Chapter Text
CHAPTER ONE
Oliver didn’t really see much for himself in the future and, though he pretended to, he didn’t think much of himself in the present. Oliver knew he wasn’t a good guy and he kept promising that he’d change but he never felt the need to…he never had the incentive until he met her. Felicity. That was the one word that changed his life, the one person that made his life worth living for, the one and only girl for him.
It all started on a Friday afternoon.
“Oliver, Tommy, the two of you are back early!”
“Hey mom. Yeah, we’re gonna go upstairs.”
“Wait!”
“Why?”
“Thea is getting tutored outside and I don’t want you to disturb them.”
“Tutored? For what?”
“Geography at the moment, but everything in general. She really seems to like this tutor and your father and I checked up on them a few times. Thea’s improving quickly.”
“Some tutor,” Tommy commented.
“Yes, which is why I want the two of you to stay here until her lesson is over. I don’t want you two to ruin it.”
They both looked at each other innocently, “How would we ruin it?”
“Drop the act you two. There’s only fifteen minutes left and then Thea’s done for the day. Tell me about your day until then.”
“…”
“…”
“Okay, don’t. But don’t you dare leave until fifteen minutes is over. I’m staying here to make sure you don’t.”
Oliver rolled his eyes at his mother but obeyed her, so he picked up an apple and ran it under the faucet, Tommy threw him another so Oliver rinsed of the apple for him and then tossed it back.
The two friends talked quietly at the island while Oliver’s mother sat at the small table looking over some paperwork when Raisa came in.
“Mister Oliver. Mister Tommy. Do you want me to make you something to eat? Maybe your favourite lasagna?”
“That’s okay Raisa. Tommy and I won’t be staying long.”
“Why not,” Moira asked looking up from her paperwork.
“Laurel’s having a party.”
“It’s a school night.”
“It’s Friday.”
“Still. Stay home. Have dinner with us tonight Oliver. You never see us anymore, you’re always hanging out with your friends and Tommy your mother called me yesterday and told me you’re never home.”
“That’s cause I don’t want to hear my parents arguing.”
“Tommy, things are tense right now, but you not being there is-”
“Keeping me out of the drama, Mrs. Queen.”
“Fine then, but stay and have dinner with us and Oliver.”
“Mom, we’re going to Laurel’s party.”
“When are you going to spend time with us,” she protested.
“I live here!”
“Barely! You’re always out all the time.”
Oliver was about to argue but then Robert entered the room.
“I think Thea’s time is almost up. We should probably let Felicity go before it get’s dark.”
“Okay. Thank you for finding her. I can’t believe Thea actually wants to learn,” Moira exclaimed.
“Same here. I’m happy I found her.”
“Maybe we can ask her to tutor Oliver too.”
“I don’t need to be tutored,” Oliver interrupted his parents.
“Your grades prove otherwise,” Robert stated, “but it’s upto you.”
“Come on Oliver, we’ll go outside and meet her. Then you decide okay,” his mother reasoned.
“I don’t care. I’m not getting tutored,” he replied as he followed his parents outside motioning for Tommy to join them.
Oliver expected some elderly woman to be tutoring Thea, he had not been expecting her. He walked into the room to find this weirdly beautiful girl asking Thea rapid questions. She was weirdly beautiful because Oliver couldn’t put his finger on what exactly it was that made her so. She wasn’t obviously beautiful, she was mysterious and Oliver wanted to solve the mystery that was her.
“Capital of Afghanistan?”
“Kabul,” Thea answered. Oliver didn’t know that.
“Currency of Israel?”
“Shekel.”
“Highest mountain range?”
“Himalayas.”
“Where is it located?”
“Indian subcontinent.”
“Most practiced religion in the world?”
“Christianity.”
“Most practiced religion in America?”
“Christianity.”
“Who’s gonna ace her test on Monday?”
“ME!”
“High five,” the girl said holding out her hand and Thea jumped up and high fived her and then started to dance.
“Go me. It’s my birthday. Go me.”
“Go Thea, go Thea, go Thea,” the tutor smiled encouraging her.
“Felicity,” Moira interrupted. “Thank you so much. I never knew that we could get Thea to learn.”
“Mom, did you see the rapid fire round? I got everything right! I’m smart.”
“You are,” Robert smiled.
“I’m going to ace the test on Monday. Thanks Lis.”
“For what? This is all on you kiddo,” she smiled.
Oliver liked that smile. It was genuine. He wanted to see more of it. His mother was right. He wanted to be tutored by Felicity.
“Thea, why don’t you go into the kitchen and ask Raisa to get started on dinner,” Moira asked. Thea ran to the kitchen without thinking about anything but everyone else knew what that meant. Moira was going to challenge Felicity.
“So Felicity, about your methods of teaching.”
“I’m assuming you want me to change them to something more conservative and conventional?”
“Yes-”
“Mrs. Queen with all due respect, Thea is an incredibly smart child but she’s not doing well in school because of her lack of interest in learning. So I suggest trying it my way for a little while, and then when she actually gets interested in the subject she’ll be able to sit and read and then grasp information quickly. She’s a child, she needs to use her imagination.”
Oliver Queen had never been more impressed with anyone in his life. This girl, who looked so fragile and petite, just stood upto Moira Queen. This girl wasn’t dumb either, she knew what that meant, but she did it anyway. She was fierce and Oliver was so very impressed. No one stands upto Moria, no one speaks their mind, but she did, and she convinced Moira too.
“I understand. We’ll see in a few more weeks.”
“Months,” the girl replied.
She did it again.
“Months?”
“It takes a few seconds to spark a child’s interest in something but for them to want to know so much more and continue to have that spark, we’ll need to convince her. So months.”
“Okay, months it is then. We’ll pay you on your next visit.”
“That’s fine.”
“Can you come daily?”
“That may be a little difficult especially on the weekends.”
“Weekdays then?”
“Sure.”
“See you on Monday then,” Moira said as she and Robert waved and then made their way back to the kitchen. Thea came running back to the room then, “She already started!”
“What’s she making,” Tommy asked.
“Lasagna.”
“I love Raisa,” he smiled. “We’ll eat some lasagna for your mom’s sake and then go hang with Laurel,” Tommy said to Oliver.
“More like for your sake.”
Tommy shrugged his shoulders and smiled.
Oliver watched as Felicity helped Thea put away her things and smiled at the way she treated his little sister. He wanted to talk to her.
“Speedy, why don’t you go play,” Oliver suggested.
“Can’t Ollie. I have homework to do,” Thea smiled at Felicity and walked up the stairs.
“Who are you and what have you done to my sister,” Oliver asked Felicity.
“Nothing,” she stammered. “She’s still your sister, she just likes to read more and learn new things.”
“I was kidding,” Oliver added.
“Oh, yeah. I know. I just-yeah.”
“I think it’s nice that she wants to learn new things.”
Felicity nodded.
“I’m Oliver,” he said extending his hand.
“I know,” she said taking it. “Felicity,” she added.
“I know.”
She looked at him curiously.
“My mom told me.”
She relaxed and then smiled, “Figures.”
“Tommy,” he said from the corner. “You know in case anyone cares.”
Oliver ignored him.
“So Felicity. Where do you go to school?”
She gave him a sad smile and he didn’t understand why until she responded.
“Starling Academy.”
“Me too.”
“I know,” she said still smiling.
“So um…what grade are you in?”
“I’m a sophomore.”
Oliver mentally sighed in relief.
“I’m a senior.”
“I know.”
“Me too,” Tommy yelled from the corner. “You know if anyone cares.”
Felicity smiled at him, and told him she knew that as well but Oliver rolled his eyes and ignored him.
“So, do you tutor a lot of kids?”
“Depends on your definition of a lot.”
“More than 10?”
“Yes.”
“Are they all elementary school kids?”
“No.”
“So how old is the oldest person you tutor?”
“22.”
Both Oliver’s and Tommy’s jaw dropped.
“A kid got held back in high school 4 times,” Tommy asked.
“No. He’s in his final year of college.”
“You tutor college kids,” Tommy asked again.
“A few. Listen I have to get going or I’ll miss the bus.”
“We can have my driver drop you,” Oliver said.
“No really. It’s fine.”
“Okay, maybe I’ll see you at school.”
Felicity smiled sadly again, and then whispered to herself “Maybe.”
Oliver would definitely keep an eye out for her on Monday he thought to himself. In fact he thought about her the entire weekend. She kept creeping into his mind. He thought about her smile at Laurel’s party and how her voice was so sweet and so much better than Laurel’s voice. He thought about her eyes, and how she stood upto his mother. He thought about her constantly, and they had talked for literally four minutes before she left.
When Monday came he finally understood why she’d been smiling sadly whenever he asked her questions about herself and school. He also understood that he was a self-obsessed jack ass and he hoped that she’d forgive him.