Page 66 of Lost Track

He snorted a laugh. “Pretty sure that wouldn’t be too good for my brand, releasing a diss track on an eighth grader. Nah, honey, that was just for you.”

Piper threw her arms around Dave’s neck and his face turned an adorable shade of crimson. He darted his eyes up to Sabine and they were shining.

* * *

“Whatcha thinkin’ about?” Kara asked, snapping Sabine out of her little daydream.

She sent a small smile to her friend and stirred the chili one more time.

“Is it a certain rock star with face tattoos, perhaps?” Kara teased.

Sabine sagged slightly. “He’s really cool.”

Kara smiled but it was heavy with knowing.

“He wrote a diss track for a boy that got Piper detention and it was weird and dumb and it just made Piper’s entire day.” Sabine pulled a teaspoon out of the drawer to her right and dipped it into the chili. She tasted it and tossed the spoon in the sink. “And he asked me to help him get his GED.” She reached for the red pepper flakes and glanced at Kara.

“And then you told him your rates, right?” Kara asked, warning in her voice.

“No.” Sabine added the red pepper to the chili and put the lid on. “He was adamant that he pay me though. Even though I volunteered.”

Kara looked a little impressed. Not a lot. She was being careful.

Unlike Sabine.

“Do you think he’s being really elaborate in his efforts to get in your pants and subsequently in the tabloids?”

Sabine chuckled. “No. He’s just a really nice person. I don’t think he’s into me like that.” She adjusted the pin holding up one side of her braid. “Besides, I’m not really his type.” It was a confession she needed to say out loud. She had to hear it. She needed to say it to drive home the reality of it.

“What do you mean?” Kara asked with a concerned frown.

“I mean,” Sabine said, hating the truth. “He’s fun and impulsive. He lives a wild life compared to me.” She shrugged. “And I’m the boring teacher girl. I think we can be friends easily. But I don’t think you need to worry about his intentions. Not with me.”

“Does that make you sad?” Kara asked.

“A little.” Sabine shrugged again and swallowed the bitterness in her throat. “But I can be a really good friend.”

It shouldn’t bother her to know she wasn’t rock star girlfriend material.

But she wasn’t really anyone’s girlfriend material.

She’d get asked out, sure, but it always fizzled quickly and the guys all said the same damn thing.

I think we’re better as friends.

And then they’d marry the next girl they dated.

“This is fine,” Sabine said, pushing back from Kara. “This is more than fine; this is good. Now you know you don’t have to worry.”

“You’re a kickass friend,” Kara said forcefully.

“I know. Thank you,” she said, tossing a smile over her shoulder.

She did know.

And there were way worse things she could be.

Kara grunted like she was still unsettled by what Sabine had shared. But Kara was protective of Sabine. She always had been. And Sabine was protective of her. It worked out well for them.

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