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Simon grinned. He pointed at him, then Layne, then signed something.
Layne shot off the bench. “Simon!” She came across the court and smacked him in the arm.
“What did you say?” said Gabriel.
Simon was just laughing silently.
Gabriel glanced at Layne. “What did he say?”
“Nothing.” Her cheeks were red for sure. She grabbed Simon’s arm and tugged, then signed as she walked. “Come on. We’ll call Dad to pick us up on his way home.”
“I can give you a ride,” said Gabriel.
“Don’t be silly. He won’t be more than an hour or so.”
An hour? “That’s stupid. And your brother seriously needs a shower. Let me give you a ride home.”
Simon nodded emphatically, and then signed something.
Layne gave a huge sigh and turned for the bleachers. “Fine.
Whatever.”
While she was packing her things, Gabriel grabbed Simon’s arm and turned to face him. “What did you say?”
Simon grinned and gestured for his phone.
I said you’d play a lot better if you weren’t staring at my
sister.
Gabriel fiddled with the dials when they pulled onto the main road, trying to get some heat going. Layne was curled into the front seat, her backpack on the floor. Her eyes were locked forward, her hands in her lap. Lights from oncoming cars flickered off her glasses.
“You warm enough?” Gabriel said, just to break the silence.
“I’m fine.” Her voice seemed very small in the confines of the car.
“You’ll have to give directions.”
She cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. “We live in Compass Pointe. You know where that is?”
“Yeah.” Compass Pointe was the rich neighborhood at the north end of town, the kind with eight-bedroom houses and servant quarters over the garage though he didn’t know any that actually had servants. Michael did the landscaping for three houses out there, and they were three of his highest-paying cus-tomers.
“Shouldn’t you be in a private school or something?” he asked.
“My father says he got by on a public education, and that should be good enough for anybody.” She paused. “He’s a defense attorney. A good one.”
“I’m surprised you’re not driving a BMW to school.”
She bristled. “First of all, my parents have the money, not me, and second of all, I don’t have a license yet. I didn’t think you’d be the kind of guy to get all weird about where I live ”
“Whoa!” God, it was like he couldn’t avoid colliding with the chip on her shoulder. “I’m just saying. Heather Castelline lives out here and no one can get her to shut up about crap like how much her manicure costs.”
Layne made a face. Her arms were folded across her chest now. “I’m not Heather Castelline.”
Gabriel snorted. “Obviously.”
Layne didn’t say anything, just turned her head and looked out the window. Her sudden silence smacked him across the face as effectively as a hand would have.
