I don’t even bother trying to talk to her. What’s the point? It’s better this way. At least if she hates me, it’s only hurting me instead of her. I up my pace and we practically run to Sailor’s front door. Once we reach it and I know she’s safe, I turn to leave, but the door opens quickly.
“Oh hi.” Sailor’s dad smiles, extending his hand to me. “I’m Adam, Sailor’s dad.”
“Rye,” I reply.
“Rye, Sailor, this is Raven,” Adam says.
He stands to one side, revealing a gorgeous woman with long black hair and legs that go on forever. Sailor and I exchange a glance.
“Ms. Price?” Sailor says.
“What? Do you know each other?” Adam asks, clearly confused.
“She’s my history teacher,” Sailor says.
Raven steps forward and slips her hand into Adam’s.
“Guilty as charged.” She laughs. “You didn’t tell me your daughter went to the high school. For some reason, I assumed she was younger.”
This is awkward to say the least and I really want no part of it.
“Nice to meet you, Adam,” I say. “I just wanted to make sure Sailor got home okay. See you at school, Sailor.”
“Nonsense. They say chivalry is dead and here’s the living proof it’s not. The least we can do is give you dinner. Come on in,” Adam says.
Sailor glares at me. A look that says don’t you dare.
“Umm…I…” I say.
“Oh come on. It’ll be nice to get to know another one of Sailor’s friends,” Adam says.
I can’t see any way out of this without being rude or obnoxious, and before I can think of anything, I am ushered inside.
Sailor glares daggers at me and then her dad.
“I’m going to get freshened up,” she announces.
She storms up the stairs before any of us can react. Adam laughs awkwardly and leads us into the dining room. I sit down at the place he’s indicated and look out into the hallway, watching the staircase, waiting for Sailor to return. Raven sits down opposite me. Adam rushes around setting an extra place at the table. He finishes and goes off into the kitchen, leaving me and Raven alone.
“So how are things, Ms. Price?” I ask when the silence becomes unbearable.
“It’s Raven when we’re outside of school.” She smiles. “And things are good thank you.”
Well that ended that conversation. It’s bad enough being forced to go to high school without having to socialize with my teachers too. Movement from the stairs catches my eye and I catch my breath as I look at Sailor. She changed into a dress that sits mid-thigh on her with knee-high boots, and her hair is pinned up in a way that shows off the adorable little birthmark beneath her right ear. She isn’t wearing a scrap of makeup, and she looks younger, more vulnerable. It’s a simple look, but to me, she has never looked more beautiful.
“You look nice, Sailor,” Raven says as Adam comes back in and begins to put serving bowls on the table.
“Thank you,” Sailor says.
She sits down, not making eye contact with anyone.
“Dig in, guys,” Adam says, seemingly oblivious to the icy cold atmosphere that fills the room.
Raven helps herself to a large portion of pasta bake and passes the bowl to me. I take a scoop and pass it to Sailor. She slops some onto her plate and slams the bowl down in front of Adam. I reach for a slice of garlic bread, more to have something to do with my hands than anything else.
I start to eat. I’m not really hungry and the atmosphere is making swallowing difficult, but I have to admit that Adam sure knows his way around a kitchen.
“It’s good,” I say, smiling at him.
“Thank you. It’s my mom’s recipe,” he says. “I should really pass it down to Sailor, but cooking isn’t her thing, is it Biscuit?”
Biscuit? Really?
Oh, I can see why she didn’t want me to come in here. Sailor shrugs.
“A bit like history.” Raven smiles.
“I’m more interested in the future than the past,” Sailor snaps.
Adam gives her a warning look, but Raven just carries on.
“We learn how to make the future better by learning from the mistakes of the past,” she says.
Sailor gives her a look that would make most people squirm, but being a teacher, Raven has probably seen much worse. She turns to me and smiles.
“Where’s your gang this evening?” she asks.
Adam looks up sharply and I laugh and quickly correct Raven.
“If by gang you mean my friends, they’re at home,” I say.
“They seem to have taken you under their wing haven’t they, Sailor?” she says. “Honestly, I was quite surprised to see you hanging around with Ya-Ya.”
“Why?” Sailor asks. “Ya-Ya’s lovely. If it wasn’t for her, I would have been a laughingstock on my first day. I managed to fall into a muddy puddle and she lent me some clothes.”
“I just thought she would be a bit shallow for your tastes,” Raven says. “And that Grace girl. She’s a bit too good to be true, isn’t she?”
I am more than a little shocked to hear Raven bitching about her students like this, but I keep my mouth shut. I don’t want to make a scene at Sailor’s house.
“So you would rather I hung out with someone less nice?” Sailor says.
“I’m just saying that I don’t really see you with them. Just be careful, Sailor, is all I’m saying. They’re not known for accepting strangers into their little clique. Especially not girls like you.”
“I’m sorry, but do you really think that’s an appropriate thing for a teacher to say about her students?” Sailor demands, slamming her fork down.
Adam jumps to his feet, a fake smile plastered over his face.
“Sailor. A word in the kitchen. Now.”
Sailor looks ready to argue but she reluctantly gets up and follows Adam into the kitchen. They should have just had the conversation at the table because Raven and I can hear
