Chapter 32
On Monday, Kai walks into our chemistry classroom halfway through the lesson. I sit tall as he takes the stool beside me.
“So? Did you get it?” I ask eagerly, knowing he was getting his licence today.
He smiles but his voice doesn’t have the usual cocky charm I expect. “Yeah, nothing to it.”
“That’s it? I thought you’d come in here totally bragging.”
He smirks but I still sense tension. “I’ve become that predictable, have I?”
I tilt my head. “Is something wrong?”
“No. Why?”
“Something seems off.”
He rubs his brow and clears his throat. “Did Camila tell you she ambushed Jamie this morning?”
I retch, making him lower his hand to check on me. “I’m okay. Is this about Jamie’s mom?”
Kai’s tension multiplies. “You did know?”
“I thought I’d handled it.”
“What does that mean?”
“I stole the poster,” I admit in the softest whisper imaginable. Camila’s only a few benches away.
He leans in to check he heard me correctly. “You stole it?”
I nod. “She showed me it before I met you at the skatepark. I couldn’t let her use it to ruin Jamie’s life. I had to take it.”
“Where is it now?”
“In shreds. I dumped it in a trash can and it should now be at the town dump.”
Kai brightens with a happy laugh. “You really did that?”
I cup the sides of his face. “I’d do anything for you. Jamie’s important to you, so she’s important to me, too.”
“And you did this before the skatepark?”
I nod, sliding my hands down his face and then letting them fall into my lap.
He groans. “What are the odds?”
“What do you mean?”
“At the skatepark, before you got there, Jamie told me she’s losing her scholarship.”
“Get out.”
“And this morning she had soccer practice, and her coach has benched her until she gets her grades up.”
“So, she’s losing her scholarship because she’s failing classes?”
He nods. “Essentially.”
I sit back, my lip upturning. “Wow. How did she let this happen?”
“What are you talking about?”
“She’s a scholarship kid, who’s not taking her grades seriously. She mustn’t want to go to this school.”
His shoulders broaden, and he backs up on his stool. “Of course, she wants to go to this school.”
“Then why did she let this happen?”
“Let this happen? This is the school’s fault.”
“It is? Enlighten me.”
He groans and when his eyes roll, my chest aches. “The school sets arbitrary rules and decides what crap we have to learn. It’s entirely their fault.”
“But I’m sure they made it clear to Jamie—when she got her scholarship—that she needed to maintain a certain grade average in order to keep her scholarship.”
He deadpans me. “Why are you being like this?”
I lift my palms up, not getting why he’s upset. “Like what? I just don’t understand why she let things get so bad. She should’ve known the odds were stacked against someone like her to attend this school.”
His arms cross and his stare narrows. “Why? Because she’s poor?”
I grab a hold of his biceps and lean into him. “Kai, I didn’t mean to rile you up. I’m sorry.”
His Adam’s apple bobs, and his biceps flex under my palms. “You should know I hate that tone. It’s the whole reason we didn’t get along in the beginning.”
I shrink under the weight of his glare. “I was using a tone?”
“You didn’t hear it?”
I hate how much I’m pouting as I shake my head, still cowering from his heightened emotions.
He cups my chin and lifts it up. His head tilts and then he softly sighs. “Camila did a number on you.”
I stiffen at the accusation.
“You can’t say this stuff in front of Jamie.”
I want to ask, “what stuff,” because I still don’t know what I said that was so wrong. But I can tell he’ll go off again if I misspeak.
“I’m so glad I snatched the poster from Camila so she couldn’t make copies and do some serious damage with it.”
“How did you get it from her?”
I tap my fingers on the desk, smiling at my manicure. “I created a minor diversion and then dipped out when she started attacking Yvie.”
“You let the she-wolf attack Yvette?”
I smirk at him. “She needed to take one for the team.”
He rubs a circle on my back. “And we all know you’ve taken enough hits from her.”
“It was just a strike too far. She shared that dirty picture on her Instagram story last night. I’m guessing that’s what she used to ambush Jamie with?”
“Yep. At least it was grainy. It’ll be old news by the end of the day.”
The guilt writhes inside me. “People will have screenshotted it.”
“Jamie’s tough. She’ll man up and tough it out.”
My eyebrow arches. “And you said I needed to drop my tone?”
He shrugs. “It’s how we talk to each other. It’s cool.”
“If you say so. No wonder she has a hard time talking to other girls.”
His expression hardens. “Don’t start.”
I lift my hands, and surprise contorts my expression. “I’m not. Give me a break.”
He groans and rubs his hands over his face. “Look, I know you did something awesome for Jamie.” He lowers his hands, and his eyes are dull. “I want to focus on that.”
I frown at him. “I thought you trusted me.”
“I do.”
I don’t believe him. His expression didn’t brighten, and his tone was flat.
I hug my middle and slouch. “You had me hang out with your friends. I thought we were getting closer, but we keep taking two steps back.”
His arms pull around me, and he attacks me with his mouth. The pressure of his kiss is hard, and he clings to me like he can’t let go.
Wolf whistles spring out from the neighboring lab desks. The embarrassment has me melting into goo. Kai doesn’t pull back. He tilts his head and deepens our kiss, proving to everyone that he wants me.
I tap on his shoulder for release. Okay, Kai, I get it.
He pulls away, sucking on my bottom lip, and releases it with a pop.
As the tables behind us continue to cheer, I go brick red when Mrs. Field approaches.
“Settle down, class,” she orders. “Kai and Tabitha. While I’m glad you two are getting along, I’d appreciate it if you kept things G-rated in my classroom.”
Kai salutes her. “Sure thing, ma’am.”
Mortified, I fan my face, hoping to sink into the floor. When I accidentally glance in Camila’s direction, I sit taller with satisfaction. I’m pretty sure if you look up jealousy in the dictionary, they’d replace all the words with a picture of Camila’s scowl.
Thank goodness we have health class next instead of phys-ed. I’d be in real danger of having a ball hurled at my face.
Kai’s nose tickles against my cheek. “Do you believe me now?”
I giggle and shiver as he butterfly kisses my cheek, his face disappearing into my hair. “Loud and clear.”
His crooked smile makes my heartbeat soar. “It shouldn’t surprise me that you stole that poster. You’ve already proven you’ll stick your neck out for Jamie.”
“I bet she’ll still believe I did it for ulterior motives.”
Kai smirks. “I have trained her to sniff out a conspiracy.”
I playfully swat his arm. “Great. There’s two of you.”
“Hey.” He clutches my wrist and inspects it. “Where’s your bracelet?”
“Oh. I broke it.”
“That’s too bad. I’m sorry.”
I shake it off. “Don’t be. I didn’t like it anymore.”
He lifts my wrist and kisses the inside. “Maybe we’ll need another mall date to find a replacement.”
I giggle, trying to ignore the ooohs from the table behind us. “Maybe we will.”
For the rest of the class, we work on our assignment. I try my best to ignore the comments from other students, betting on whether we’ll make out again. Unable to help himself, Kai tells them all to buzz off. He does it to protect me, but it puts a weird distance between us.
Then the end of class signals our separation. The only thing I want is to spend the entire day with Kai. We haven’t put a label on what we are, but I wish we did. I wish he were my boyfriend, and it weren’t weird for me to stay by his side.
But it is weird.
I keep my distance at lunch, and it’s torturous. Yvie and Zane are all hands and mouths, and Cammy keeps texting her dad even though he doesn’t reply. It feels sadder than it sounds, and I know that’s saying something.
It’s not until English that I get to stare at him again. Kai’s all the way over at the other end of the classroom. He’s doodling in his notebook instead of paying attention to Ms. Jenkins.
I wish I could check out the marks he’s made with his pen. From the neighboring desk, Jamie glimpses his page, and a nasty shock of jealousy attacks my stomach. With a pout, I face forward. But it doesn’t last long. I don’t want to lose his attention to her.
Over my shoulder, I spy their desks again. Kai looks up, and a crooked smile softens his expression. As I smile back, Jamie clocks me, and there’s no erasing her frown.
Is there any scenario where she gets over the fact I’ve said some less-than-nice things to her in the past? She needs to get over it, because I’m not going anywhere. I won’t give up Kai for anyone.
When the lesson ends, Kai catches up with me outside the classroom. He wraps his arms around me and kisses my temple. I giggle, melting as I hold on to his arms.
“So, I have to take Jamie and Milo to the cafe,” he says, doing a bad job of holding back a laugh. “Milo’s roped in to tutor Jamie, and Jamie’s about to boil over. I’m going to laugh my butt off, watching Milo try to dump knowledge on her.”
My heart squeezes as I subtly cross my fingers. “So you’re gonna spend the afternoon with them?”
Kai tilts his head, and his eyebrows wiggle. “I don’t have to.”
“Meet me on Main Street?”
“You don’t want a ride?”
I give him a wink. “I need to change first.”
“I thought I told you to leave a change of clothes in your locker?”
“It’ll be worth it,” I say softly. “Better than changing into running clothes.”
Kai laughs, unraveling his arms from me. “You’ll do anything to dodge being my running buddy.”
Jamie and Milo make their way near us, and Kai gives me another quick peck before releasing me. “I’ll text you.”
I brighten, happy at the thought of getting him away from Jamie.
I’m buzzing on the way out of school, meeting up with Freddy in the parking lot.
“Tabby!” a voice calls out.
My good buzz fades away, recognizing Yvie’s voice.
“Wait up!” she calls, somehow looking graceful as she runs with her backpack swaying behind her.
“Is she coming with us?” Freddy asks, unlocking the car.
“I didn’t think so,” I mutter. I fake a smile as she lands in front of me. “Hey, girl.”
“Where are we going?” she asks eagerly.
“Just home,” I say, opening the front passenger door. “Then I’m headed down to Main Street.”
“Fun,” she cheers. “I’ll join you.”
I blink at her. “You will?”
“Yeah, it’ll be fun, right?”
“Umm, yeah, sure, but…”
Yvie bats a hand. “But, nothing. I need a break from Cammy.”
On instinct, I look over Yvie’s shoulder to check Camila’s nowhere in our immediate area. “You ditched her?”
“Yes.” She sighs tiredly. “She’s too much lately. Can we just hang out? Please, please, please?”
Unable to help it, I giggle and gesture at the back passenger door. “Sure, get in.”
“Oh, yay!”
Once we’re in the car, I peer behind me to say, “I’m meeting up with Kai, so it won’t just be us.”
Yvie grins. “That’s cool. Like I said, I need a Cammy break. Anything will be a relief.”
Just as Freddy reverses the car, the other back door opens and Drew pulls himself inside.
“Dude, I could’ve backed over you,” Freddy complains.
“But you didn’t,” Drew says bluntly.
I can’t help laughing at the repulsion on Yvie’s face, forced to sit next to my older brother. Her arms cross, her brow hardens, and her bubblegum pink lips twist into a scowl.
“What’s got you so cranky, princess?” Drew asks her teasingly.
Yvie clicks her tongue and shifts her attention out the window as Freddy drives us out of the student parking lot. As I face forward, I can just pick up Drew’s laughter under the sound of the car stereo.
Once we’re back home, and in my bedroom, Yvie is thumbing through my wardrobe. “Can I wear your little yellow dress?”
“It’s not summer, Yvie,” I reply, my lip upturning as I apply my lip gloss at my vanity mirror. “You’d look ridiculous.”
“But it’s super cute.” She drapes it against herself. “Besides, I can take your pink coat to wear over the top.”
“If you cover it up, what’s even the point?”
“I might meet up with Zane later, and I don’t mind showing a little leg.”
I snigger, watching her long legs as she poses. “Okay, go ahead. I don’t care.”
She sheds her school blazer and undoes her blouse. “Thanks.”
Watching my reflection, I comb my fingers through my curls, making sure they sit over my shoulders.
My gold teardrop earrings pop against my hair, and the v-neckline of my shimmery black top shows off the matching necklace.
I’m feeling sassy in my leopard print skinny jeans, and give myself a lift with pointed-toe, six-inch stiletto, black leather boots.
“Dang, Tabby,” Yvie cheers. “Kai’s not gonna know what hit him.”
“The goal is to make sure I get his full attention,” I say, checking out my butt in the mirror. “Is this mission accomplished?”
Yvie snaps my photo with her phone. “Oh, gosh, yes.”
“Don’t send that to Cammy.”
Yvie smirks. “This is a Cammy-free night, remember? Besides, she’s with Daddy Dearest. We’re in the clear.”
I give my hair a final flick, and then turn to face Yvie. “Okay, shall we head out?”
Yvie snuggles in beside me and raises her phone high, snapping a selfie with me. “Okay, now we’re ready.”