Chapter 6
Paige and I walk into school side by side, like always. I feel refreshed after spending the whole day at home yesterday doing nothing. When was the last time I sat and did nothing all day? Ever since Paige and I became friends, we’ve always been on the go. I should rest more often.
Paige bumps my shoulder. “Kai is walking over here,” she says, followed by, “Ooh la la.”
“You’re annoying.”
“I can’t believe you guys didn’t kiss on Saturday.”
“Will you shut up? He’s going to hear you.”
“Hey Blakely. Hey Paige.”
“Hi!” we both say at the same time.
“How are you feeling?” Kai asks me.
“I’ll see you in class, B.”
I nod. “Better. Thanks for taking care of me. I hope I didn’t ruin your night.”
“You didn’t. I had a lot of fun with you.”
We both start walking toward my English class. “You did?” I smile. Kai is sweet for a seventeen-year-old. All the other guys I’ve dated have been douchebags and only cared about themselves.
“Of course.”
“Well, this is my class.”
“Do you want to have lunch together?”
“Yeah,” I say quietly, trying not to sound overly excited.
“Meet me at the front doors to the parking lot.” The bell rings. I look around and the halls are empty. We’re late again.
“Okay.”
I bite the bottom of my lip to stop my smile. Everyone is going to wonder why I’m smiling so big when I walk in. Every time someone is late to class, the entire class stares.
I walk in, slide into my seat next to Paige, and whisper, “Kai wants to take me out to lunch.”
We both squeal, and the whole class stares at us. I sink deeper into my seat when the teacher asks, “Are you two going to be a problem?”
“No,” we say in unison.
The teacher frowns and gets back to her lecture.
I’m waiting for Kai by the front door like he asked. I never noticed how many people leave for lunch. More and more students walk out as I wait.
“Blakely, are you ready?”
I turn around and see his bright-blue eyes gazing at me, causing butterflies in my stomach.
As we walk toward his car, we pass Allison, who is gawking at me.
What’s her problem?
“Where do you want to go?”
"Anywhere. I’m not picky.”
We approach the same black Honda Civic he picked me up in the other night. “Is this your car?”
“It’s my brother’s. When he doesn’t need it, he lets me use it sometimes.” He turns the car on and the bass starts bumping to the music he had on. “Sorry,” he says as he turns it down.
As we entered McDonald’s, the smell of the fries fill the air, making my stomach grumble. We order a twenty-piece McNugget value meal that comes with two medium fries and two medium drinks. Kai also orders an Oreo McFlurry.
“Have you ever dipped a chicken nugget in an Oreo McFlurry?”
I tilt my face up as I place a chicken nugget in my mouth. “No. Gross.”
“Have you ever dipped a fry into a vanilla ice cream cone?”
I nod.
“It’s like the same thing. Try it.” He scoots his McFlurry closer to me.
“Okay.” I dip half of my nugget in his McFlurry without even thinking I’m pretty much double-dipping. He doesn’t seem to mind. Before I eat it, I look at it, grossed out.
Kai laughs at me.
The sweetness and saltiness hit my taste buds once I start chewing. He’s right; it isn’t bad. It is like dipping a fry in your ice cream.
"See, I told you it wasn’t bad.”
I chuckle. “What made you try this?”
“I was running late to work one day and was trying to eat my lunch while driving, and I dropped some of the Oreo McFlurry onto my lap where my nuggets were sitting. I didn’t have time to scrape it off, so I ate it. And yeah, since then, I’ve always eaten my nuggets with an Oreo McFlurry.”
That’s something I’ve never heard before. I learn something new every day with him. I guess learning to drink isn’t the greatest thing to learn, but while we drank, he taught me how to play pool. Some people do that as a sport. I could say I learned a new sport.
“So, you have a job?”
He nods. “My uncle owns a welding company. I work for him after school. Do you have a job?”
“No. Well, I do help watch the neighborhood kids sometimes.”
“That’s something.”
Sometimes I’m embarrassed that I don’t have a job. A lot of sixteen-year-olds have jobs.
“One day, I want to start my own welding company.”
I’m surprised by how much ambition he has. Do all teenagers have this much ambition? “Do you have to go to college for that?”
“No. Not really. You can if you want to get a business degree. But why spend so much on college when you can put the money toward your own business?”
That’s true. I never thought of it like that.
“Do you know what you want to do?” he asks.
“I think I want to be a nurse.”
“You think?”
"Yeah, I’m not sure. I hate school, and that’s a lot of schooling.”
We both finished eating ten minutes ago. I know we should get back to school, but I don’t want this time together to end. I don’t want to go our separate ways yet. He makes me feel giddy inside. It’s easy talking to him. I don’t have to try so hard with him or act fake just so he’ll like me.
“Why don’t you start your own business, then?”
I laugh at that idea. “What would I start?”
He looks at me sternly. He must be serious. “What do you like to do?”
I shrug my shoulders. That’s sad. I don’t know what I like.
Do all teenagers know what they want to do before they’re eighteen?
I think eighteen is too young to decide what to do.
Kai’s right. College is expensive. What if I start and then end up not liking it?
All that money would be a waste. Why do teenagers have to decide so young?
“You’ll find something,” he says, looking at his watch.
Shit. He wants to go.
“I better get you back. I have to get to work.”
Oh, right. He’s an adult with an adult job. Does his uncle know he parties with his brother? His family seems laid-back.
He pulls up right in front of the school doors. I’m late again. Kai comes around the car and pulls me into a hug. I inhale the cologne he’s wearing. It smells spicy and woodsy. I give him a slight smile as I walk away from him. Once I pass through the doors, I turn around and watch him drive away.
“Blakely!”
I’m startled by my name being yelled.
Shit! It’s Mrs. Chatley.
“Get to class.”
With a frown, I hurry to class.