Chapter 10 Tabitha
I wanna hurl.
Kai Nelson is in my brother’s car. Worse, he’s sharing the backseat with me. Yuck, Freddy will need this whole car disinfected. Plus, my brothers plan on leaving me alone with this guy. I thought they loved me, but they’re setting me up for torture.
At least my friends haven’t witnessed this fiasco.
Cammy’s dad picked her up from school a period early.
They’re having some kind of daddy-daughter date because he’s finally home from his honeymoon.
AKA, he’s spoiling her rotten to make up for the fact he left her and her mom for another family.
With Cammy out of the picture, Yvie wasn’t gonna wait for me.
Her older brother drove her home and she’ll no doubt be blowing up our group chat about how bored she is.
“Have fun, you two,” Freddy teases with his trademark big grin. He’s turned around to face us in the backseat after parking in a space close to Village Coffee.
Drew joins him, smirking at me and Kai. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“Mm-hmm,” Kai mutters, getting out of the car.
Kai slams the door behind him and Freddy inhales, ready to go off about his precious car.
I lean in, gaining my brother’s attention before Freddy can get a word out. “Are you guys pulling a prank? Just fess up and tell me this is some kind of sick joke.”
As if on cue, the trunk opens and I hear Kai yanking his backpack out.
Freddy nods behind me. “Better get going with your buddy.”
“Guys,“ I whine in a last ditch effort.
Drew mumbles a laugh. “Stop being a brat, Tabby. Get going.”
All I see is red. How dare he use the B-word.
I get out of the car and slam the door harder than Kai did. I faintly hear Freddy complaining, but I move to the trunk, regardless. Kai is hoisting his bag on his back, and I leave mine in the trunk, only pulling out a notebook and a pen case. I shut the trunk without looking back at my brothers.
When I move onto the sidewalk, I hear a window lowering and then Freddy’s voice. “Hey, Tabby, don’t be mad.”
I huff and glance over my shoulder. “I am mad.”
Freddy leans over Drew as he talks. “I was just playing. So, was Drew. Tell her, man.”
“Fred, just drive me home, would ya?” Drew complains.
Freddy ignores him, tilting his head to view me. “Pleeease, Tabby. Say you’re not mad.”
I groan at his constant need to have everybody like him. “Fine, Freddy. You’re forgiven.”
Freddy pulls back to sit properly in the driver’s seat. “Sweet. Let me know when you need a ride home.”
I wave my brothers off and keep moving toward Village Coffee.
“He’s needy,” Kai murmurs beside me.
“Don’t talk about my brother.” I push ahead, reefing open the coffee house’s door. “Either of them.”
I march into the coffeehouse and snag an empty table in the corner. I don’t need someone from school eyeballing me with Kai.
With a screech, Kai drags one of the café chairs backwards. He dumps his backpack down, pulls out his stuff, and then dumps the bag onto the timber floorboards.
He sits down and frowns at me. “Must you scowl at me?”
“What? Am I supposed to be jumping for joy at this arrangement?”
“It’s not my fault we’re here. Thank your brothers.”
“My brothers won’t take your crap.”
Kai huffs. “Oh, I’m aware.”
Soon, a server comes by to take our orders.
“Peppermint mocha,” I order.
Kai shrugs. “Can I just get a coke?”
“Sure thing,” the server says, scribbling on her pad and then leaving our table.
“A coke? This is, like, one of the best coffeehouses in the mountains. How could you just get a coke?”
He deadpans me. “And exactly how much coffee is in your fru-fru order?”
“At least it’s something the barista can make. All you’re getting them to do is open a bottle.”
He shrugs. “So, big deal? They probably like not having to go to any trouble.”
“Whatever, I’m not arguing with you.”
“Ah, you have been,” he says flatly. “You can’t say you’re not doing something when you clearly are.”
I lift a palm at him. “I’m trying to end the argument.”
“Yeah, right. You’ve said that before, and every time, you continue to argue.”
I plant my hands on the sides of my head, trying to squash the raging headache pulsating inside. “I’m not doing this. Just stop.”
When I lower my hands, a server comes by and places Kai’s coke on our table. “Thanks,” Kai tells him, and then nods at the space in front of me. “Looks like you have to wait.”
“Good things come to those who wait.”
“Sure,” he drawls. “How come you like this place?”
“This is where everybody goes.” I gawk at him like its common knowledge. “If the Vanessa Ashworth goes somewhere, then you go to that place.”
Kai sits taller, and his gaze wanders the scattered tables. “Does her brother come here too?”
“Her brother isn’t the trendsetter,” I reply. “That guy is such an enigma. Like, a party will be awesome if he shows, but you can never guess if he will or won't.”
Kai slouches. “I know. It’s impossible to hang out with the guy. He’s barely in classes, and their estate is way too far out of town.”
I smirk. “Are you fanboying over Thomas Ashworth the third?”
“I wouldn’t use all those names. I’d call him Ash like everybody else does.” Kai scoffs. “I just think he’s an all right dude. Like, he plays the same video games as me. We should be friends. I just never seem to log-on at the right time to play alongside him.”
“He’s an Ashworth. He probably has his own private server that’s all encrypted. Or, better yet, he probably has the game companies make a different version that only the super elite can play.”
Kai sighs, thrumming with the napkin dispenser on our table. “No, it’s a regular server anyone can access. I’ve heard guys at school talking about it. I was close once. I’m pretty sure I was, anyway.”
I sit back, taking him in as his eyes stay downcast in quiet reflection. “Huh.”
His gaze flicks up at me. “Huh, what?”
“I just didn’t take you as someone who cares about getting someone else’s approval.”
He flinches. “I don’t.”
“Oh, please. Your head’s obviously in overdrive about how to hang out with the billionaire’s son.”
“Only because I think we’d actually be good friends.” He leans forward, anger transforming his expression. “I wouldn’t spread a rumor or say something nasty to his face.”
My stomach twists, and I grasp my elbows. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Kai looks away, swatting a hand. “Don’t for a second liken me to you.”
“I wasn’t. I just—for the tiniest of seconds—thought that maybe, just maybe, you were a regular human being.”
At that, his gaze wanders back to me.
I shrug. “Idolizing someone is normal.”
He rolls his eyes. “The Ashworths aren’t my idols.”
“You want to be friends with Ash?”
“Stop trying to analyze me. Man, why did I even open my mouth in front of you? You twist anything into something toxic.”
I quirk at the icky memory of Cammy and Yvie, implying Kai hurts women. Deep down, I know he was protecting his friend, who happens to be a girl. But my outer shell won’t let me empathize with him. He’s an abrasive alt boy, lacking an ounce of charm.
As my face burns hotter than it has all day, the server comes back around, placing my peppermint mocha in front of me. I mumble a thank you, and busy myself with swirling a spoon through the whipped cream.
“That looks freakishly sweet,” Kai comments.
“Drink your coke.”
Kai flips open his textbook. “I noticed you didn’t bring your textbook with you.”
My teaspoon clangs against the side of my cup as I eye my notebook and pen case. Seriously, Tabitha.
“That’s why you put the itz in ditz.”
“Very funny.” My eyes slit at him. “Did you notice when we were still near Freddy’s car?”
“Maybe.”
“Then give me your textbook.”
“What? No way.”
“We’re supposed to be partners. If you sabotage your partner, you fork over your possessions.”
“No, that’s not a thing.”
“But you could have spoken up. What’s the point of us being here if I don’t have a textbook?”
He kicks back in his chair. “You tell me.”
“Ugh.” I groan. “You’re impossible.”
“Tabby?” a shocked voice calls out.
I look up to the o-shaped mouths of Cammy and Yvie.
Why? Just, why?
The girls saunter over to us, gazes swaying between me and Kai.
Seriously, why?
“What’s going on, Tabby?” Yvie asks, holding back a laugh. “Are you on a date?”
Repulsed grunts reverberate out of me and Kai.
“I thought something was going on between you two during chemistry,” Cammy teases.
“You mean all our arguments?” I reply hastily. “Besides, what are you doing here, Cammy? I thought you were supposed to be with your dad this afternoon?”
“He got called away.” For a moment, quiet sadness ripples over her. That is until she flicks her hair off her shoulder and her superiority lifts. “You know, he’s important, Tabby. The Logan’s Point redevelopment project can’t happen if my father isn’t around. It lives and dies with him.”
I nod at her, unblinking. I feel attacked with a lot of information that I didn’t ask for.
“Seriously,” Yvie pipes up like she’s about to burst. “Are you two dating?”
Kai scoffs. “Okay, got it. You’re the dumbest one in the group.”
Yvie recoils in offense.
“Yvie, this is more like a kidnapping than a date. We’re doing stupid chemistry homework.”
“Uh-huh,” Cammy utters.
I squint at my friends. “Why on earth would you guys think this is a date? All I do is complain about him.”
Yvie giggles. “Sounds just like when a boy kicks the back of your shoes when he likes you.”
Creases form across my face as I take in her words.
Umm, what?
Yvie nods emphatically. “You have no idea the mixed signals Zane has been giving me. So hot and cold and I’m living for it.”
“You want him to be cold to you?” I question.
Yvie bats a hand. “It’s a game, silly.”
“Anyway, Tabby, why don’t you ditch this place and come with us?” Camila tosses a thumb at Kai. “Why don’t you just get his brother to do your homework? Isn’t he a genius or something?”
“I know you only have two brain cells to rub together,” Kai spits, “but try using them to get yourself far away from this table.”