Page 100 of We Shouldn't Be Together
I groan and stomp my way out of the room, into the hall, and upstairs.
Dr. Jones called my mom. This can’t be real. And it wasn’t even that big of a deal. Ugh. Did he go on about me being a dangerous menace to society? Doesn’t he know how easily he could’ve ruined my life? In one phone call, he could’ve gotten rid of my car for good.
I plonk down at my desk and sigh. My broken drone sits there, mocking me. I wish I didn’t have to act so hellbent on fixing it. With Mom and Dad buying me a car, getting a new drone for my birthday wasn’t gonna happen.
I turn toward my closed bedroom door, and my mind drifts downstairs to the guest bedroom. Grandma and Grandpa will be here soon. Why didn’t I remember the possibility of them buying me a new drone? Hmm, the last time Grandma asked me about my wishlist, the drone was still functional. But maybe my parents hinted to them when I raged about that tree jumping out of nowhere and destroying my drone.
Dr. Jones pushes my grandparents out of my head, and my gut clenches. I pick up the drone part and focus on the places it needs to be adhered to. My fist is clammy as I push hard against the plastic. I only notice how hard I’m gritting my teeth when the plastic snaps.
The worst curses grunt out of my mouth, and I toss the drone. It ricochets off the wall before hitting the floor, and the loud crack of hard plastic breaking doesn’t sound repairable. With a guttural groan, I get up and kick my chair. As the muscles in my shoulders harden, I punch the air, trying to loosen them up.
Dang it, Dr. Jones. Anything else you want to ruin today?
I look at the scattered mess on my floor and huff for breath.
Is this worth it? Is Tabitha worth it?
Who am I kidding? It’s almost worth pursuing her just to stick it to her dad.
That’d teach him to mess with me.
Tabitha’s doe eyes blink at me in my third eye, and I melt.
Dang. I gotta stop lying to myself. I like her.
I really like her.
This is beyond complicated.
I pull out my phone and reread my last message.
Should I tell her I like her?
I lower the phone and rub my hand over my stitches. It would’ve been worth busting all of them to carry her to safety.
I meant it, Tabby.
I’ll protect you, if you need it.
My phone comes to life with a new message from Tabitha.“My mom just asked me to pick what we’re having for dinner. That means she’s happy. Kai!! She’s happy with me!!”
I rest my elbow on the desk and rest my head against my palm.”That’s awesome. Good to see studying wasn’t a total waste of time.”
“Even if we’re learning what the school mandates we learn? Is your tinfoil hat slipping off?”
An easy laugh murmurs out of me.“You can’t unseen the truth once you see it.”
“LOL. Give me a break.”
Tabitha didn’t text much for the rest of the night. I imagine she was having a nice time with her mom. I hope she soaked it all in while it lasted. Her mom seems volatile, and I doubt one successful study session will keep her in a good mood forever. I decided not to tell Tabitha about her dad calling my mom. She deserved to have a happy night at home. That kind of information would’ve been a way to ruin her mood.
***
The next day at school, I keep my excitement in check. I don’t want to tip my friends off that there’s something to know. But I’m eager to see Tabitha again. I want to see her light up when she talks about how proud her mom is. The texts weren’t enough. I need to see those big brown eyes sparkle, framed by those unimaginably long lashes.
After first period, I walk with Tyler to history and spy Tabitha walking in the opposite direction. I badly want to stop and ask her about last night. I don’t want to wait until chemistry.
From the corner of my eye, I check what Tyler’s focusing on. He’s not paying attention to his right, which gives me an opportunity to subtly gain Tabitha’s attention. My eyebrows wiggle, and I lift a hand at my side.
