Page 83 of Rules for Rule Breaking
Winter looked down at her nails. They were short and uneven. She took to bouncing her leg instead. “I’m fine,” Winter said, taking a few long sips of her iced coffee.
Mr. Andrews gave them a look that told them to be quiet. Kai went back to his notes, and Winter went back to trying to ignore the static in her brain. She kept bouncing her leg until a hand suddenly grabbed her by the calf. A cold snap ripped through her body, and she gasped. She played it off as a cough. Bobby hadn’t turned around, but his arm was reached back, and his hand was firmly gripped around her leg. She must have been shaking his chair. It instantly reminded her of those hands cradling her neck and tilting her head back for that first kiss at Omari’s party.
Bobby took his hand away, and Winter didn’t move a muscle for the rest of class.
When the bell rang, she shot up to leave but was hindered by Bobby putting on his backpack. They did that awkward dance where they each attempted to move out of each other’s way but ended up blocking the other no matter what they tried. Bobby finally grabbed Winter by the shoulders and moved her to his other side, causing her to swoon. The rest of the class cleared out as they stared at each other for a moment.
“Can we talk?” he asked flatly. Kai got the hint and went ahead without him.
Winter wrapped her arms around herself. “About what?”
“I think you know what.” He stepped in closer and reached for her hand, but she jerked it away before he could take it. His eyes were intense. “If our trip was only a onetime lapse in judgment, I’llleave you alone, but I can’t stop thinking about it. Can you?”
Winter noticed rough patches of red skin on Bobby’s neck. She gently traipsed her fingertips along the side of his face. “Wherehave you been thinking about it?”
“You know where I do most of my thinking.”
“You mean most of your crying?”
Bobby growled. “You’re deflecting, but I don’t care. Can I kiss you?”
Winter blushed. “We’re not supposed to be seen talking to each other, and you want to make out in the middle of a classroom?”
“Kind of. Yeah,” he said, smirking.
Winter was chewing the insides of her mouth to shreds as she looked up at Bobby expectantly. She closed her eyes for only a split second and felt his hands at her neck again, like she’d been dreaming about since they’d kissed. When she opened her eyes, she realized it had only been in her mind.
“I’m sorry. I don’t care who was right or who was wrong,” Bobby said, taking a step closer. “And I don’t care what was said. Let’s forget about the whole fight and move on.”
“Don’t,” Winter whispered, putting her hand on Bobby’s chest to put distance between them. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t bring herself to accept the apology or give one of her own. She wasn’t even sure there was anything to forgive him for. As angry as Winter had been learning that Bobby called Jacqueline, she hadn’t really wanted to get in trouble with her parents. The way in which he chose to avoid the trouble—Jaqueline—left something to be desired, but she wasn’t upset he’d done it.
Winter dropped her head. “I like you, Bobby, but maybe we’re not the best for each other. I don’t know who I am lately. We’re doing and saying things that aren’t us.”
Bobby once again tried to close the space between them. “Isn’t that a good thing?”
“I honestly don’t know,” Winter replied, and she took a step back, but it wasn’t far enough. She left the classroom without another word.
Bobby Bae
40. WE WILL NOT INVOLVE OUR PARENTS IN OUR BUSINESS
Bobby darted for his car after school without looking up. He was moving as briskly as he could, but with the hoodie he had on to hide his eczema, he nearly turned into a ball of sweat and evaporated into the hot September day.
He pulled up to Park Dermatology, which was in a converted house on their town’s main road. According to Mr. Park, their location brought in half their customers. Though Bobby attributed most of their business to him helping them set up their online presence.
“Bobby!” Mrs. Park said as he walked in. She threw her white coat over her blouse and fixed her hair. “You can come on back.”
Bobby followed Mrs. Park back into the exam room. Mr. Park was sitting at a desk in the corner. Bobby took his jacket off and threw it on the couch, then settled into the exam chair. The Parks looked at his irritated skin, but he knew the visit wasn’t entirely necessary. They were familiar with his skin after nearly a decade of being their patient. They could have prescribed him creams at home.
“I’m sorry for everything,” Bobby said without any prompting from the Parks. “You trusted me with your daughter, and I upset her. Is she... okay?”
Mr. Bae looked up from his desk. “You could ask her yourself.”
“Right. I’m sorry, sir.”
Mrs. Park gave her husband a look, and he shrugged.
“Winter has been hiding out at her grandmother’s. We truthfully don’t know how she is,” she said. Mrs. Park had her gloved hands on his cheek. “How are you, dear? Are you back together with Jacqueline?”
