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“Another dull day…”
Meredith stared out of the front doors of the bank, noting with dulled interest that it was raining. It was strange, as long as she had worked in the bank and stayed on the island, she always dreaded the rain, or storm of any kind. It was almost like she was afraid with one good flood, they would all be swept away. That, and rainy days made her think back to her tutoring days…

A preteen Gino sat in front of his father in the huge study that he had come to know as his classroom, looking as if he were about to be executed any minute, and Gambino would be the one doing it. “These grades…are simply outrageous!!” Gambino thundered, throwing down a small handful of test papers down to the floor, watching as one of particular interest fluttered down to Gino’s feet, sporting an F in bright red mark. Math. Gino gulped, then stooped down to pick them up, hurriedly snatching that one up and covering it with others. “But father…that’s the only one I’m having problems with…everything else I’ve done well with…” He held up a reading test, an A scribbled in a pleasing blue tone, as if hoping that would soothe the man. “Nonsense!!” In one swing the papers were knocked to the floor once again, and Gino was back in his chair staring at his father with wide eyes while shaking his hand. “You fail one thing, you might as well fail all of it!!” Gambino turned away after he said this, thinking. “Be prepared to work, you will have a new tutor by this time tomorrow.”

It was raining fairly hard by the time Meredith made it to the mansion, short walk or not. She shook off the rain from her umbrella, then knocked on the great doors, hoping someone would hurry up and let her in. After a minute or so, the doors opened, but instead of seeing a maid or any of the housekeep, Gambino himself stood there, looking irritated. “Took you long enough, Miss…?” Meredith gulped, holding out her hand for him to shake. “Meredith, Mr. Gambino. It’s a pleasure.” Gambino stared down at her hand as if it were dirty, then turned around and walked back in. “Come now Miss Meredith, you’re late enough as it is.” Meredith blinked, almost completely discouraged by the rudeness of that one single gesture, but then followed. As they walked, Gambino spoke again. “Miss Meredith, I was told about you by one of the maids. I hope you are as good as she says.” Meredith nodded as she walked behind him, then remembering that he couldn’t see that, tried to answer. “I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations, sir.” They stopped short in front of a pair of doors, and as Gambino opened them for her to walk through, he muttered, “You better, her job’s riding on your success.”

The sound of the door closing behind her brought her back to reality after he said that, and suddenly, she found herself staring down a boy, who could be mistaken for a mini Gambino. They stared for a minute. “…Hello.” He stared at her with wide expressive eyes as he said the word, and automatically she could tell that he was different from his father. The uncomfortable silence dissipated, and she smiled, setting her umbrella down, something in her picking up a guiding vibe, so to speak. She walked over to him and held out her hand, which after a second; he took it, returning the same cheery smile, despite the ever pouring down rain pelting the window across the room, enough to make anyone gloomy. Was it really still raining? She had totally forgotten. “Hello Mr. Gambino, my name is Meredith, and I’ll be helping you in your math studies.” The boy seemed to twitch at the word. “That bad with it, huh? Let’s see if I can help any.” She was about to walk away to the chalk board set up, when she paused as if remembering something. “Oh! You never did tell me your name.” She turned back to look at him, waiting. He blushed in embarrassment, muttering something. This made her smile wider. “Am I going to have to help you with public speaking as well, Mr. Gambino? Say that again, please.” He stared at his feet as he spoke. “It’s Gino.” Meredith smiled again. “It’s nice to meet you, Gino.” He looked up at her as she moved back to the board, grabbing a tablet and pencil. “Nice to meet you too, Miss Meredith.” She turned around as she made it back to the board, an almost playful smile on her face as she wrote out an equation, said, “Just Meredith please. I’m not that old.”

Gambino flipped through the pages of Gino’s test paper, impressed by the fewer red marks he had spotted on his son’s paper. He stared in satisfaction finally, as he turned it back to the front where a B was scrawled out in blue. “Not bad son, not bad at all. At least for a start.” Gino was sitting there beaming. “It was because of Meredith. She’s the greatest!! And really smart too!! Last week she taught me this great way to solve slopes using this thing called Cramer’s rule…” But Gambino had stopped listening. He stared at his son as he continued to ramble on about Meredith’s teaching skills, and the things he had learned. There was too eager a smile on his face. Something had to be done.

Meredith knocked lightly on the great doors of the mansion, knowing it wouldn’t take much more than that. Gino had taken to waiting for her to come, and it was all he needed before opening the doors for her. The door parted, but instead of a smiling Gino greeting her, an irritated Gambino stood there, strangely looking as he did the first time she came. The rain whipped at her from behind, making her wish she had bothered to bring an umbrella today. Strange it hadn’t rained since she started coming, but now it was. She stared up at Gambino for a moment, wondering why he was looking at her like that. “Excuse me sir, but I need to pass. I’m late for Gino’s session as it is.” Gambino looked down at her as if she were dirty and soaking wet, asking to come in and sleep by the fire or something. “I’m sorry Miss Meredith, but your services are no longer required.” Meredith blinked, not having a chance to speak, as Gambino continued. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the help in my son’s studies, but I feel you two are becoming too close. My son is destined for great things you see, and I don’t think it would be in his best interest to be rubbing elbows with the common folk, if you know what I mean.” Meredith could only stare. “You’ll receive your payment within the next week. Goodbye Miss Meredith.” And with that, the doors closed, and a now thoroughly soaked Meredith returned the bank.

Meredith straightened the stack of papers in her hands roughly, seeming to glare at nothing in particular now. How stupid, ruining a perfectly good friendship like that. That was all it was too, if that was what he was worried about. With everything that had happened since then…A part of her heart wept for Gino, being stuck with a madman for a father, while another part plotted. “I’m sure the sniper’s presence would be greatly appreciated once more…” She muttered mysteriously, and just the thought made a somewhat wicked smile curl up on her lips.

“Hello Miss Meredith, what’s so funny on a day like this?” Meredith looked up to who had spoken, surprised to see Gino, a worn yet content look on his face, as he wringed out the length of his ponytail over the trashcan. Poor kid always seemed to be able to smile, even a bit, when he came around, despite all that had happened. “Oh! Gino. I didn’t see you come in. And nothing at all. And don’t you remember what I told you? Just Meredith please, I’m not that old.”