“I get this time, but I mean the other times. So, she says some things about you being one of the boys. So, what? If you didn’t let her see it hurt you, she’d look for a new target.”
I push away from him. “I’m sorry. I can’t just switch off like you.”
Kai grabs hold of my arm, tugging me back. “Where are you going?”
I turn around and blurt, “How can you date someone who’s friends with her?”
Kai smirks. “Dating? I’m not exactly dating Tabitha. We kissed, that’s all.”
“And apparently you’ve been texting heaps without ever telling me.” I look him up and down with concern. “Since when did you get flirty?”
Kai folds his arms across his middle, leaning against a locker. “I dunno. We partnered up in chem lab and started vibing. Tabby’s gorgeous.”
“Tabby? You’re on a nickname basis with her?”
Kai laughs and I swear his cheeks are growing pink. “Give me a break. Everyone calls me Kai. It’s not a big deal that I shortened her name.”
“It’s cutesy. It’s just weird because you never mentioned liking her, and then I see you two kiss. It was a shock, that’s all.”
Kai peels off the locker and pats my shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you in the loop from now on.”
“Oh, I wasn’t saying…”
“I like her, Jamie,” he says softly. “I don’t want to mess it up. Maybe we will start dating for real. You know, like, official.”
A jitteriness runs through my veins. Kai. Dating. Weird.
“Look, I’m sorry if I was harsh before,” he says. “I knew something was off with you when I saw you. Makes sense now.”
My chin dimples as my bottom lip balloons out. “Camila wasn’t the only thing ruining my day.” Kai leans in, waiting. I blow out a breath and blurt it out. “I’m off the team.”
Kai’s mouth hangs open. With the way his eyes grow circular, it’s like he wants to gasp, but he’s on mute.
I rake my hands into my hair, shaking my head. “I know. I can’t understand it.”
Kai clears his throat, life coming back into his face. “What? I mean, what? Has Coach Anders had a total breakdown or something? He’d have to go insane to kick you off the team.”
I slump against a locker, my legs officially turning to jelly. “To be fair, I’m not kicked off the team. I’m benched until my grades improve.”
Kai scoffs, throwing his head back. “What a load of crap. As if what you do in the classroom matters on the field.”
“Coach said he doesn’t want soccer to be a distraction.”
“But you love soccer. It’ll be a distraction thinking about not playing. James, did you protest? How could you walk away without fighting this?”
I pull myself off the locker to stand taller. “Because it’s useless, Kai. If my grades stay low, I lose my scholarship and I’m off the team, anyway. I can’t stay on the team if I no longer attend Ashworth Academy.”
Kai settles an arm across my shoulders and leans his head against mine. “I get it. This sucks. Then Camila puts the cherry on top before you even get to your first class.”
“I…” I don’t know what I’m supposed to say. Never mind, the bell rings overhead, giving me an easy out. “I gotta get to my locker. See ya later.”
Kai smiles, squeezes my shoulder, and then turns in the opposite direction. “See ya.”
Why does this bother me so much? As I watch Kai walk away, I want to be happy for him. He genuinely seems to want to know Tabitha better. I just thought we were non-daters together. He acts like I’m supposed to be neutral and not into guys or anything girly. Since when was it okay for him to show some vulnerability?
I swallow uncomfortably and move toward my locker. I know why this is so uncomfortable. Because I doubt this will be a two-way street. He’s never given me any indication he’d be okay with another guy hanging around who happens to be my boyfriend.
“Okay, students, get moving,” Vice Principal Franklin calls as he strides down the hall. “Classes won’t teach themselves.”
