her floral apron and took Jared’s hand to return the gesture. “Thank you, Jared. We have been fortunate. Oh, if you get tired from studying, the hot tub is ready to go.”
Jared’s mouth gaped with excitement. “You have a hot tub? How sick! Can I see it?”
Margaret looked at her son and they shared an amused smile. “Of course, Jared. Go on out and look. It’s next to the pool.”
Jared ran over to the patio doors that were along the same wall as the kitchen. He quickly opened them and ran outside, Scott following behind him.
“How freakin’ cool to have a hot tub and a pool! Hey, I have a stupid question, how does the hot tub get all bubbly?”
Scott shook his head in disbelief and calmly walked over to the pump house and flipped the switch for the device. “This is the pump. Watch it pour out of the jets.”
Jared eyed the water closely and watched the jets as they came to life. His eyes widened and he looked back at Scott. “Duh! I’m such a dumbshit! Guess that fits in with the whole dumb blond jock thing huh?”
Scott fell silent for a moment, amazed that Jared would even say something like that. He stammered out a reply.
“W…what did you say? Are you kidding me?”
Jared craned his neck to look up at Scott’s befuddled expression. “You are one of the most… you’ve gotta be pulling my leg or something. Who told you that you’re just a dumb blond jock?”
Jared’s eyes seemed to moisten for a moment, but he blinked it away. His posture stiffened and he backed away from the pool and his host. “Nothin’. No one, all right? Just let it go. Hey, do you have anything to eat? I’m starvin’.”
Scott tore his gaze from the flustered blond, noticing the intense look in his brown eyes. “Uh, yeah, my Mom’s started dinner already. Looks like she’s making chicken and dumplings.”
“Any soda or snacks around?” Jared asked tartly.
“Yeah, we have that too. Come on, let’s go inside.”
Scott waved his arm in front of Jared, and followed behind him. His eyes perused the young man’s body and finally settled on his crown of golden, curly hair. The sunlight caught the highlights in the ringlets. It almost seemed to form a halo around Jared’s head.
They walked into the kitchen together and shut the patio doors again. Margaret looked up from her cooking and smiled at the teens.
“I thought you two might be coming in for a snack. I put out some sodas and cookies on the table.”
Scott smiled widely. His mom was always the best. She would do anything for anyone, but especially her family. She could whip up a torte and bring it to a sick friend or bake a cake whenever Scott brought home any little award from school.
Jared grinned as well. “Thanks, Mrs. Williams! My mom never gets me snacks anymore.”
Scott’s curiosity piqued a bit. “Why not? Because you’re an athlete?”
Jared shook his head. “No. It’s a long, tragic story. I won’t bore you with it.” He looked over at the table and quickly eyed the platter of cookies. “Are those chocolate kisses in the cookies?”
Margaret smiled. “They sure are. Dig in, hon. We have a while yet before dinner.”
Jared’s smiled quickly faded as he selected a cookie from the plate.
“Oh, I don’t think I’ll be staying for dinner. My Dad wants me back home tonight by the time he comes home. Dunno why.”
Scott and his Mom shot a concerned look at one another. “Is it a special occasion at your house?” Margaret asked.
Jared took a bite out of a cookie and savored it for a moment. He finally answered. “No. He just wants me home when he is.” He looked at his hostess. “These are great, Mrs. Williams. Did you make these?”
“Yes, I did. Take some home with you or I’ll have Scott bring some with him for school lunch tomorrow.”
Scott rolled his eyes. “We don’t have the same lunch period, Mom. This isn’t like grade school. Besides, I usually eat alone.”
“Oh. Well, take some home anyway and put them in your own lunch. That way you can have something sweet while you’re at school, to push you through your day.”
Jared looked at his hostess and genuinely smiled at her. She noticed and smiled back.
Scott stared quizzically. “Hey, dude. Quit hitting on my Mom. She’s very taken.”
Jared shot a very worried look at his classmate, as if he’d committed a crime.
Margaret simply laughed. “Oh, Scottie, good heavens. What an imagination you have.”
Jared’s shoulders lowered from his ears. “Yeah, a very good imagination.”
They all three laughed it off. Scott glanced at the clock in the corner. “Hey, it’s almost 3:45. Do you wanna get started? Does your Mom even know you’re here?”
Jared shook his head. “Nope, she doesn’t know. I lost my cell phone weeks ago. She just usually assumes I’m at school this late. I guess I’ll call her.”
Margaret turned her head in their direction and she motioned for Jared to come over. “Come on, I’ll show you where the phone is. You must always let your mother know where you are, Jared. Mothers worry. Come on, this way.” Jared nodded and followed her.
Margaret escorted him to her husband’s office to use the phone privately. A few minutes later, Jared emerged. His mood had changed from sullen to ecstatic.
“Guess what, guys! I can stay for dinner, if the invitation is still good.”
Margaret smiled at the young lad. “Of course it is! How late can you stay with us?”
“Just until my homework is done. She just said to call her with directions. She wants to meet both of you.”
“Well, that’ll be fine with me. Scott, why don’t you go escort your guest to your room so you can get more comfortable? This kitchen is my domain.”
Scott stood up and grabbed his glass of soda.
“Will do, Mom. Later. Come on, Jared.”
“Later, Mrs. W. Thanks.”
“Anytime, Jared.”
Chapter Three
Both teens settled into Scott’s room and put their sodas on the nightstand. Scott snatched his math book and quickly flopped himself down on the bed. Jared looked around the room and was very impressed with all of the academic awards his classmate had won. He recited them aloud.
“Honor roll for four years running, Spelling Bee champ, Principals’ Honor Society….”
Scott blushed as he fingered his books and barely acknowledged the student. “Yeah, it’s pretty obvious I’m a geek,” Scott admitted.
Jared smiled and continued admiring the plethora of awards.
“All mine are athletic; I’ve been playing baseball and soccer since I was five. Ever played any sports?”
Scott shook his head. “Nope, I was always too big and clumsy. I like watching baseball though.”
Jared brightened. “Wicked, we have something in common.” He smiled at the teen.
Scott smiled back at his classmate. “Yeah, I guess we do, Jared.”
Jared paced the room, fingering the academic trophies that littered the desk. It was obvious that Scott couldn’t use that desk as it was intended, there were too many awards.
“Do you like any other sports, or anything?”
Scott curled his lip in thought. “I like chess and computers. I can fix almost anything. I’ve always been very good with my hands and mechanical stuff.”
Jared appeared impressed. “Shit, man. I couldn’t fix a loose screw. I’m all sports but I love my tunes. You?”
Scott sighed and reluctantly looked up from the book. “I like old stuff: 70’s mostly, like AC/DC and Led Zeppelin.”
Jared displayed his pearly teeth. “Yeah? I like Nickelback and Rihanna, but I can dance to about anything. Girls love a man who dances.”
Scott frowned. He bowed his head again and mumbled. “I wouldn’t know, I’ve never danced before.”
Jared gasped. “Not ever? With anyone?”
Scott cast him a studious look. He thought hard, conjuring a memory. “Wait a minute. I think I was four when I danced with my mom at a wedding.”
Jared walked closer. “I dance a lot, especially the bump-n-grind motions, if ya know what I mean? Gets the girls all hot and burns some serious calories.”
Scott scowled as he jealously eyed his classmate’s perfect physique.
“Well, I don’t do much of that as you can tell. I don’t even know what the hell bump-n-grind is!” Scott grabbed his large stomach and shook it making sure Jared noticed. Both teens fell silent. Jared paused for a moment. He wet his lips and sat down on the bed next to his new friend.
“Dude, not to be like extra nosey, but have you ever been checked out by a doctor?”
Scott groaned and hid his face. “Not since I got my last booster shot at twelve. I’m too embarrassed to let him see what a cow I’ve become.”
“Man, I felt the same way! There was no way a doc was getting near me! But now….”
“Yeah, but look at you! You’re thin. I’m not! Jared, stop this. Let’s just get back to our math, okay? As I recall, aren’t you in danger of being on probation without my help?” Scott growled back.
Jared quietly joined Scott on the bed and picked up his math book.
“Sure, let’s just work.”
The two worked solely on mathematics for the rest of the afternoon.
At 5:30, Mr. Martin Williams came home from work. He was a tall man at six foot four inches but he was of a slight build. Most of his hair had receded, but what remained was brown and wavy. His clear blue eyes peered out from behind his thick glasses at his wife of twenty-two years.
“Hello, honey!” He walked up to Margaret and kissed her hello.
“Hi, honey! How was your day?”
“Not bad at all, opened a new account today worth quite a bit!”
“Good job, dear! Oh, dinner’s almost ready; you want to go tell the boys?”
“Boys?” he asked in a puzzled manner.
“Yes, Scott brought a friend home!”
Martin raised an eyebrow. “Well, there’s hope yet, huh?” He walked back to Scott’s room and stood in the doorway. “Hey buddy!”
Scott glanced up at his father. “Hey, Dad. How was your day?”
“Oh, not too bad. Who’s this?”
“This is Jared Adamson; I’m tutoring him in Advanced Algebra.” Martin held out his hand. “Jared, pleasure to meet you.”
“You too! Your son is a huge help to me. I know I couldn’t pass without his help.”
Martin smiled at Scott. “That’s our Scott, smart as a whip! Dinner will be ready soon boys, best get washed up.”
Scott closed his book and rolled up to his feet. “We’re coming.”
Dinner progressed in its usual fashion for the Williams. They said grace at the table, a noticeably foreign concept to Jared. Still, he mouthed the words too and played along. The family was tightly knit, as was obvious from their dinner table discussions.
“What’d you do today, Dad?” Scott asked.
“Well, son, I just opened up an account with that new factory across town.”
Scott smiled. “The one that does everything environmentally green? I love that green stuff, we so need to do something!”
“Yes we do, dear.” Margaret chimed in.
Jared sat back and tried to be as polite as possible. “Could you pass me the rolls, Mrs. W?”
“Of course, hon. Here you go.”
“So, what do they make at this factory?” Scott queried.
“All kinds of things for the cosmetics industry. Lotions, soaps, you name it. It’s all done with recycled bottles and purified ingredients.”
“That’s so cool!” Jared interjected. “I think all these companies now ought to look into recycling as a highly viable alternative to whatever ridiculous outdated dogma they have been following.” Scott was outright impressed with Jared’s observations and comments, as was Martin.
“What do you recommend, Jared?” he asked.
“Well, have zero landfill return as a goal, go green with everything, and recycle all that you can, make the containers themselves recyclable. Definitely make the centers more numerous so that households can be responsible for their own waste. Educate everyone!”
“That is definitely a goal of ours and theirs. I think everyone will have to go green and quickly,” Martin noted.
“It certainly is a concern for us all,” Margaret added. “Scott, you finished with dinner already?”
“Yeah, I’m kinda anxious to get back to work.”
“Well, why don’t you two run along then? When is your mom coming by, Jared?”
“In an hour. Long enough to do the inevitable corrections to my homework. Come on, Scott.”
The two returned to the bedroom to finalize their homework.
Scott checked and re-checked Jared’s work. The blond teen watched his tutor closely in anticipation. Finally, after a few bated breath minutes, Scott returned the verdict.
“Not bad at all, you only missed four.”
Jared beamed. “Really? Only four? Damn, I’m used to missing like fourteen! You must be helping. You’re a good tutor, Scott.”
Scott blushed. He was unaccustomed to compliments. “Thanks, Jared. I can’t take all the credit though; it’s your mind learning all of this. Good job!”
“Thanks!”
Silence passed between the two for a moment.
“Hey, I’m sorry I pissed you off before with the whole weight thing and dancing.”
Scott sighed. “I should apologize. I flew off the handle, I’m sorry. It really pisses me off that I’m overweight. I dunno what I can do about it. Seems everything I try just fails. Well, just don’t expect me to be out in the hot tub shirtless anytime soon.”
“Speaking of that, when can we go in? I haven’t ever been in a hot tub.”
“Well, bring your trunks tomorrow and we’ll go in after we study.”
“Before we study… we gotta chill right after school.”
Scott cocked a brow. “Hmmm, ok, I suppose you have a point. That way you can get all your wildness out before you and I tackle the serious shit, like this math!”
“Yeah, man! That sounds wicked to me.” Jared grinned and very spontaneously side-hugged his tutor.
Scott stiffened, uncertain at all of what to do. He felt his classmate’s warm, tan body up against his and it both excited and confused him. Jared’s hair had bounced onto his pale face and landed in his mouth. Scott tried not to spit it out. He patted Jared’s arm and backed away.