You Again

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

I wish I could say that I gave Kane the chance to explain who the girl was at the mall but I didn’t even answer his calls.  He called that night, just like he said he would, but I didn’t pick up.  He tried a few more times Sunday but I still didn’t give him the chance.

Monday morning I was a little sluggish getting up.  I dressed like I normal would – flowy white top, skinny jeans, heels, and a coat – but I felt like I just wanted to be in my sweats all day.  After eating breakfast and saying bye to my parents and Jake, I headed for school. 

When I pulled into my spot between Caroline and Emma, I noticed a black Audi that I’d never seen before parked on Caroline’s other side.  Heading inside, I adjusted the strap of my bag over my shoulder and walked toward our lockers where they were already at.

“There’s a new girl,” Caroline said before I could say anything.

“Really,” I said.

“Yeah, and she’s got the locker right next to yours.  We’ve seen her once when we first got here,” she continued. 

“We’re already staking claim for her to be in our group before all the other girls start to talk to her.  I say we’ve succeeded in doing that.  We’ve invited her to sit with us at lunch,” Emma said.  “She seemed like she was going to try and get in with our group even if we didn’t invite her.”

Caroline nodded.  “And you have every class with her,” she said.  “So don’t be a bitch to her and make her hate you.”

I rolled my eyes.  “So what’s her name?” I asked.

“Pax Abel,” Emma said.  “Awesome name, I know.”

I just nodded, pulling my history book and notebook out of my locker.  “I’ll see you later, okay?” I said, closing my locker.

I didn’t wait to hear them say goodbye.  I just continued toward Kane’s class. 

Only Kane was in the room when I got there.  He was sitting at his desk reading over some papers as he sipped from his coffee cup.  He looked up at me when I walked in the room.

“Reece!” he said, standing up quickly to close the door.  He turned around and looked at me.  “Why haven’t you answered my calls?”

I put my bag in the seat of one desk and sat on top of it.  “Do you have anything you want to tell me?” I asked calmly.  It took everything in me to keep from crying. 

“No, I don’t think so,” he said with a confused look on his face as he walked to stand in front of me.  “What’s wrong?”

“I saw you at the mall…” I started.

He smiled slightly.  “I know you did,” he said. 

“With another girl.”

Kane’s eyes widened for a moment.  “I can explain that,” he said.  “She’s…”

“You don’t have to explain,” I said, my tears finally burning behind my eyes.  “You can be out in public with her if you want to.  She’s not your student and you’re not her teacher.  You can just act like your normal boyfriend/girlfriend.”

He snorted.  “Actually she is my student and I’m her teacher,” he said.

My jaw dropped.  “Then it’s me?” I asked.  “Are you ashamed of me?  If she’s the one you want to be with…”

He cut me off by taking my face in his hands and leaning down to kiss me.  It was the same kind of kiss he gave me at the mall, the soft and sensual kind that sent my heart beating.