“Smartass,” he chirps.
Kirk works in the coalmines with their father, whom I have yet to meet.
Kelli calls the home line and apologizes that she is running late. Kai still hasn’t come home so I take Kirk up on his offer to watch TV with him.
He settles in the leather recliner and I curl up on the couch resting my head on the arm.
Kai comes in shortly after and looks furious. “Let’s go Kat,” he grits through clinched teeth.
His attitude shocks me. What did I do? I must have a puzzled expression on my face because Kirk answers my unspoken question. “It’s not you, it’s me.”
Whatever sibling rivalry these two have going on…I’m not getting involved. I go into the kitchen grabbing my bag and slipping my shoes on. I overhear Kai telling Kirk to listen for Khloe and then I hear my name said angrily. Kirk says something back but I can’t hear what it is. I hear Kai storming towards the kitchen loudly so I scurry to the garage to wait by his car.
He doesn’t even look at me when he barks for me to get in. I get in shutting the door quietly and buckling my seatbelt. “Did I do something Kai? Are you mad at me?”
“It’s just... It’s nothing, let it go.” He grips the steering wheel tightly.
I turn on the radio and he quickly shuts it off. Okay…he doesn’t want to talk and he doesn’t want to listen to music. Maybe he needs peace and quiet.
I lay my head back against the seat and try to think of anything but Kai and the millions of questions I have about him.
Kai doesn’t say anything when I get out of his car. I won’t have to talk to him again until Wednesday after school. I doubt I will even see him again until then, well I take that back…my stuff is in his locker, good thing I know the combination, so I can get my stuff out easily.
My mom is already sleeping soundly in her room. I peeked in on her, feeling guilty about how things are between us, but that is what she always does. She does something wrong and I end up being the one to apologize for something I didn’t do.
Surprisingly Kai is waiting for me the next morning when I walk out my front door. “I finished painting for you.”
“Um, thanks,” I say shrugging past him. I don’t want to ride with him and deal with his mood swings today. “See you at lunch,” I call over my shoulder to him as he goes to get in his car.
He starts his car and creeps slowly down the road next to me as I walk along the cracked sidewalk in the cold. The passenger window rolls halfway down. “Get in the car.”
“No!” I snap at him.
This continues for another block—him telling me to get in and me telling him to piss off.
I think he has given up and decided to leave me be but he jerks the car sideways in front of me on the sidewalk. I see Penny and Becks eyeing our direction and decide I’d rather get in with cranky pants than face the two of them.
The passenger door swings open. “Get in, I’m not taking no for an answer Katie.” He has an angry scowl on his face, which only makes him look cute because I can see his dimples.
I get in and close the door softly.
“Look I’m sorry about how I acted last night. My brother and me, it’s complicated and I don’t like to talk about it. But just promise me when he is around, you’ll stay away from him. He’s not good. If he comes home while you are there and Khloe is asleep go to my room and wait for me. Just don’t go around him.”
“Why?” I demand. If his brother is so horrible, he needs to tell me why.
“I can’t tell you. I just need you to trust me.”
“Fine,” I snap conceding, being left with more questions than answers. This seems to be a reoccurring theme with Kai Cooper.
As we pass by Becks and Penny, Kai revs his engine loudly making Becks jump and I giggle-snort.
“Did you just snort?” Kai flashes his dimples my way.
“No!” I deny it though I know he heard it.
“You totally snorted,” he says as w
e walk into school.