Page 6 of Lost Track

Not the first time Sabine had been misunderstood.

Which was why she sat up again and leveled a look at the girl.

“Every brain is different. Every single one. The best way to measure your progress is by comparing where you were before. Which I do. Your grades are coming up and your scores improve every week.”

“But school measures everyone against each other,” Piper argued.

“Yes and no.” Sabine took a breath and forced the frown off her face.

Piper’s observations were mostly correct. But it wasn’t Sabine’s job to cultivate rebellion against the system in her students. Her job was to help them be successful at the system so they could leave it behind them forever.

“Education is a complicated beast and we can get into all that some other time. But right now, you need to finish the essay. That’s it. Just focus on this one goal.”

Piper was poised to argue again when the door opened.

Both of them turned their heads at the interruption.

Sometimes, when Sabine was working, she’d forget where she was.

Her childhood had consisted of chaotic interruptions on a continual basis and she’d trained herself to focus on her tasks. It developed from a survival tactic into a useful skill that kicked in without her being aware.

Such as when she was working.

While she’d been tutoring Piper James in a recording studio, all she’d focused on was the student.

So, when Sunshine Capone walked back into the lounge, she was momentarily disoriented. They had eye contact and her mind was flooded with the events of earlier and she blushed.

Not because he was famous but because she still felt stupid about how he’d found her.

Feeling stupid in front of a stranger was right up there with not wanting to get eaten by sharks on vacation.

And he’d caught her at the dumbest she’d been in a long time.

Behind Sunshine Capone was a face that was familiar to her and she immediately smiled.

“’Sup, Sabine,” Shawn Torres greeted. He approached them and rested his elbow on top of Piper’s head.

“Ugh. This guy,” Piper grumbled.

Which made Sabine snort because Piper adored Shawn, but always made a show of disliking him. Like she just couldn’t help it.

“Pipsqueak.” Shawn tussled her hair and Piper stiffened.

“Only Hannah gets to call me that.”

Sabine pursed her lips at their interaction.

They may not be related by birth, but the sibling chemistry was real. It reminded her of her own relationship with her brother.

Shawn left them to join Sunshine who’d not even paused on his way past them. From what Sabine could hear they were making espresso at the coffee bar, but she didn’t turn around to check. Instead, she watched Piper’s expression as it turned introspective and stayed on the guys.

After a minute, Sabine nudged Piper’s elbow with a pencil, getting her attention.

“What’s going on?”

Piper shrugged. “I don’t have any of what they have.”

Sabine glanced over her shoulder at the guys who had moved to the window overlooking the alley and scrunched her nose.

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