Until Next Time (The Shooting Stars Series) (5 page)

“Waiting to see if I am going to be slapped,” he admitted.

“Did I last time?” she smiled in return.

“No, but I at least kind of had an excuse last time,” he grinned back.

“An excuse?” she couldn’t hide her amusement.

“You are so far out of my league it isn’t funny, Kaitlyn,” he reached to brush her hair back from her face.

“That’s that most stupid thing I’ve ever heard you say,” she shook her head.

“It’s true,” he maintained as he let his fingers trail along her jawline. He kissed her again, deeply before he released her and reached for his milk shake.

“Where else have you lived?” Katherine decided to steer them back to a safer topic. She liked kissing him a little too well for her comfort.

Adam claimed her hand before he continued. “Let’s see... we lived on Long Island before moving to Boston. That was where Mom was living when she met my dad. Stayed there until I ended up in class with dad’s legitimate son; she decided it was time to move then. That’s when we landed in Boston; from Boston we moved to Newark, New Jersey. We lived there a couple of years until I was ten. Then Philadelphia for a year. Then Detroit where Uncle Jack was. Then came Reno, great place to raise a kid right?  We lived there a couple of years; then moved to California, then Pittsburgh, now here.”

“How on earth did you end up in Jackson, Tennessee?” she demanded.

“Mom met this lady in her classes to learn medical transcription that was from here and she said the lady went on and on about what a great place this was. Mom came down for a couple of days; landed a job and announces that we’re moving. She said this was a great place to raise a kid. I didn’t point out I wasn’t exactly a kid anymore,” he explained.

“Jackson must seem small after all those big cities,” Katherine noted.

“I think Mom was ready for a slower pace,” he shrugged. “Mom always avoided the south until now so I was a little surprised when she picked here. I don’t know; here lately I never know what to expect from her,” he shared.

“Why’s that?” Katherine asked of him as she admired the way his eyes and hair matched almost perfectly.

“She used to drink a lot on the weekends but here lately it’s any time she isn’t at work,” he admitted.

“Your mom drinks?” she asked in concern.

“Yeah. I’m fine, Kaitlyn, quit worrying, I can see it in your eyes,” he told her.

Katherine tried to sweep aside the tightness in her chest. It hurt her to think of Adam not having a proper dad or mom.

“What’s your favorite childhood memory? I know you have to have one,” she asked him and watched him smile.

“When we first moved to Detroit it was winter and school was just letting out for Christmas break. We weren’t even unpacked yet but it snowed heavily and mom played hooky from work. We spent the day in the courtyard building snowmen and playing. That’s when we met Uncle Jack. He saw us, stepped out of his apartment, and stood at the railing to watch us. I remember thinking I was too old to be seen with my mom, but that day it didn’t matter. I didn’t care; I had my mom all to myself. What’s yours?”

“Probably the weekend we spent at the lake with my grandparents the summer before my grandfather died. It was the last time we were really all together,” Katherine smiled.

“What are you doing after graduation?”

“College. You?”

“Don’t know yet.”

“You should go to college. You have a very quick mind.”

“I’m not college material,” Adam argued with a shake of his head.

“Adam, you are very smart. I study with you almost every night; remember? So don’t tell me you aren’t college material.”

“I’m not. Besides what would I go for?”

“Learn to mix music.”

“That’s an idea. But still…” he shrugged.

Katherine sighed and studied him a moment. “Who shut you out when you wanted to be included, Adam?”

Adam startled as he turned to look at Kaitlyn. How could she know that?

“Why would you ask that?” he demanded.

“Because you try hiding behind a mask of indifference but I see you, Adam. I know better. I also know how smart you are; do you?”

Adam could only stare at her a moment before he looked away. He didn’t like that she could see into him so easily.

“Are you afraid of failing?” she asked softly.

Adam wanted to lash out at her, intended to until he turned and read the sincerity in her eyes. He swallowed hard; he was pretty sure no one had ever believed in him before.

“It’s easy for you Kaitlyn; it isn’t as easy for everyone,” he finally offered and saw the disappointment in her eyes; it made him feel as though he had already failed before he had even tried.

“Are you going to the prom?” she changed the subject.

“I have never been to a school dance in my life,” he mumbled.

“So that’s a no then?”

“I haven’t decided.”

“Adam, it’s only three weeks away.”

“I know.”

“Why wouldn’t you go?”

“Why would I? So I can say I did?”

“That’s right, you and all the other non-conformists are all going to skip so that you can be different together,” she said to the air.

Adam was laughing. “You are incorrigible.”

“I know,” her green eyes were sparkling.

“Who are you going with?” he asked her.

“No one. I was asked but I didn’t know any of them well enough to go and relax and I want to be able to relax and enjoy the night,” she shrugged.

“So let’s go together,” he proposed; she smiled.

“Are you serious?”

“I am,” he nodded.

“Okay,” she agreed.

“Great. Mom’s gonna freak,” he was grinning.

“Why’s that?”

“She’s been after me to go but I said I wasn’t going to.”

“Oh, so you weren’t going.”

“I didn’t have a date and I can’t really think of any one at school I’d want to take anyway. You’re the only person, well girl, I’ve really gotten to know and I figured you had a date.”

“I would tell you to make friends but school’s out in a few weeks.”

“I don’t need a lot of friends,” his eyes darkened.

“So why are you friends with me?” she asked him.

“You’re persistent.”

“You could have blown me off, others have.”

“I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

“Oh so you felt sorry for me?” Katherine’s eyes were twinkling.

“No,” he smiled, “truth is you intrigue me.”

“That is the first time in my life any one has called me intriguing,” she laughed.

“Why did you set out to befriend me?”

“I’m not sure exactly. I know you looked like you could use one.”

“Mercy mission?”

“No,” she shook her head. “Like I said, you looked like you could use a friend and…I was drawn to you.”

Adam looked at her in surprise.

“We’re very different.”

“Is that a bad thing?” she asked him.

“No, I don’t guess it is. You don’t care what people think do you, Kaitlyn? I want to not care but I let it bother me. You don’t care.”

Katherine laughed and shook her head.

“I do care, Adam, we all care at some level.”

“Whose opinion matters to you, Kaitlyn?”

“My parents, my friends; yours, your opinion matters to me,” she admitted as she held his gaze.

Adam was humbled by her interest. “I think you are pretty special,” he assured her before he kissed her again.

Three

Katherine paced her mother’s classroom and watched the clock mournfully. Her car battery had died and it would be that evening before her father could replace it. That had left her with two options: ride with her mom or take the bus. Given that she despised the bus she had opted to ride with her mom and arrive at school at an indecent hour. Now it was too early for the first bus to have even run and she felt ready to crawl out of her skin.

“You are pacing like a caged animal,” her mother accused.

“Sorry,” Katherine turned to her mom.

“Here, make yourself useful and put one of these on every desk,” her mother handed her a stack of papers.

“So it’s time for poetry notebooks again, huh?” Katherine noted as she placed papers on the desk of her mom’s sophomore students.

“Yes it is,” her mother was writing on the dry erase board.

Katherine placed the last paper on the last desk and moved to the window. She watched the first few students straggle in. She was going to have to wait for her mother to finish up this afternoon too, she realized with a sigh. Her mother was on late bus duty today; wasn’t that just her luck?

“I’m going to walk around,” Katherine kissed her mom’s cheek.

“See you this afternoon,” her mom smiled in return.

Katherine discovered that Mrs. White had arrived and went ahead and got what she would need for first period and placed it in on her desk. She then meandered back into the hallway and kept her eyes peeled for one of her friends. She smiled when she saw Adam enter.

“Finally! someone to talk to,” she smiled as she approached.

“I thought for sure I would beat you,” he joked; his eyes were shadowed.

“My car battery is dead and I had to ride with Mom. Are you okay?” she frowned and studied him.

“Fine,” he assured her as he opened his locker.

“You sure? You look troubled?” she was frowning.

“I had a fight with Mom; I’ll be fine,” he offered; she nodded. “So you are stranded, huh?”

“Yes and mom has bus duty this evening,” she sighed.

“So let me give you a ride home,” he offered.

“Thank you!” she threw her arms around him and hugged him.

“Welcome,” he was smiling.

“Kattie, there you are,” Tessa came hurrying up to her. “I finally found my perfect prom dress!”

“Congratulations,” Katherine smiled.

“You’ll have to see it this weekend,” Tessa invited. “And by the way, I really am sorry I bailed on you on the whole stag thing.”

“I have a date,” Katherine admitted.

“Good! Who are you going with?” Tessa smiled at her.

“With me,” Adam closed his locker and took Katherine’s hand.

“And I thought you were just friends,” Tessa teased. “I’ve got to go; I’m supposed to be in Mrs. Grays’s class early. See you two at lunch.”

“Bye,” Katherine called after her friend. She and Adam made their way into their first period class and took their seats before Katherine turned to talk to Adam. She was laughing at something he said when Nathan approached.

“Hey, Kattie,” Nathan shifted on his feet.

“Hello, Nathan,” her smile faded.

“I, uh, look, I know things are different between us but I always kind of thought we’d go to prom together. Can’t we? For old times’ sake.”

Katherine sighed as she studied him. She shook her head, “I have a date, Nathan.”

“Right, I guess I figured you would,” he admitted. “I was a jerk, Kattie, I’ve realized that.”

“Thank you for admitting it, Nathan. I do appreciate that.”

“We can’t just throw three years away,” he informed her.

“I believe you already did, Nathan. I’ve moved on; I’m interested in someone else. I wish you the best but I have no interest in revisiting our relationship. Best of luck, Nathan,” she decided to be blunt.

“Right,” he glanced between her and Adam, his gaze lingering on Adam a moment before he moved on.

“I wish he’d quit making me do that,” Katherine sighed and turned to Adam; she found him with a curl wrapped around his finger. “What is with you and my hair?” she demanded as she tugged it free from his gasp and tugged it over the opposite shoulder.

“I told you: it’s like silk,” he leaned closer and inhaled, “and I like the way you smell.”

Katherine bit back a smile and leaned closer, “Adam, behave,” she admonished.

“Takes all the fun out of it,” his eyes twinkled; she laughed and turned toward the front as the bell rang. She pretended not to notice when he wrapped a curl around his finger and began playing with it again.

The day passed quickly, lunch coming and going, and an afternoon assembly offering a break from the usual routine. Katherine entered the gym and immediately spotted Tessa, Stephanie, and Mandy clustered together at the top of one set of bleachers on the upper level of the gym. She climbed to the top and greeted them before sitting down beside them. Melissa, Brandon, Mark, Mallory, and Jack joined them a moment later and Katherine started scanning the crowd for Adam.

She was about to give up when she finally spotted him coming through the doors, a tall guy behind him seemed to be arguing with him. Behind the tall guy was a cluster of other students all dressed as intentional misfits. Katherine noted that Angela was among them and was offering him a pleading smile.