Page 3 of Scarlett and the Kiss Thief

Another message came through. “Especially if a certain someone finally notices.”

I looked out the window.Axel Stevens.I’d been in love with him for as long as I could remember. And for the first time in years, he was actually single. It wasn’t just going to be my year. It was going to beouryear. I could feel it. I just needed to get out of the friend zone first. And fast, because Axel was never single for very long. It felt like today was my first and only chance to make him look at me like more than a friend.

My phone buzzed again. “Ready for phase two of Operation THTH?”

“I was born ready.”

“Atta girl, Scar. We actually just pulled up to school. See you in a few!”

“Wait, who was driving?” Sophie always drove herself to school so she could flee whenever she wanted. “Don’t tell me Uncle Rob insisted on driving you like my dad did?”

“What? No. RJ wanted to drive.”

“He doesn’t even have his driver’s permit.”And he’s only 14!

“So? I was watching him.”

“You were texting me.”

“We made it here alive didn’t we? I’m a great teacher. Just like I’m going to teach you how to win over Axel. See you soon!”

There was so much wrong with what she’d just said. If I let Liam drive, my dad would literally kill me. He wouldn’t just ground me for life. I’d be dead in a ditch. But there was one point that she was right on. Sophie was a much better flirt than I was. I was pretty sure she’d only ever been turned down by one guy. I could use all the help I could get when it came to Axel. But I really should tell her to not let RJ drive her to school…

“I have a surprise for you guys,” my dad said.

“Is the surprise that you’re going to drop us off from school a block away so no one sees you?” Liam asked.

My dad laughed. “No.”

“So…is that a no you won’t do that? Or…”

“It’s a no I won’t do that and a no that’s not the surprise. Am I really that embarrassing?”

I looked up from my phone. Reprimanding Sophie before she helped me with Axel wasn’t the best idea. “It depends on the day.”

He smiled at me in the rearview mirror. “I let you wear the skirt, didn’t I?”

“Only because mom and I teamed up. And have you even looked at what Liam’s wearing this morning? He looks like such a slut.”

Liam laughed. “Sick burn. What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

“It’s all wrong. Your forearms are showing. And your tie isn’t even straight.”

He looked down and tried to straighten it. He gave up and looked back at Dad. “So what’s the actual surprise?”

“It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you,” my dad said, ignoring what I’d told him about Liam’s uniform.

Typical.Just because Liam was a boy, he could get away with murder. If Liam’s vision was as bad as mine, my dad definitely would have let him wear contacts. Hell, my dad wore contacts. It wasn’t fair.

“You’re really not going to tell us?” Liam asked.

My dad turned into the parking lot of Empire High and pulled into a spot.

“Don’t park the car,” Liam said, forgetting he was trying to figure out my dad’s surprise.

“Seriously, are you two really embarrassed by me?” my dad asked.

“I’m not,” Liam said. “I’m just looking out for Scar. She has a very fragile social status.”

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