Kai asks, stuffing a spoonful of cereal into his mouth.
He shrugs, dribbling the ball against the concrete driveway. “I think one of Hannah’s friends is having one.”
He chokes on a laugh and spits out a mouthful of cereal. “Sounds like tons of fucking fun.” Sarcasm drips from his tone.
“It won’t be that bad.” Kyler lifts his arms up to shoot another basket.
“It’ll be a bunch of dumbass cheerleaders and jocks,” Kai says, setting his bowl down on the porch railing.
“I don’t know what your problem is.” Kyler walks backward toward the grass to collect the ball. “You used to be one of those,” he makes air quotes, “ ‘dumbass jocks’, too, before you decided you were too good for everyone.”
“That’s not what quitting the team was about,” Kai replies in a clipped tone. “So stop talking about shit you know nothing about.”
“Then what was it about?” Kyler challenges as he scoops up the ball and tucks it under his arm.
Kai shrugs, picking up his bowl, looking pissed off. “Who cares?”
“Whatever, man.” Kyler’s gaze bores into Kai, like he expects him to cave. “You know everyone thinks you’re into drugs now.”
Kai lifts his shoulders and shrugs again. “That’s their problem. Not mine.”
“I’m starting to wonder if they’re right.”
Kyler sounds more aggravated than I’ve ever heard him. And trust me, I’ve eavesdropped on his conversations a lot, so I would know.
They argue for a few minutes longer, acting completely like night and day. Kyler and Kai may be brothers, but they sure don’t act like it. Yeah, Kai is equally as gorgeous, in a dangerous, bad boy, let-me-stun-you-with-my-smoldering-eyes kind of way. Up until about six months ago, he used to be almost as good of a football as Kyler is, and nearly as popular. He even flirted and checked out Hannah sometimes. But then one day he did a complete one-eighty, quit the team, and started spending a lot of time ditching school. I always thought it was odd that Kai was the one who went the route Kyler once wanted—well, in terms of changing. I’m not really sure Kyler ever wanted to become a rebellious bad boy.
The one thing that remained Kai, though, is he’s really intense, to the point where looking him in the eye can actually be terrifying for some. And for some girls, exhilarating. For me, not so much, because unlike a lot of people, I know there’s a dorky side to Kai, who thinks he’s funny and who reads comics.
“Believe whatever you want.” Kai backs toward the porch, shrugging off Kyler. “Have fun at your lame-ass party.”
Kyler dribbles the bejesus out of the ball. “Whatever. Avoid the problem, like you always do.” Another slam of the ball. “Cause more problems between Mom and Dad.”
Kai seems oddly satisfied by the fact his brother is annoyed with him, and a smile touches his face as he spins for the door. Right before he walks inside, though, he looks over his shoulder at me.
I should probably duck for cover, since I’ve been caught eavesdropping red-handed. If it had been Kyler, I’d be so mortified that I’d probably bolt back to my room. But with Kai . . . well, he and I sorta have this thing going on, ever since seventh grade. Not a relationship type of thing or anything. It’s more like a ‘he teases me and annoys the crap out of me’ thing. I don’t know why he’s so persistent about doing it, other than maybe I’m the only person who doesn’t get all squirrely every time he looks at them.
I carry his gaze for a beat or two longer, and the smile on his face grows. I narrow my eyes at him and flip him the middle finger, just because I can. He laughs then winks at me before disappearing inside his house.
I check out Kyler one last time before I return to my bed to finish my drawing of Zombie Artist Girl, who looks great in a cape and can behead a zombie like a badass mofo.
But, the second I plant my butt down on the mattress, my bedroom door opens. I prepare myself for an argument with Hannah, figuring it’s her coming to chew my ass out for the chocolate incident, but instead, my mom and dad walk in.
I give them both a puzzled look, because they hardly ever step foot in my room, let alone together.
My mom scans all the movie, comic, and band posters hanging on my black and violet walls then rolls