Best Served Fake

fourteen // you're such a dick

Kai rolled down the window and smiled pleasantly at Tommy, who looked like he might spontaneously combust with the force of his jealousy and annoyance. His face had reddened slightly, and I noticed with satisfaction that it wasn't a particularly good look on him. I couldn't help it; amusement kicked the corners of my lips upwards. They'd already been poised to smile, had been fixed into some approximation of it since I'd climbed beside Kai in the car.

But if I found Kai—or, mostly, my own jokes—funny, it was nothing compared to the hilarity that could be found in Tommy's angry, bloodshot eyes.

Tommy looked as if he was teetering on the precipice of a rage-induced fit. He wasn't a particularly angry guy, in my experience. Slightly insecure perhaps, a little jealous maybe—in the way that all guys who cheated tended to be—but not angry.

"Hey, Aster, what can I do for you?" asked Kai with false consideration, leaning his arm against the window and drumming his fingers casually against the sill.

The sound of Kai's fingers was an aggravating, lilting tune. It punctuated that smile that was still settled on his face; pleasant, focussed, with an edge that was downright wicked, like he knew the expression was a weapon that could puncture vicious holes in Tommy's self-control. It was an impressive display. Tommy knew exactly what Kai was attempting; tired eyes clocking the antagonistic tilt to Kai's smile. That was the only thing leashing his jealousy.

It didn't seem as if it would be difficult for the emotion to slip its leash. His words were a guttural snarl. "What are you doing with her?" When his gaze flitted to me, it was hurt, beseeching, and a tad pathetic. Then he was back to glaring at Kai.

Kai feigned surprise. "With Little V?" he said, hitching a thumb at me. He looked over at me with a small wink. I smothered my giggle with a cough. "Oh, we're just hanging," he continued, his voice still even and casual. "I thought I'd offer her a lift to school."

"You're just hanging out with her to get back at me. You're such a dick. You shouldn't just use her like this."

I resisted the urge to say I'm hanging out with him to get back at you, asshole. It would ruin all of our carefully constructed plans.

Behind Tommy, trails of our classmates wandered past, chattering happily about their weekends and kicking at stray pebbles on the path. There wasn't long before we were all supposed to be in class, and many of them were walking with pace as they made their way through the main gate and finding the relevant building.

Some of them glanced over with a small frown. It was no secret that Tommy and Kai didn't particularly like each other. And seeing me in the passenger seat of Kai's car likely did little to assuage their curiosity.

"Arrogant of you to assume that I think about you enough to make plans around annoying you," said Kai nonchalantly. "You might be shocked to discover that I don't actually spend my time thinking about you."

Tommy's jaw worked impatiently.

"I'm hanging out with Little Valerie because she's a blast, not for some half-baked plan." That wasn't quite true, but Tommy didn't have to know that. And the look on Tommy's face suggested that he almost believed Kai.

"I don't believe you," said Tommy uneasily.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Whack whack. Nice to know your high opinion of me."

"Very harsh of you to suggest that no one would hang out with her unless they had ulterior motives. Surely you know that she's a good time, Tommy?" Then Kai frowned. "I guess not. If you knew how great she was, you probably wouldn't have risked your relationship by sleeping with her best friend."