It's a Cruel World, Sir (Student/Teacher)

06 | Lecture

"Haven't you ever heard of pants? Jesus Christ."

"I want breakfast," she demands, glaring at me. "Where is it?"

"It's in the kitchen, waiting for you to make it," I snap, eyes glancing out the window for the familiar truck. "Where else would it be?"

"Excuse me?" she hisses.

I roll my eyes. "Really? We do this every morning, Cassadee. I'm not your dog; I don't jump when you say jump. My job isn't to make sure you're happy and all your needs are taken care of. You're an adult, you know."

"Your job is to make sure mom's happy, though. And she won't be too happy if I wake her up because you won't make me breakfast—it's been your job since you were eight," she says smugly.

I snort. "What? Are we children again? Go run to mommy-dearest then. Wake her up. I'm not eight anymore, Cassadee, you can't just pull the mom-will-beat-you-again card and expect me to bark at your command. Or have you forgotten?" I step to her, getting in her personal space, making her tense. "I'm not scared of you two anymore."

"Wow," a voice says at the door. "That was pretty hot, Cupcake."

Cassadee and I turn our heads to Calvin, who's leaning against the door paneling like he's meant to be there. The door itself is hanging wide open, letting in dim, morning light. He's dressed in the usual: dark jeans, Nike's "Just Do It" shirt, and Converse.

"What are you doing here, Calvin?" I ask, momentarily forgetting the princess in front of me.

"I told Leon I'd pick you up today," he says matter-of-factly. "Good thing I did too, 'cuz he would've never came in to see such a sight. Must say, the whole I'm-no-longer-as-weak-as-I-was-when-I-was-little thing was sexy as hell."

I roll my eyes. "You're an idiot."

"But I'm your idiot." He winks.

"So, this is the guy you're whoring around with?" Cassadee intervenes, disgusted.

Calvin raises an eyebrow, daring her almost.

"Are you paying her with actual money or just pretending to be her friend?" she continues.

"Cassadee, I think it's time you shut up." I grab the leather jacket in one hand and Calvin's arm in the other. "Come on, idiot, let's get out of here."

He follows me obediently, eyeing the jacket but not saying anything as we get to his Honda Civic.

"Be sure to give him extra tonight since he came all the way to the door!" she shouts.

Calvin stops, hands paused on the door handle. He looks up at me, waiting for permission, and I shrug, opening the passenger door. He snickers and turns, heading back to Cassadee. She backs up a bit, worried that he's going to hit her, but before she can close the door, he snatches her wrist, pulling her against him. Just as she's about to scream, he seals her annoying mouth with his, snaking his arms around her waist. I watch with amusement as she goes from shoving at his chest to gripping his shirt in her fists. Calvin tilts his head, getting a better angle, and deepens the kiss a little, to the point that when he pulls away, she actually tries to chase his lips with her own.

"That'll be my payment, sweetlips," he says devilishly, smirking at the dazed look on her face.

She blinks, eyes widening, the blush rushing to her cheeks. "How gross!" she shrieks, running in the house and slamming the door.

He laughs as he walks to the car, wiggling his eyebrow when he slides in the seat. "So easy."

"Yeah, yeah. Just get me to school, Casanova, before Mother comes out here."