Toxic Bad Boy(13)

At seven-fifteen in the morning I went back downstairs. My dad, now dressed in a dress shirt, tie and slacks, stood drinking another cup of coffee in the kitchen. Having now had an adequate dose of caffeine, he appeared much more cheerful. “Hi, princess.”

How weird was it that Caleb and my dad called me the same nickname? I’d never told Caleb, because it might have freaked him out, but I’d secretly found it hilarious.

Plus, I liked it.

“Hey, I was just heading out.”

My dad checked the microwave clock. “Yeah, me too. My first appointment is in an hour.”

He’d been able to get an office downtown in a building filled with other cosmetic doctors. His practice opened for business last month. I’d always been in awe of my dad’s intelligence. Even with a wife and kid, he’d been able to get through medical school. He was thirty-three now and a handsome guy. I imagined he’d eventually remarry now that he’d settled into private practice.

“Got all your homework done?” he asked uncomfortably. It’d been years since he’d had to parent full time and the last was when I’d been in the third grade.

“If I said no?” I teased him.

For a moment he looked unsure, then his face melted in a smile. “Get to school, brat.”

Ten minutes later I parked my Jeep in a spot close to a side entrance of the main building. It was chilly this morning and I’d had the heater on full blast during the drive to school. Gray clouds painted the sky and my weather app said there’d be AM snow showers. I grabbed my thicker winter coat from the backseat and shrugged it on over the lightweight cropped jacket.

I’d arrived at school a half hour early and had time to kill. I wandered inside, passing in the hallway a few teachers and students, none of which I knew personally. The lounge area by the cafeteria had diner-style booths which weren’t very comfortable but provided a place to hang out when not in class or during lunch. The dimly lit area was decorated in the school colors of green and yellow gold.

Hefting my backpack onto a dark green laminate tabletop, I slid into the bench seat. I took out my used copy of The Scarlet Letter and began reading where I’d left off yesterday. We’d have a big test on the book in class next week and I hadn’t finished it yet.

The story was sucky and depressing. I wished we had a cooler English teacher who’d picked a better book for us to read. This was the same book kids my age had been forced to read for decades. Surely something less boring had been published in the last century.

The thud of another backpack hitting the table’s surface caused me to flinch and suck in a breath of alarm. I let it out and assessed the guy taking the seat across from me. He put his elbows on the table, templing his fingers in front of his lips. His pensive gesture and expression were unnerving.

“Um, yeah?” I curtly asked.

The three feet of table between us provided me with a limited sense of security. So did the pepper spray in the front pocket of my backpack. It was a definite violation of school rules, but I didn’t give a damn. If I ever needed to use it I’d deal with the consequences like a big girl.

A grin spread from behind his fingers. “I thought that was you. Saw you, but your hair is different. Looks good.”

My face must have expressed my confusion because he brought his hands down and leaned back. “You don’t remember me?”

Looking him over, he seemed familiar. His black hair was buzzed short and he had a small spacer in one ear. At his left wrist, a hint of tattoo peeked out from the sleeve of his thermal shirt. His features hinted at a mix of Caucasian and Asian ancestry.

I copied his casual position. “You’re from my old school.”

“You’re totally guessing, aren’t you?”

I nodded in answer.

He held out a hand. “I’m Kara’s brother, Gage.”

Since his hand was stretched out patiently, I cautiously placed my own in it, shaking once and pulling away. “I’m Gianna.”

There wasn’t much resemblance to Kara and I figured they were half-siblings. Kara and I had been friends for awhile when we were little, but I didn’t remember her brother.

His hand disappeared with the other one under the table and he gave me a small smile. “Well, I don’t blame you for not remembering me. We never had any classes together since I’m a grade older and the last time we talked was when you came over to play with Kara in elementary school.”

At the mention of my old school, I wondered if he knew about what happened with Josh. Trying to feel him out, I asked, “So what are you doing here?”

A hint of blush stained his cheeks, giving me an unexpected feeling of relief. “Kinda sorta got expelled.”