The Tutor

By: Olivia Julius

Narrated by: Kimberly Johnson

When I signed up to be a tutor, I thought I’d be helping kids with homework, not living inside their minds. My name’s Matt Gilbertson, a college freshman who just needed a job to get by. But when I came across Shadow Learning Solutions, I found myself hired by Professor Quinn, a woman whose 'unique' tutoring methods involve something way beyond flashcards or study guides. Now, I'm not just teaching math or history. I’m actually living in my student’s mind.

Ten-year-old Lilly becomes my world — her friends, her family, her struggles, and her strict father’s high expectations. I go to class as her, take tests, do homework, and experience her life firsthand. It’s more than strange; it’s unsettling. And I'm not the only one caught in this. Other tutors are going through the same thing, trapped inside the lives of young students at the whim of Shadow Learning Solutions.

As I get closer to Lilly and the other tutors, I start to question what’s right and wrong in this twisted program. Is Professor Quinn really unlocking potential, or is she just controlling us all? With each day, the line between who I am and who I’m pretending to be starts to blur. And soon, I’ll have to make a choice: stay in this job, or fight back to protect Lilly — and myself — before it’s too late."

©2025 Olivia Julius (P)2025 Olivia Julius