Page 70 of Finding Hope

Fuck you, Brad! I bet you suck your own dick!

Also, will you go out with me? – Britt, not Brad.

Tick (Yes) for yes, or (No) because you’re a dumbass still holding a grudge. :P x

Call me. I’ll be waiting.

“So my mom wanted to know if that would be okay…” Evie taps my arm. “Miss T?”

My eyes snap down to hers. “Huh?”

“Yes or no?”

I look to Brad, then back to Evie. Then looking at this schoolboy note, I nod and work to tone down my smile. “Yeah, that curfew will be fine.”

Smiling victoriously, she leaves no question that she knowsexactlywhat’s written in this note. “Alright, so let’s go. We’re on the clock. See ya, Mr. Maxwell. Have a super awesome night.” As soon as we escape into the hall, she finishes with, “All alone, you douchey freak.”

Pulling me along the hall and thrusting us into the afternoon sun, as soon as we reach the stairs at the front of the school, she releases me and shakes her shoulders as though to dislodge something unpleasant. “Ugh, I hate him. He’s such a dick.”

“Evie!” I pull her to a stop and wait for her ocean blue eyes to meet mine. “You can’t say that to me! I’m your teacher, and so is Mr. Maxwell. It doesn’t matter that you don’t like him, you can’t say those things.”

“Shit, okay. Sorry, Miss T. I forgot.”

“You can’t say shit, either!”

She snorts, but at my glare, swallows it down. “I’m sorry. I’ll stop. Please don’t tell my mom I swore. She gets mad.”

“I should tell her.” I glance around the parking lot expecting to find the minibus and Jack, but an odd stab of disappointment flares in my stomach when Tina Kincaid waves. “Oh.” I look back to Evie. “Your mom is here to get you today?”

“Yeah. We’re not really going on a girly date, sorry. Uncle Jack just told me to give you his note, and I knew Mr. Maxwell would come to our class again, so I stayed back. Well, actually….” Waving at her mom, Evie drags me forward. “Mom! Do you wanna go out with Miss T? We could get ice-cream or something?”

“Oh, no, it’s okay–”

“Sure!” Walking toward us as elegant and beautiful as ever, Tina’s smile makes me feel like a slob. “I’ve got the afternoon off, and I was only going to run to the post office before we go to the gym, so yeah.” She checks her watch. “We have time. Let’s go.”

“Is Bean coming, Mom?”

“No, Aunt Izzy already picked her up. She has her tournament in two weeks, so she’s at the gym with everyone else.”

I don’t want a repeat of my last experience with this family – as in, leaving my car behind and risking a run in with Brad when I return to collect it – so telling them I’ll meet them at the ice-cream parlor, I dash to my little car and follow them to Main street.

As soon as I park and sit down with my ice-cream, Evie continues her conversation as if the last five minutes of separation never happened. “Have you ever been to a tournament, Miss T?”

“A tournament?”

“Yeah, fighting?”

“No.” Shaking my head, I lick melting ice-cream. “Can’t say I’ve ever seen a fight in real life, except my brothers, but that’s mostly horsing around…”

“Well, I’ve been to amillionof them.”I can’t believe this twelve-year-old legitimately intimidates me.“They’re so much fun.”

“Wait.” I stop and frown. “Did you say Lucy’s fighting?”

Evie nods enthusiastically. “Uh-huh.”

“But she’s eight.”

“Yup. This is her second year.”

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