My mom wasn’t in the mood to cook, big surprise, so we went to breakfast at the diner. Avoiding any conversation about Gianna, I told her about my new school and classes. We talked more about Julie and my dad. My mom really did seem okay now about it. I almost asked if she was dating anyone, but chickened out because it would be too weird to talk about.
I was back at the dance studio on time to pick up Gianna. When she stepped out of the building with Cece, I stood out front, leaning against my car. Holding back laughter at her scowl, I opened the door to the passenger side.
She approached me with Cece by her side. “Caleb, I usually go to Cece’s house right after class and the crew comes by to practice.”
“No problem, I’ll drive you guys there.”
Before Gianna could argue, Cece was climbing into the back seat. “Thanks, Caleb!”
GIANNA
I told Caleb the wrong time on purpose so I could get rid of him. Unfortunately, he showed up thirty minutes early to pick me up and now he was giving me and Cece a ride to her house. I didn’t want to be around him. I was still so pissed about him sleeping with Desiree last night.
Okay, so maybe I was more than just pissed. As much as I didn’t want it to, it hurt. I cried myself to sleep last night over stupid Caleb! It was dumb to be upset about it. He was just being himself, doing what he normally did, easy girls. It wasn’t as if any girl, including myself, would ever be special to him. It took a special girl to tame a bad boy and he hadn’t met her yet.
I’d stood there like an idiot in the bathroom last night while Desiree got her digs in. Since then I’d come up with a ton of comebacks I should’ve said to her. Now it was too late. What a whore she was. Ugh, I didn’t want to think of what they did last night. I’d start crying then Caleb and Cece would think I’d lost it.
Pulling up in front of Cece and Jared’s house, I was about to say goodbye and good riddance to Caleb, but he turned off the engine and got out too. “What are you doing, Caleb?”
“I want to watch the crew practice. That’s okay isn’t it, Cece?” he asked, smart enough to look to her for backup.
“Sure, that’d be fun. Friends or the guys’ girlfriends sometimes come by Saturday afternoons to watch.” Cece and her super-friendly attitude would be the death of me. What could I say? No, I don’t want Caleb to hang out with us because I’m unreasonably hurt over him screwing Desiree last night.
Key word: unreasonable. I had no right to be hurt and Caleb was nothing more to me than a sometimes-friend, sometimes-enemy and sometimes-confidant. Oh, and I couldn’t forget the stepbrother thing.
Inside the house Jared sat on the couch. The memory of the kiss we’d shared last Saturday popped into my head and I didn’t know if it was going to be awkward between us.
It wasn’t. Jared acted completely normal. “Hey, Gigi, are you ready for tonight?”
I let out a relieved breath before answering. “Of course, we’re going to kick ass.”
Cece and Caleb walked into the house behind me. Caleb must’ve heard our conversation because he said, “So, you guys have some sort of battle? Like a break dancing dance-off?”
Jared rolled his eyes, but sounded friendly when he explained, “Something like that and don’t call it break dancing. That’s what the media calls it. We either call it breaking, street dance, popping or locking, depending on the style. You can also call it b-boying.”
“Thanks for the lesson,” Caleb joked irreverently. “So, where’s this happening tonight?”
I wanted to blurt out not to tell him, but didn’t want to sound like a spaz.
“At a warehouse not far from downtown,” Cece blabbed. “It’s going to be awesome. There will be other crews there competing.”
“Who decides who wins?” Caleb asked, appearing more interested.
“There are judges. This is an organized competition, so it’s all pretty fair.” Jared got up off the couch, brushing by me on his way to the kitchen. “Anyone want something to drink?”
“Water, please,” Caleb answered, sitting on the couch himself.
Wanting to get away from Caleb, I told Cece, “Let’s go get changed. The guys will be over soon.”
I should’ve seen it coming. Cece pounced on me as soon as her door shut. “So, Gianna, Jared told me about the kiss you guys shared last weekend.”
“What about it?” I played dumb.
“Just about how great it was. You know, he’s liked you for a long time, but you’ve always had a boyfriend. What do you think of him?” Shouldn’t she shun any conversation about her brother’s love life?