As Briseis and I walk home together, I explain my conversation with Achilles by typing it into the translation app on her phone then pressing speak. I made sure to tell him that I can only tutor him on Monday and Wednesday, since those are the days when my dad will be out for most of the evening. I type. Briseis lives with my family, and my dad can get a bit violent sometimes. He would never hit us (though I don't think I can say the same for my mom), but he sometimes yells at us. He is usually less harsh on Briseis if I am there.

We arrive at our small house and I sigh before pushing the door open. Mom is slumped in a chair in the corner. Dad is standing in the centre of the living room, yelling at her. Briseis and I walk around the perimeter of the room, trying to cause as little disturbance as possible.

We go into the kitchen and I make us each a sandwich, then we go upstairs to my bedroom and put on some music to drown out my dad's shouting. Briseis and I have separate bedrooms, but we spend most of our time in mine, as it is a bit bigger and better decorated. Posters of our favourite bands cover the walls and racks of CDs rest on top of my small bookcase beside my music player.

Briseis flops backwards into my bed and sings along loudly, though she gets most of the words wrong and barely understands what the singer is saying. Hell, I barely know what the singer is saying. Patrick Stump needs to articulate better.

A few minutes later, the shouting downstairs stops. I turn the music down a little and grab a book as Briseis plays on her phone.

"Patroclus, there's somebody on the phone for you!" Dad calls. I walk down the stairs and take the phone from his hand, mouth "thanks" and walk back to my bedroom.

"Hello?" I say.

"Hi." The person replies.

"Who's this?"

"Achilles." My face must betray something, because Briseis gives me a questioning look. I move the phone away from my ear and hiss

"It's Achilles!" Briseis' face mirrors my shock.

"How did you get my number?" I ask him rudely.

"It was still in my family's contact book from when we were friends." He sounds awkward.

"Okay... What do you want?"

"Your mobile number."

"Why?"

"To text you, dumbass." Achilles drawls.

"Why would you want to text me?" I ask in surprise.

"Well we need to organise this tutoring thing, don't we?" Achilles says.

"I come to your house on Monday and Wednesday after school and teach you whatever you need to know. That's it." I sit on the end of my bed.

"Yeah, but how are you getting to my house and back?" He asks.

"I'll walk."

"I could give you a lift." Achilles offers.

"No, I'll walk." I refuse stubbornly. "If Briseis walks home on her own something might happen."

"Suit yourself." Achilles sounds angry, which is irrational.

Rolling my eyes and sighing, I hang up. Briseis questions me, and I answer her using her phone again. When I'm done explaining, she nods and lays back on my bed again, and I stare out of my window, wondering what it will be like to tutor Achilles.