“I have a driver but he’s only appointed to me. If you don’t mind, I’d assign you as a driver for Frankie.” The driver smiled politely at us all and opened the passenger side. Frankie didn’t waste any time. She hopped in the front seat, leaving me and her father to the backseat. We exchanged glances. His begrudging. Mine amused.
“Now we get to know each other,” I laughed. “So, what’s your favorite color?”
He drew in a breath, held it for a second, then let it out slowly. It was almost as if he didn’t know how to handle me. “I’m just fucking with you.” I waved my hand at him and he glared, narrowing his brown eyes to slits.
“Miss Lucas, we don’t use language like that. Especially not in Frankie’s presence.”
Something told me Frankie used language just as bad as mine, but I wasn’t going to mention a peep of it to her father. I zipped my lips and flashed an apologetic smile.
“Won’t happen again, Senator Freeman.” I caught Frankie’s snicker in the front seat. I wished she could feel me shooting playful laser beams at the back of her head.
“You can call me Mr. Freeman. It’s fine.” The driver pulled up in front of a quaint school with Holy Trinity Private Academy in white uppercase letters running along the top of the brick building. I hopped out with Frankie and looked around at the scattering of kids laughing and talking on their way into school.
Frankie got out and looked around, then at me. “Will you walk me in, Xari?” I looked over my shoulder to see her father leaning against the side of the black Cadillac, watching. He did not look like he had a twelve-year-old, that was for damn sure.
“Of course. Come on.” Once we were inside, I tipped my head down a little and said, “None of these bitches are bothering you, are they? I’m not above fighting a child.”
Frankie giggled into her hand then shook her head. “No. I just don’t always feel…I don’t know…connected?”
“You feel lonely?” Once again, the kid reminded me of myself when I was her age. I was always so far ahead of my peers academically that I felt isolated. My parents made sure I went to a private school with the best educational opportunities but I still managed to alienate myself by being me.
“I guess that’s a better word. I’m not sad or anything. I do have friends. I don’t want you telling my dad I’m depressed and lonely or anything like that. I just have a tough time connecting to people sometimes. Even my friends.” She gave me a nonchalant shrug and I wrapped my arm around her shoulders.
“You clicked with me pretty fast. I mean I know I’m amazing and all but that goes to show that people like us aren’t unable to make or keep friends. We’re just picky about who we let in.” I tapped the tip of her nose then smiled.
“Yes! That’s exactly it. See, I knew you’d get me, Xari. Thank you.” She started to walk away then she stopped mid-step and turned to rush me with a hug before disappearing down the hall.
Did all kids make you feel warm and fuzzy inside? I was willing to bet money that it was just Frankie. She was an awesome kid. It had to just be her. I’d interacted with plenty of other kids and none of them were as chill as her.
When I got back to Senator Stick In The Mud, he was still leaning against the car but this time he was scrolling through his phone. I took a moment to watch the way the sun washed his caramel skin in light, making him glow. If I were playing a video game, this man was lit up like a special quest I had to take.
“Okay, all done and dropped off,” I smiled. He jerked his stare to mine.
“Was she okay? Did she get to class alright?”
“Mr. Freeman, your kid knows how to get to her classes. This isn’t her first day.”
“I know but I like to make sure, you know? You can never be too sure. All kinds of stuff can happen and…”
“She’s fine,” I assured him. We both got in the backseat even though there was a perfectly good passenger seat up front.
“I can’t believe she asked you to walk her inside,” he chuckled. “I haven’t gotten that invite since she was in elementary school.”
“Oh, it’s because I’m cool. You’re not.” I eyed his suit and perfectly shined wingtips. No, a school full of kids couldn’t appreciate the attention to detail Mr. Freeman had. They didn’t understand the fact that his cufflinks matched his pocket square, which purposefully didn’t match his socks so he wasn’t too over the top. I saw it though.
“Oh, so you’re cool and I’m not?”
“See, this is why you’re the senator and you get paid all the money.” I patted the back of his hand and he stiffened. “Oh my god, you act like I pulled out my titty or something. I touched your hand. Chill out.”
“You and this mouth of yours. We’ll talk about how you should behave around a child when we get back to the house.”
“Yes sir, Mr. Senator, sir.” I gave him a faux salute.
“Okay, I get it. You think I’m rigid. Wouldn’t be the first time that assumption has been made.”
“Is it a wrong assumption?” I folded my arms across my chest and looked at him for an answer.
“It is. You should never judge a book by its cover, Miss Lucas. You don’t know what stories are inside.” His eyes fixed on mine and I squirmed in my seat.
“I think covers tell what’s inside of a book pretty well. Unless the book is misrepresented.” Mr. Freeman looked at
