Chapter 10
Ten
The next day, I sit at the lunch table with the boys, listening to Tyler drone on about a sociology assignment.
I don’t want to pay attention to my own assignments, so I have zero interest in his complaints.
I've pulled my chair out too far from the table to eat comfortably. I’m waiting for Kai to get here.
He can drown out the sound of any voice.
“Oh, here she is,” Lewis says in a breathy tone. He leans over the table with laser-focus.
Parker nudges him, saying, “Don’t you even think about it.”
There’s only one girl they’re ogling. I look over my shoulder, and sure enough, Yvette struts through the cafeteria. Even though she has the grace and beauty of a Scandinavian princess, my vision auto-focuses on the couple behind her.
Kai and Tabitha.
His arm is around her as they walk in time, smiling and laughing. Seriously, it’s the time in the rom-com where the camera slows and focuses on their pearly whites and star-crossed looks in their eyes.
I straighten up in my seat, turned toward them. Yvette veers away, causing groans from Parker and Lewis. The groans get louder when she stops at a table and makes out with one of the footballer gods.
“What did you think was gonna happen?” Tyler says bluntly. “That girl is never single. You guys have gotta stop pining.”
“Whatever,” the boys mumble as they slump in their seats.
Yvette doesn’t stay talk of the table for long when Kai and Tabitha land.
“Hi guys,” Kai says with a large grin.
Tabitha is giggly, holding onto Kai’s wrist that dangles over her shoulder.
“Is it okay if Tabby joins us?” Kai asks. His smile muscles quirk from being pulled tighter than I’ve ever seen.
“Sure,” Tyler says, kicking out a seat close to me. “Hi Tabby.”
Tabby waves as Kai pulls out another seat by me. “Hi everyone. Thanks for letting me hang out.”
Kai sits beside me, sandwiched with Tabitha on his other side. Is this really happening? They’ve gone from lovesick looks across the cafeteria to being latched at the freaking hip?
“How was class?” Kai asks me, arm still hooked around Tabitha’s shoulders.
“Umm…” I falter. I never stumble on my words when it comes to Kai. But how can I not be thrown? Sure, I saw them kiss, and he’s talked about her a few times, and he ditched me last night for her… Oh my gosh. Is he falling in love with her?
Kai’s eyebrows bounce up. “James? You okay?”
I clear my throat and fake a laugh. “Umm, yeah, bro. I mean, I was just thinking about how much of a dumb question that was. How was class? How do you think?”
Kai laughs, and this would feel easy, if not for Tabitha leaning forward and gaining my attention.
“Ah, Jamie?” she begins in a quiet, almost timid voice. “Like, aren’t you failing? I thought you were supposed to be paying attention in classes?”
My chest rises and falls. My shallow breaths hasten. That wasn’t timid at all. That’s the same mean girl ploy I’ve heard a thousands times. They reel you in just to humiliate you.
“I…” It’s like every thought evaporates from my mind. It’s totally foggy in my skull.
Kai hugs Tabitha closer, saying, “As if she’s gonna do a one-eighty and suddenly love school.”
My chest eases. Yes, that’s the Kai I know.
Tabitha keeps her eyes locked on mine. “But I thought she was being kicked out of school?”
“Whoa,” Parker says in a low tone. “I didn’t know it was that serious.”
“They’re not kish…” Even though I’m looking at Parker, I stumble on my words, feeling Tabitha’s stare burning me. “Uh, I’m not get-ah-getting kicked out.”
Lewis’s eyes narrow at me. “What’s with you?”
“Duh,” Tyler says, gesturing at me. “She’s nervous because it’s her last week at this school.”
Kai splutters a laugh. “Where’d you get that info from? It’s not her last week, and she’s not getting kicked out. It’s her scholarship she has to fight for because her aunt can’t afford the school fees.”
Tabitha hisses like she’s touched a sizzling frying pan. “Dang. I couldn’t imagine struggling because your family doesn’t have money. I don’t know how you do it, Jamie.”
What kind of back-handed-compliment-insult was that?
“I…” My hands ball into fists. Thank goodness I break so many nails, or my palms would have five fingernail-sized piercings in them.
The anger builds inside, and at this point, I’m directing it at myself.
If Tabitha was one of the boys, I could’ve easily dominated with comebacks.
Why can’t I just lay into her? So what if she’s a girl? Why does that freaking matter so much?
“It’s not like she chose to be poor,” Kai mutters.
My chin drops. Did he really just say that?
Okay, Aunt Maddy and I don’t have a fancy house, but it’s not like we have to light candles every time the electric bill is due.
Plus, the cafe is pulling more business since Maddy started catering outside events.
That one society event we did was worth two months' revenue.
Kai knows we’re not struggling. Why would he feed Tabitha’s narrative?
“So have you stopped being a chicken and actually read that diary yet?” Kai asks, changing the subject as he picks up a handful of fries.
I glare at him, mortified at the matter-of-fact nature he blurted that out. Tabitha looks at us with piqued interest. Camila found a poster of my mother and milked it for everything it’s worth. Can you imagine what would happen if her bestie reported back there’s a diary from my mother?
Kai drops the fries, staring at me with confusion. “What?”
My eyes widen in the glare, and I nod at the intruder beside him.
Kai frowns and looks away from me, picking up the idle fries.
I look away from the table so I don’t pick a fight with Kai. Bad feelings rampage inside me. I don’t want to take out on him what’s really meant for Miss Perfect.
My eyes wander the cafeteria, searching for a plausible excuse to escape my friends.
Kylie, who works at the cafe, is sitting at a nearby table.
She hunches forward, whispering behind cupped hands with her bestie.
The girls are in their own little bubble and it makes my heart throb.
If I had the courage to have a normal conversation with Kylie at work, maybe I could go over and say hi.
Imagine how much easier life would be if I could escape to another table.
Kylie and her friend aren’t scary. I’ve never heard them say anything nasty about anyone.
Maybe they’d even be sympathetic if we talked about my scholarship.
But why even daydream about it? It’s not gonna happen. Anytime I attempt to talk to another girl, they look at me like I’m an alien. And the way I splutter and fumble around them, I don’t blame them. It’s just like when any of the boys stack-it at the skatepark. I point, laugh, and mock.
I guess I bring embarrassment upon myself. Why wouldn’t the girls ridicule me when I make it so easy for them?
Tabitha’s giggling brings my focus back to our table. The boys have their eyes on her, listening to her vapid story with bated breath.
I can’t stand this. How dare she invade our space and hypnotize all my friends? Somehow, I’ve become an outcast. Heck, I feel more comfortable in my tutoring session with Milo.
Click. A lightbulb flashes in my mind. I pull my phone from my skirt pocket and open up my texts. I send a message to Milo. “Hey. What are you doing?”
It’s a long-shot he’d look at his phone. The nerd probably escaped into a book.
Before I get down in the dumps, a reply pings. “I’m just in Mr. Birch’s classroom. Why?”
Called it. “I need help with something before next period. Do you mind taking a look at it?”
“Sure. Come by.”
I lift off my seat as if I'm set to launch mode.
“Whoa,” Kai blurts. “What’s with you?”
“I totally forgot about something for my next class,” I lie. “I just texted Milo for help.”
Kai’s eyebrows push together. “You’re leaving to hang with Milo?”
I roll my eyes. “Ugh. It’s not like that and you know it. I need to keep doing my homework if I want my teachers to bump up my grades.”
“Lay off her,” Tabitha says, leaning into Kai. “You know the poor girl needs every bit of help she can get.”
Does everything that comes out of your mouth have to be in that sarcastic tone? Ugh! Why can’t I say it out loud?
“Fine.” Kai sighs. “Go be part of the brainwashed masses and spew out the dribble these teachers expect us to learn.”
“Thanks,” I say through gritted teeth as I back away from the table. The other boys stare at me with dumbfounded faces.
Tabitha looks over Kai’s shoulder while fondling his cropped hair.
There’s a vindictiveness as she smiles at me.
As if she beat me for Kai’s attention. Oh my gosh, does she think I’m her competition?
Eww. What is with all these people thinking there’s something going on between me and Kai purely because we’re different genders? They’re sick!
I back out of the cafeteria with little protest from my friends. Maybe they’re too stunned for words.
I rarely walk the halls between classes. I don’t have anything to do at my locker besides dumping my stuff until the next bell rings. So, I didn’t realize how empty the halls get when it's not directly before or after a class.
It’s a trek to Mr. Birch's classroom. He teaches all the super smart kids, so I've never entered this room before. The classroom door is closed, and I feel weird about opening it. So, I knock when turning the handle and pushing it slightly ajar.
“Yeah?” Milo says from inside.
“Oh, it’s just me,” I say, pushing the door further open and stepping into the room.
“Hey, I was surprised to get your text.”
I’m about to reply, but I freeze instead. Milo isn’t alone.
He’s with none other than the Ashworth family heir. As in the family this school is named after.
Thomas Ashworth III. Or Ash, as everyone calls him.
He’s the only boy who’s ever made me clam up. I mean, his dad is a billionaire. It’s crazy that we live in a world where he and I can attend the same school.