Girl Get Rid Of That Jerk by Melissa Johns

Chapter 10

Back at her villa, Allison carried her gift inside, juggling it with her suitcase as she continued packing. As she tucked away the present meant for Joshua, her thoughts wandered back to his composed and striking face.

They went way back.

Their families lived just a couple of blocks away in the same neighborhood, so they often crossed paths as kids. Joshua was four years her senior. The first time she laid eyes on him was at the Fisher family's place. Her parents had taken her along for a visit. She was just ten then, still a kid, while Joshua already looked like he had stepped right out of a teen drama as the leading heartthrob.

Allison could still recall her first glance at Joshua, thinking he was unbelievably cute. His face had an almost intimidating allure, but his eyes were as chilly as a winter's day. Her mom nudged her to say hello, and she obediently called out, "Joshua."

In her memory, Joshua was always a bit distant. He replied with a simple "Hello." She figured he must be tough to get along with, and this assumption stuck with her for years.

Somehow, Joshua's mother Rose caught wind of it and suggested to her father Javier, "Why not have Joshua tutor Allie? He aced

over five years. She'd grown from a carefree kid into

need your help," was her greeting when

He wore a plain white tee and dark

replied, his voice carrying a

strict and demanding, but she was wrong. After going through her math papers, Joshua simply furrowed his brow and patiently walked her through each problem. There wasn't a

that made math seem less intimidating to her.

you're amazing! It's been ages since you

"I did brush up on the textbooks before

of her junior year, Joshua tutored her for two whole months. He was a junior at Lakeside College then and devoted almost his entire summer to helping her, checking her work,

was still on break. Every afternoon, Allison would come home to find him waiting in her living room,