Page 11 of On His Schedule
“I told the tutoring center two weeks ago that I was at capacity for new students this semester.”
She lowers her mug.
“In writing,” I say. “I emailed Karen. I said no new students. Karen said, quote, totally understood, you’ve earned it. Karencalledme today. She doesn’t call. She called and said it was astarathlete, and the AD was hoping I’d reconsider.” I close my eyes. “So I said yes.”
I open my eyes, and she’s giving me that look.
“Lucy,” she says sympathetically. “You always say yes.”
“Yeah.”
“You said you were at capacity. Youareat capacity. And you told them yes?” She doesn’t sayyou have to learn to say no.She has said that to me before, but it doesn’t mean I listen to her. She just leans forward and bumps her foot against mine under the blanket, which is our version of a hug when neither of us has the energy for the sit-up.
“There’s nothing I can do now,” I add. “I’ll manage.”
She doesn’t reply, and that silence speaks volumes.
Later, in my room, I’m staring at my Real Analysis problem set on my laptop screen. The cursor is blinking on Problem 3, where I left it on Sunday. My phone rings. The screen saysBear, which is the contact name I have for my little brother because when he was six he asked me toplease please please be Bear in my phone forever because bears are the strongest. He’s thirteen now and would be horrified if I changed it and also if I didn’t.
I answer, “Hi, Bear.”
“Lucy? Mom won’t sign the field trip thing.”
I close the laptop and curl my legs up under me. I move the phone from one hand to the other and lean back against my pillow.
“Okay. What field trip thing?”
“It’s a thing for Mr. Carlson’s class. We’re going to the museum. It’s twenty-two dollars. She said that we don’t have it.” I can hear in his voice that he’s pacing the room. He has never been able to sit still since the day he was born. “And then she said — she said I should just stay home that day.”
“Stay home?”
I hear something drop on the ground. “Yeah, she said I could play video games.” There’s more shuffling on his end.
I widen my eyes, not surprised that she’s saying something like this. “Do you want to go on the field trip?”
“Yes!” He scoffs. “I want to go. Kirill and Max are going.”
“Okay,” I say, knowing exactly what I’m going to do. “I’m going to handle it. Don’t worry about the twenty-two dollars.”
“Lucy, I don’t want Mom to get mad—”
“It’s twenty-two dollars. Don’t worry about it. She won’t be mad. When’s the deadline?”
“Friday.”
“I’ll Venmo Mom in the morning. She’ll sign it. If she doesn’t sign it, I’ll talk to her tomorrow during my lunch.”
“Okay, but I also need home lunch that day.”
“Right.” I calculate in my head what he would need to take for the field trip. “I will send Mom more money to buy home lunch. What did you have for dinner?”
“I haven’t yet.”
“What’s in the fridge?”
“There’s the spaghetti from Sunday.”
“Eat the spaghetti from Sunday. Microwave it for two minutes, stir, then microwave it for one more.”
