I flinch for the rest of the class, ready for another slanderous attack. A few boys mutter about a tiny silver bikini, and my skin crawls. The girls don’t say anything else. However, it’s Mr. Pritchard who gets on my nerves. He remarks three more times about my extra homework and to see him between classes or after school for more tutoring.
Hard pass.
Four
Theonlygoodthingabout my last class of the day is that Kai is by my side. We sit at the back of our English classroom, scribbling in our notebooks, tuning out Ms. Jenkins’s lecture. Who knew school could make the English language so complicated? We’re reading a Shakespeare play, but it may as well be in French. Whenever Ms. Jenkins has someone read a passage aloud, I have zero comprehension of what they’re saying. Can’t they modernize the play? Why must we read it like they did hundreds of years ago? It makes no sense to me.
Another saving grace is there’s no ragey Camila in this class. Although, there is Tabitha Jones. I barely held any of Kai’s attention at lunch. He kept making eyes at Tabitha who sat a few tables away. I managed to cut off enough of his sentences, so he didn’t suggest we go over there. He was verging on lovesick puppy territory. It’s only a matter of lunch periods before they’re sitting together. I’ll die if I have to spend lunch with the Miss Perfects. Or, I’ll be a stuttering mess, more like it. Ugh. I don’t even wanna think about it.
Tabitha keeps an eye on the board; however, she seems totally disinterested. Her body has shifted in our direction, and every other minute she glances at Kai.
I turn to Kai, and he continues to doodle in his notebook.Ha. I knew it. He’s not really that keen on her. Hopefully, he’ll dump her after class.
My head turns back in Tabitha’s direction, and we accidentally lock eyes. I shift my head, dodging any impending insults. My gaze pans across the row and lands on Kai’s brother, Milo. I don’t have a lot of classes with him, but whenever I do, he acts the same way. Head down writing, or eyes up and laser-focused on the teacher. I have no idea how he concentrates so hard during every class.
When the bell rings, I slap my notebook closed and drown out the homework assignment Ms. Jenkins calls over the bell. She’s already given me her extra homework and study guides, just like every other teacher. Boy, I think I’m set. I scoop up all the papers and move away from my desk.
“You wanna go for a drive?” Kai asks as we walk toward the classroom door.
“Yeah, sure. Can we stop by my house so I can get my blades?” I look down at my skirt. “And change. I gotta get out of these stupid clothes.”
Someone taps my shoulder from behind. “Umm, Jamie?”
I turn around and find Milo with an element of fear behind his clear-framed glasses.
Kai turns around and smirks at his brother. “What are you doing?”
“Umm, I just heard you two making plans.” Milo’s eyes dart between us. “But, umm, Jamie, aren’t you going to your aunt’s cafe?”
“What, why?”
He shows me his phone screen. “Aren’t we having a tutoring session?”
I read the text.“Hey Milo. Come to the cafe after school so you can tutor Jamie.”
Ugh, Maddy, I’m going to kill you.
I pull out my phone and find an unread text.“No going out with Kai after school. You need to be at the cafe to study with Milo.”
Does anyone have a lamer aunt than me?
I look back at Milo, who’s waiting for a response. Frustration twists my lips into a scowl. “Why are you texting with my aunt?”
Milo’s head jerks back. “Huh? I’m not. My mom gave her my number when I agreed to tutor you.”
My scowl intensifies. “And why did you agree to this? What could you possibly get out of it?”
Milo’s eyes seem to grow behind his glasses as his stare turns to his brother and then back to me. “I dunno. I thought you’d want to stay at this school.”
Kai smirks, patting my back. “He’s got you there.”
I retch and turn back to the door. “Whatever.”
“Be careful, James,” Kai says teasingly. “Now that Milo has your aunt’s number, he might go straight to her with his snitching.”
Milo huffs behind us. “I wouldn’t do that.”
“Yeah, right,” Kai says dryly. “There must be another reason why I never tell you anything.”
