She smiled. “So how’s your shoulder feeling? You excited to be going back to school? Is your physical therapy real y hard?
Did you get al the assignments done that I left for you? The math was real y hard, but if you need a tutor, we can arrange one for you until you catch up.”
Nick felt assaulted by her barrage of rapidly fired questions and comments. She didn’t even give him a chance to respond until the very end. “You always this chatty in the morning?” Tad burst out laughing.
Brynna slapped her brother on the arm, her face red. “Stop that.”
Tad grinned. “Nice to know I’m not the only one your perky morning attitude annoys. I told you it was too much for a man to bear.”
Nick felt his own cheeks heat again. He hadn’t meant to offend her. “I’m not annoyed by you, Brynna.” He actual y liked her a lot. “I’m just not used to people like you talking to me with this much interest. It’s kind of creeping me out. Feel like I’ve stepped into an alternate reality or something. You keep this up and I’m going to start looking for Raccoon City vans or something.”
Brynna frowned. “Raccoon what?”
Tad snorted. “It’s from the game Resident Evil, doof.” He looked at Nick through the rearview mirror. “You have to forgive her, Nick. She doesn’t play much. Just gabs on the phone with al her vacuous, self-absorbed friends.” She slid an offended glare to her brother.
Nick mental y kicked himself. Why did I say that to her? I’m such an idiot. Here he sat in the nicest car he’d ever seen, riding to school with one of the prettiest girls in his class—one who was real y decent—and he’d offended her.
I’m never going to have a girlfriend. I’m too stupid for one.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, Tad pul ed up to a nice house and honked.
Three seconds later, the front door opened and Casey Woods came running out in her ful black and gold cheerleader outfit that hugged every curve on her body … and for a fourteen-year-old girl, she had a lot of curves—unlike the rest of their female classmates. Her long wavy dark hair was pul ed back from her face with a black and gold bow.
A bright smile curled her lips as she ran to them.
Oh, crap . . .
She was Brynna’s best friend and, up until he’d met Kody, the one girl at school he’d sel his soul to have as his girlfriend.
Unfortunately, Casey didn’t know he even existed.
Something brought brutal y home as she opened the door to the car and paused with a frown on her beautiful face.
Brynna didn’t miss a beat. “Morning, Case. You know Nick?
”
Casey turned her head to look at him from the corner of her eyes as if trying to remember him. “Should I?” Yeah, why should you know me? We only have four classes together . . . and he sat directly in front of her in two of them.
I might as well be invisible.
Nick caught the sight of Tad rol ing his eyes in the rearview mirror. “We’re going to be late, Case. Get in or step back into your yard and close the door.”
Tad’s hostile tone caught him off guard. What magic pil did Tad take to be immune to her looks?
Glaring at him, Casey shrugged her Prada backpack off and tossed it into the SUV before she climbed in and sat next to Nick.
Why didn’t I sit up front with Tad?
Why, Lord, why?
Casey scowled at Brynna. “So is he like a new student or something? Does he speak English?”
Brynna slid a puzzled stare to Nick. “Nick’s been going to school with us for the last three years.”
“Oh … wel , I’m in al advanced classes.” Nick bit back a snort at her snotty comment. What am I?
Special ed?
Then again, at the moment, he felt like this was the short bus to hel and that he had a reserved seat on it.
Brynna opened her mouth to say something else, but Nick held his hand up to stop her from correcting Casey’s mistaken conclusions about him before Casey made him feel any more worthless. “So, Tad, how ’bout them Saints?” Tad laughed at his switch in topic. “You know, Gautier, you might actual y grow on me.”
“Yeah, that’s me. Kudzu Gautier.”
Casey didn’t get it, but Brynna did. Obviously the tenacious vine must have invaded Brynna’s yard and taken it over.
“What’s kudzu?” Casey asked.
Tad ignored her. “What the …”
Nick looked out the window to see a boatload of police cars at the school as they slowed down. There were two ambulances and even a fire truck. “What’s going on?” Tad shook his head. “Not sure …”
Casey’s face lit up. “Does this mean no school? Oh thank God, I didn’t finish my social studies homework.” The police wouldn’t let them park in the school lot. Instead, they waved them down the street and away from the crowd.
Tad went over to Royal and parked outside of Fifi Mahoney’s.
“I’ve got to know what’s going on.”
Nick concurred. Leaving his backpack in the SUV, he walked over to the school with Tad and the girls.