11

“Daddy still ignoring you?” he slides his legs to one side of mine, crosses his feet at the ankles, and gets comfy, propping his head forward to watch me with glee. I turn slightly away, cross mine, and pretend I am disinterested.

“Get lost.” I pick up my textbook again to try and ignore him, hating how he always seems to be able to dig into my head and figure out the small things. From a look…

 For someone who seems oblivious in life, he always catches on real quick to what’s happening around us. It’s annoying. He’s either super observant or can mind-read.

“Did I hit a nerve? Ouch…… you know….” He grins at me, and I know something hurtful or cutting is coming, and when it comes to my father, my heart is a fragile mess.

“Don’t okay?... Just don’t.” My tone is clipped with an edge of pleading that I didn’t intend. A light waver to my words, and my eyes mist over. I don’t need a big finger pointing at my insecurity over whether my dad even loves me. Especially not from Dane.

I don’t need anyone to tell me that he never seems to care about what is happening with me. He rarely calls, I see him once a year at most, and I feel like I'm the one who forever chases him even to get any interaction. I know better than anyone that I became something irrelevant to his new life from the second they divorced.

I wait for the nasty shooting words I know Dane will wield as a weapon and lower my eyes to the blurry text in my book because my eyes won’t focus. There’s a silent pause as I brace myself for whatever is coming. Steeling myself not to react and show him he has something he can twist.

“It’s his loss, Kayla. Fuck him. Stop chasing him……he doesn’t deserve your attention. In time, you’ll stop caring as much.”

Not what I expected, and I flicker a glance up at him, frowning as I try to find the malice in it. Knowing that could not have been a form of nice veiled in attitude from the great Dane Masterson. He catches my dubious look, shrugs at me, and returns to leaning his head back with a sigh.

“Just because you love him doesn’t mean you have to excuse his neglect. Or take his bullshit.” He closes his eyes, back to that casual slouch as though the world doesn’t phase him. His tone is less smug and hints at bitterness, and I wonder if he is projecting his skewed view of his own dad. It’s not even remotely the same thing, but in Dane’s head, who knows?

“How…..” my heart is bleeding a little because his words cut to the bone, yet I’m interrupted by his cell blasting into tune as someone calls him and breaks off my sentence. Not a shock to hear his ring tone is some rock band screaming like banshees.

Dane shifts and hauls it out of his jacket, opening one eye to check the screen and ‘ughhhs’ loudly before cursing under his breath. He blows out air and rotates his shoulder as though readying for something physical before straightening up. He gets up, presses the screen, and pushes it to his ear before walking off towards the hallway to take it alone.

“Hello, mom…. guess you got  a call, right?” He adopts a very mannerly and precise tone. The only person in the world he shows love and respect to is his mom, and it makes me bristle, and my spine tightens that he is capable yet doesn’t give a shit about anyone else. If she knew half the things he got up to, she would go crazy and haul him to London, but his father tells her nothing. So desperate to keep his loser son with him. I bet the office called her from his contacts list.

His voice fades off as he opens the glass divider door and puts himself on the other side so I hear nothing more. I turn my attention to my book and side-eye my cell, which is sitting on the chair beside me, my heart sinking again as I think bout what Dane said.

We have never spoken about my dad. He must have picked up on the problems with my dad on his own, and I wonder if he has overheard my mom or me, or me and Elisa talking about it. God knows I would never speak to Dane about anything in my life, and the only time we have any kind of conversation is when we argue. I hate that he’s such a know-it-all while being an absolute loser.

“Kayla, thanks for waiting.” Bryan appears on my right as the principal's door finally opens, and I stand to meet him, smiling brightly and pushing all other thoughts aside.

“Did he get expelled?.... Umm, he’s on the phone with his mom.” I add in haste as I see his eyes scanning the empty room with alarm. I nod towards the hall, and he visibly relaxes. There’s a slight eye twitch at knowing Dane’s mom has called, and I can tell he will call her back and smooth whatever over that he has to before she flips out. This is half the reason Dane is such a rebellious asshole who does what he wants. The one parent he cares about disappointing gets lied to and kept in the dark by his own father. He has become a hundred times worse in what he does since she moved to the UK.

“No… but he does have two days home to recover from his injuries and some time to reflect. I hate to do this, but…. He shouldn’t drive his bike. I’ll have it picked up. Can you take him home and stay with him this afternoon until I can finish some things? I think he needs someone to watch him. School agreed.”

“I…” I start to protest indignantly, but Bryan’s warm harm comes to rest and cups my shoulder, and his pleading eyes root me to the spot and silence. His sweet and friendly paternal energy oozing over me.

“Please. I know he’s a lot and you two…. but he took a lot of knocks to the head, and school won’t let him stay today. I would feel a hundred times better knowing you were home with him. I trust you.”

He knows how to harpoon me in the heart and cull me with one stroke. Even though our live-in housekeeper is home, Monique works hard, and being a babysitter is not her job.

“Fine, but I’m not running after him. He’s fine… he can….” I’m ready to lay down the ground rules, but Dane’s voice cuts in, signaling his return. He sounds as happy about this as I am.

“Leaving her at home with me is a surefire way to make me suffer… is this my punishment? Cozy home time being bossed around by the virgin.”

“Hey!” I turn and slap him in the upper arm for saying that in front of his dad, and Bryan is quick to retort too.

“Watch your mouth, young man. Kayla is your sister and is very much a part of our family. Show her some respect, at least. She’s taking you home because she cares.”

That is not entirely true, though. I say nothing and press my lips together.

“Whatever…..I’m bored. Come on, mosquito, if I have to suffer you, then let's make it not here. I’m hungry and tired.” Dane tugs my ponytail, so I step back with a head dip at the pressure and slap him for the second time in retaliation. This time getting his peck because he has moved. It makes my fingers sting, and I glare at him.

“Keep your hands off me,” I warn with edginess.

“I bet you say that to all the boys.” He winks, smirking and dodging the one I aim at his head with a chuckle as his dad stares at him with a show of mild anger. Dane loves nothing more than making me hate him.

“Have a little class, son.” He sighs and then motions for us to go ahead as he picks up Dane’s discarded bag from the seat where he had been sitting.

“Come on, loser.” I snort at Dane under my breath so Bryan doesn’t quite catch it. I take the bag from Bryan and thump it into Dane’s chest aggressively, so he automatically grabs it before waltzing past him with my nose in the air and sway to my bitch walk. Commanding the way and done with being here. The Sooner we are home, the sooner I can get away from him.

“Dad, mom says to call her asap…. She wants to know what’s happening.” Dane shrugs it off, and I know that means he got her off the phone pronto with probably an excuse about being in the school office. He’s so transparent about hiding things from his mom. He knows his dad will come up with some plausible untruth, so he never has to lie to her directly.

I am so not going to let him get to me. I have work I could be doing before I head to the animal shelter tonight for my shift. The lack of class this afternoon gives me time to add extra words to an essay I have to hand in tomorrow to utilize this time wisely.

It's a win-win, and the cherry on top is that this pig-headed thug is in pain and suffering from the beating he took. It feels like it might be a nice afternoon.