Learning a Lesson – A Covenant Fanfic

by: .writer

Summary: When faced with failing his Calculus class, rebellious womanizer Reid Garwin persuades brilliant fellow student Nora Burke to help him pass his final exam. He fully expected her to fall in love with him - most girls did. What he didn't expect was that he would fall for her first. Rated T for language.

A/N: I could not resist the temptation of Reid. I'm weak. So sue me. Besides, my friend and I keep talking about the Sons in class (she's into Pogue, though). This is pretty much humor/romantic comedy, which I normally don't do, but in my mind Reid's a funny guy. Anyway, go read, and tell me what you think. Reviews will motivate me to post Chapter Two, which is already written. (Yes, I'm totally dangling it like bait in front of your nose, Dear Reader.) Oh, and before I forget...

Disclaimer: I don't own The Covenant, or its characters and such. Prof. Ackley is mine, as is Nora Burke, but that's pretty much it for now.

Chapter One

It had taken about five minutes of the class for Reid to decide that he despised math. It was evil. And, since Caleb was always going on about staying away from bad stuff, Reid was more than happy to space out during his Calculus class.

Unfortunately, Caleb had also been going on about Reid using the Power to...adjust...his grades. Now that Caleb was all bad ass with his extra powers, he would know if Reid tried to pull something. So, Mr. Garwin was stuck with using his brain like every other student.

Reid hated not having an (unfair) advantage.

Long story short, all those days of dozing, flirting, and not paying any attention had combined to form one little letter.

"D."

Reid shook his head. "No, that's impossible. I can't have a D in here."

Professor Ackley rolled his eyes. "Mr. Garwin, you are lucky to even have a D. I would expect you to have an F, but you apparently possess a talent for guessing the correct answers on my tests."

Reid wasn't listening (as usual). "But...a D...that means-"

"Yes," Ackley interrupted. "A failing grade, according to Spenser Academy's strict academic standards."

Still in a state of shock, Reid shook his head again. "I can't fail. I'm Reid Garwin, for chrissakes."

"I noticed." Ackley's tone was dry; it snapped Reid back to the real world. "But a D you have, and if you don't pull it up, you will fail this class."

Ackley finished packing his briefcase and shut it, flipping the clasps down. He picked it up from his desk and walked to the door of the classroom and opened it. "Now, if you don't mind, Mr. Garwin, I have work to do."

His lips curling into a sneer, Reid strode to the door. "Whatever." As he was walking down the hall, he heard Professor Ackley's voice behind him.

"I suggest you get some help with your studies, Mr. Garwin. A tutor, perhaps?"

"A tutor? No way." Reid turned to Tyler, a scowl on his face. "I'm not going to have someone show me how to do math like a little kid."

"Dude, it's a better idea than any you've come up with." Tyler looked away from the screen of his computer. "Honestly, Reid. Breaking into Ackley's house for the test answers? That's dumb, even for you."

Reid ignored that statement. "Well, I'm not getting a tutor."

Tyler rolled his eyes. For most of their lives, Tyler Simms had put up with Reid's infuriating stubbornness. After a while, it became second nature to brush it off.

"It's your best - and by that I mean sanest - option to pass. Come on, man. It won't be that bad."

Though he had to concede that a tutor made more sense than B&E, Reid still did his best to find a reason not to. "I don't know any tutors."

"I do."

Reid laughed. "You? Tyler, you're like, the smartest person I know. Why would you need a tutor?"

Baby Boy threw a pencil at the blond. "Shut up. I didn't say I had a tutor, I said I knew one. You would've heard of her, too, if you thought about something other than sex and pool."

Reid stilled. "Her? Is this tutor person a girl, then?"

"Yeah, and you might as well shut down that line of thought, 'cause she isn't that kind of girl."

A lascivious grin appeared of Reid's face. "Baby Boy, all girls are 'that kind of girl' in the right circumstances."

"And you think of yourself as 'the right circumstances', yeah, yeah, whatever." Tyler had heard this speech more than once. "But I'm serious. She isn't."

"And why isn't she?"

Tyler smirked. "Because she's a freaking genius, dumbass. She's too busy being smarter than everyone else to screw around."

Reid frowned. "What's her name?"

"Nora Burke.”

"Are you Nora Burke?"

The girl didn't look up from her notebook. Reid waited a beat. He was about to repeat the question when she answered.

"I'm busy." Her voice was slow, cool, and condescending enough to piss Reid off. "Come back some other time."

"What's your problem?" Reid asked, annoyed at her attitude.

Another beat, then she looked up from her notebook. Delicate gold-framed glasses framed her green eyes, and her eyebrows were arched in irritation. "My problem," she replied, enunciating each word distinctly, "is that I am busy and I do not have the time to deal with idiots at the moment. So, go away." With that, she looked back down at her work.

Reid scowled. He didn't want to be here, asking some random chick for help, and he would be damned before he let her talk to him like that.

"Jesus, you're a bitch."

Her lips twisted in a smirk. "And you're a pain in the ass who can't follow simple directions."

"Look, I just wanted to ask about some math tutoring," Reid said, his tone frustrated. "Sorry if I disturbed you, Ice Queen." He spun and began to stalk away, but he stopped when he heard her speak.

"If you're here about tutoring, I'll give you a few minutes. I need a break anyway."

Reluctantly, Reid turned and looked at her. She had lost her look of aggravation and was looking at him calmly. He walked back to the table and sat down across from her. He caught a glimpse of the notebook; it was filled with mathematical symbols and numbers written in precise handwriting.

"What are you working on?" he asked. He didn't really care, but he had found that girls liked it when he feigned interest in them.

She shut the notebook with a snap and pushed it to the side. Interlacing her fingers on the library table, she looked at him with sharp eyes. "Nothing you would understand, if you're here about tutoring."

So, the normal tactics wouldn't work on her. Maybe Tyler was right. Undaunted, Reid slumped back in his chair. "Whatever. I could use some help with Calculus. Ackley's class is killing me."

"My rate is fifty bucks an hour," she said, businesslike.

Reid arched an eyebrow. "Seems a little steep for high school tutoring."

She smiled like a cat, but didn't answer. Reid rolled his eyes; she could play all the little games she wanted, as long as he passed his class. "When can we get started?"

"Tomorrow, after school. Meet me here at 3:30." With that, Nora Burke reopened her notebook and began writing.

Reid waited a beat, but when the girl didn't say anything else - or even look at him - he decided it was time to leave. "Alright then," he said as he stood. She didn't look up. Reid shrugged and walked away, wondering if Tyler was right about this girl.

Hell, tomorrow he could find out for sure.

A/N: Ah, Reid. So much sexiness, so little common sense...review, Dearest Reader. It's for your own good, you know.