“Maybe you can get us some tickets? I'd love to come and watch you play. Back in school I used to play myself.”
I felt his heated glare on the top of my head as I stared at my empty plate. What was happening right now?
“The season doesn't start for another couple of months, but I'll see what I can do.”
Dad pushed a cup of coffee in front of me and I smiled, my eyes sliding to Maverick's as he watched the interaction.
“Good morning. Please tell me there's coffee.” Gentry shuffled toward the counter with his head in his hands.
“Still suffer after a skinful, brother?” Dad chuckled beside me but I was too busy watching Maverick. His body was rigid, his hand gripping the spoon so tight the colour had drained from his knuckles. He didn't say a word as he got up and stalked out of the room. Gentry didn't acknowledge his behaviour, and neither did Dad, they were too busy joking about the night before.
“Hey.” Kyle poked his head around the door. “Ready to go?”
“Yes.” I downed the rest of my coffee and said goodbye to Dad, relieved Kyle planned to give me a ride into school instead of forcing me on Maverick and Macey again.
“Let me shout for Summer again and then we'll head out. Dad, Uncle Robert.” He tipped his head in a salute and disappeared again.
“Don't wait up tonight, Lo. It could be a late one again. Do you need any money?”
I waved Dad off, ignoring the prickle of annoyance I felt. He'd slipped into this new life so easily it was hard to believe he had been away for so long. I wasn’t sure I’d ever feel so at home here.
When I got outside, Summer was already standing by Kyle's bright yellow jeep. She lifted her hand in a small wave and I was about to say hello when I noticed the buds jammed in her ears. The Jeep bleeped and Kyle appeared, keys dangling in his hand. “Shall we?”
I hovered waiting to see what Summer would do, but she slipped into the back without protest so I took shotgun.
“How'd you like the party last night?” Kyle eased the Jeep out of the drive and pulled onto the street.
“Shouldn't I be asking you that?” I struggled to hide the amusement in my voice.
Kyle’s face transformed into a cocky smile and he flicked open a pair of sunglasses with one hand, sliding them over his face. “Rule number one, I never kiss and tell.” His smirk softened. “Did you get home okay?”
“I survived.”
A throaty laugh rumbled from his chest. “I'm sorry about that, Rick can be... well, I'm sure you've realized he has a giant stick up his ass. Macey too, but once you get to know them they're not so bad.”
I pressed my lips together. He had no idea I already knew what a dick Maverick could be. And I couldn't imagine a world where Macey was anything but a mean bitch. She wore it too comfortably, like a second skin.
“Laurie is good people. Stick with her and you'll be okay.”
“I like her, she seems cool.”
Kyle glanced at me over his glasses, and waggled his eyebrows. “I like her too.”
I rolled my eyes. “You're so gross.”
“Welcome to the family.”
Less than ten minutes later, Kyle pulled into the school, found a parking spot, and we all bailed out. “Listen,” he said. “I have practice after school. Can you two manage to get home without getting into trouble?”
“Seriously, Kyle,” Summer huffed. It was the most I’d heard her speak. “You act like I’m a baby. It’s bad enough with Maverick, I don’t need this shit from you too.” She stomped off with Kyle gaping after her.
“Whoa, baby sis grew up.”
“What just happened?” I asked watching Summer as she approached a shaggy-haired boy and disappeared inside the building with him.
“I’m as clueless as you.” He rubbed his jaw. “But that isn’t good.”
“What? The boy?”
“If she’s dating, Rick will—”
“Oh, my God, what is wrong with the two of you? She’s fifteen, of course she’s going to date.”
“Lo, cous.” He slung his arm around my shoulder and guided me to the door. “You have so much to learn. This will be fun.”
Fun?
There was no time to ask as a crowd of girls and boys descended on Kyle Stone, class clown and incessant joker.
“I’ll catch you later.” I ducked out of his hold and disappeared down the hallway. Laurie was waiting next to my locker.
“I see you’ve experienced the Kyle effect,” she said with a hint of sarcasm. I didn’t understand what was going on with the two of them but the girl had it bad.
“It’s an actual thing? And here’s me thinking he just liked the sound of his own voice.”
She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m sorry I bailed last night, it was a shitty move.”
“Hey, no apology needed. I got to ride with Maverick and Macey which was…” I searched for the right word, but she beat me to it.
“Life altering.”
“Something like that.”
“Come on.” Laurie linked her arm through mine. “Autumn and Devon are waiting with Liam. I swear he can’t do anything before his morning smoke.” She yanked me in the direction of the door at the end of the corridor.
And I realised Dad was right, maybe it could be that simple. Maybe all I had to do was want it bad enough and life in Wicked Bay would work itself out.
Maybe.
5
The rest of the week passed without too much drama. Summer didn’t have any more outbursts, Dad was MIA most nights, and I rode to school with Kyle. Laurie and Autumn treated me like one of their oldest friends, and I avoided Maverick and Macey as much as possible. Which was pretty easy given their complete lack of interest in me.
But something was missing, and I felt restless. It was like living a split life. The kids at Wicked Bay High got the mysterious girl from England who smiled at the right times and laughed when someone cracked a joke. Then behind the closed doors of the pool house I became withdrawn and sombre. Dad’s absence didn’t help. He was the only person I had to talk to about anything here. Laurie had good friend potential, but it was still new. She didn’t know me—didn’t know about what I’d left behind in England. Dad was the only person who understood, and his answer was to bury the pain and throw himself into work leaving me to fend for myself. He might as well have thrown me to the wolves.
So, I did what any seventeen-year-old with a shed load of emotional baggage did. I pulled on my favourite outfit, smudged some gloss over my lips, and headed to another party.
“You look hot,” Laurie smiled as I ducked inside her car.
“Thanks. So, remind me whose party this is.”
“JB Holloway's, the football captain; and his sister, Caitlin. She's a junior with us.”
She was? I must have missed that memo when Laurie was giving me the who's who of Wicked Bay High.
“Right, and the team will be there?”
“Yeah, it's like their pre-season party. The Holloways are rich, their house is like a freakin' palace. Seriously, the pool, ugh. I told my dad we needed something that size in our life and he told me to keep on dreaming...” She kept going but I tuned out. I was only here because it beat spending another night in the pool house alone.