Page 26 of Dirty Dancer

“Well?” he demanded, in a voice that held more anger than petulance, but the petulance was still there. Fuck me, what a little asshole. “Are you going to answer me?”

I took a swallow of the coffee. The too strong brew ripped through my system and promised to clean all the pipes. Just what I needed. Lowering the mug, I met Theo’s pissed off gaze. “No.”

Coffee in hand, I headed over to the fridge and opened it. Leftovers had been stored in there, along with danishes that were perfect for the microwave. I debated just grabbing some Pop Tarts, but Doc stressed we needed to set healthier examples for the asshat currently trying to intimidate me.

Danishes had fruit, right?

I grabbed the box with the apple ones in it. Another swallow of coffee gave me life on the way to nuke. I slipped two of the danishes onto a paper plate and right into the microwave. The rest could sit on the counter and begin to warm.

“What do you mean, ‘no’?” Theo snapped. Oh right, he was still in here.

“Kid, I’m tired and I’m on my first cup off coffee. You need to sit down, shut up, and stop your bitching until I’ve at least finished the first full mug.” I considered the fact I’d already drunk half of this mug. “Maybe wait until I’m done with the second.”

We’d been up really late the night before, first with the party at the Hearthfire, then coming back here for pool, shooting the shit, and hanging out. It had been nice to have everyone here for a while. Theo had been fine until Lainey, Milo and the others left with Andrea in tow. Then he’d gone all sullen and pissed off teen again before he vanished down to his own set of rooms where Milo’s and mine used to be.

Were all teenagers so goddamn dramatic?

“I just want to know why I have to talk to the Reynolds guy.”

Reynolds… Who the fuck was Reynolds? I was still mining for that information from my sleepy brain when the microwave beeped. “Oh, the guy from the learning center.”

“Yes, the guy from the learning center. Some old dude with a receding hairline and he smells like bad candy.”

I needed way more coffee for this. I downed the rest of the mug before I took out the heated danishes and handed them to Theo. He stared at the paper plate then at me.

“Look, take them or starve. I don’t really care which at the moment.” I was a little hungover, running on not enough sleep, and fighting all the desire I had to break into Kellan’s room and steal time with our girl. Icouldbe patient, didn’t mean I had to like it.

Theo huffed out a breath, but took the plate before he stomped over to the table and sat down. Thank fuck for that. Time for more coffee. I slid two more danishes in to heat and then filled my mug to the brim with more coffee. Then I started another pot brewing.

I was halfway through the second cup before I carried it and my danishes over to the table. “You need assessment tests.” It had actually taken me that long to remember what the hell we’d scheduled the appointments for. Liam had made the arrangements on Doc’s recommendation.

“Why?” Hostility vibrated off the syllable.

“Because you don’t remember the last time you actually attended a school. You speak English pretty well, but you don’treadit very well. You’re good at figures in your head, but when we were tallying something up on paper for weights on the truck, you didn’t know what to do with them.”

His expression remained mutinous.

“You also need to go to school, you need to get an education, but you need to get the oneyouneed. Before we dump you in a school, we need to know what you need to work on and where you need more help.” I took another swallow of the coffee then set the cup down and reached for the first of my danishes.

“Nobody bothered to even ask me about it,” Theo snapped. “What if I don’t want to do it?”

“You’ll be shit out of luck.” I could play thebecause I said socard. But I wasn’t the one saying so. In fact, I was pretty sure it was Doc who talked to Liam after I mentioned the thing with the numbers. “You don’t have to like getting an education, but you need one.”

“It’s not like I need it for a job,” he snarled. “My brother and sister are clearly loaded. So was my father, if they are to be believed, so tell me again I why I need to go to school?”

Oh, this kid. For a moment, I considered calling Milo and telling him he was a dick for sending Theo to us. I hated school. Hated the hours. Hated the restrictions. Really hated most of the teachers. I skipped every chance I got and the minute I could get my diploma and get out, I was gone.

You couldn't pay me to go back to school. I got my CDL license and took some night courses for business. That was practical application only.

“You don’t want to have this argument with me,” I told Theo. Maybe he didn’t get it, but I did. “Like I said earlier, you don’t have to like it. But you want to be in charge and in control of your life. You don’t know enough to be left to your own devices. So, that means you do things our way until you get there.”

“I’ll just go back to New York.” The hollow threat just sort of dangled out there.

“Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out,” I told him. “You’ll be going to school there too.”

“It’s such bullshit,” Theo swore as he flung himself back in the chair. Anger just shimmered in the air around him. Man, it was like looking in a dirty mirror reflection of me. I’d been this little punk.

A headache pulsed behind my eye and I stuffed the rest of the danish into my mouth to keep my next comments to myself.

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