How she sees Kayla. How her classmates see Kayla. They seem to be chasms apart. So who’s right? What is right?

“Absolutely not. A commitment is a commitment. And charity begins at home.”

“Charity?” Mimi makes a face, but Kayla doesn’t seem to get how offensive that sounds.

“Charity, a term that, in this context, serves to include all forms of kindness and services,” Kayla recites, as if she memorized it from one of her million encyclopedias.

“Okay, whatever, fine, it was just an offer.”

Mimi turns away. She’d offered Kayla to skip their study session that evening, ostensibly to give her sister a break – she’d extended her group study hours with classmates desperate for her help, and Mimi was sure that even Kayla could do with a break for once. She had to admit that the motivation wasn’t purely selfless; she could totally do with a break herself, and her friends were talking about going for pizza.

Still, if Kayla’s so insistent, she probably should use the time to study together. Goodness knows she needs the help. Even though it gets a little… stifling… up there in her room, doggedly plodding through mounds of homework with Kayla for company.

“Who’s coming tonight?” she asks.

Kayla consults her notebook. “Toby, Malka, and Sara. Initially, I only allowed two girls at a time to come, to minimize distractions, but they asked me so many times to try it this way, so I’m willing to see how it goes.”

Toby, Malka, Sara. Cute. Not her friends, but still.

A germ of an idea glimmers in her mind.

“And what are you studying? History, for the test tomorrow?”

“Yes, and grammar review. I’ve scheduled two full hours for it.”

Two hours! And then Kayla wants to tutor her first, and no doubt do her own studying for the math challenge afterwards…