We're actually getting so close to the end Another Path to Success now...a;gwhlksdfj

"Hey!"

Amethyst skidded to a stop on her way to her homeroom and held out a hand to prevent herself from falling onto the person she'd just knocked to the floor. She glanced up and froze when she saw Natasha looking like she was about to burst into tears.

"Natasha! Are you—"

Natasha brushed past Amethyst without a word, nearly knocking her to the ground once more. Amethyst stood in the middle of the hallway, confused, for a moment, then hurried forward. Whatever was going on with Natasha, Natasha clearly wasn't ready to talk about it, and Amethyst needed to talk to Mrs. Floris.

"Mrs. Floris?" Amethyst asked as she burst into her homeroom. Mrs. Floris was sitting at the front grading papers, and she looked up when Amethyst appeared.

"Hi, Amethyst. It's great to see you again. I take it you got my message?"

"Yes, definitely."

Amethyst pulled out the chair next to Mrs. Floris's desk and sat down at it, calming herself as she folded her hands in her lap and looked back up at Mrs. Floris.

"So what do you think about the tutoring opportunity?" Mrs. Floris pushed her papers aside and turned so that she was completely focused on Amethyst.

"Oh, um..." Amethyst's smile dimmed a bit. "I'm honored that you thought of me for it, but, I mean, don't you think someone like, say...Natasha...might be more qualified?"

"Natasha Summerville?"

Amethyst nodded.

"Amethyst, I'm not at the liberty to discuss other students' grades with you, but I can assure you that you're quite qualified for this position," Mrs. FLoris said.

"R-really?" Amethyst choked out, her brain latching onto the first part of Mrs. Floris's sentence. What did she mean she wasn't "at the liberty to discuss other students' grades"? Was something wrong with Natasha's? Was that why she'd been acting so strange in the halls? Amethyst's thoughts started racing with worries about her new host and, unofficially, friend.

"Yes, really. Your own grades are stellar and you've been able to catch up with your classes incredibly quickly," Mrs. Floris assured Amethyst, mistaking her stuttering for self-doubt. "How about you try tutoring for one session, then see how it goes?"

"Sure...sure." Amethyst nodded.

"Great!" Mrs. Floris smiled at her. "I'm so glad you're willing to take this risk, Amethyst. I'll email you with more details once the program is set up."

"Great," Amethyst echoed. "Thank you, Mrs. Floris. I'll, uh, see you...last period."

Amethyst backed out of the room, palms sweating. She had to go talk to Natasha. She had to go find out if her friend was alright. She had to go—

"Amethyst?"

Amethyst turned, coming face-to-face with Natasha. She instantly felt relieved.

"Natasha? Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Actually, I..." Natasha took a breath. "I kind of need some advice from you."

"Okay?" Amethyst prompted.

"Well, uh, I—my grades...don't tell my mother this, but they're not doing so well. I just talked to Mrs. Floris and she tried to set up a meeting with me and my mother...who's so going to kill me when she finds out about this. Oh gosh, I'm almost failing so many classes! No college is ever going to want to accept some idiot like me who can't even keep up her grades what in the world was I thinking my life is seriously over and how will I ever be successful like this—"

Suddenly, a tear was dripping down Natasha's face as she sat down right in the middle of the empty hallway. "What am I going to do?" she wailed.

"I'm sure it's not as bad as you think," Amethyst tried, not quite certain how she was expected to react. At that moment, the door behind her swung open and Mrs. Floris walked out. She stopped short at the sight of Natasha in the middle of the hall.

"Natasha, are you alright? Do you need me to call your parents?" she asked.

Will Amethyst enjoy tutoring? Will Natasha be able to bring her grades back up? How else will I ruin her life?

~ writesthetic