Boom - Sabrina Stark Page 0,25

my so-called partner had decided to skip class, and Mr. Chesterfield had refused to let me do the experiment on my own.

"So?" Brody said again.

I sighed. "So let's just get it done already." I glanced toward the locked door of the lab. "And we need to be quick. I'm making cookies with my grandma at two-thirty."

My grandma loved to bake, even in spite of her arthritis. And although I wasn't in the mood for cookies, I'd promised to bake them with her anyway – something to cheer her up after my mom had blown out of town just as quickly as she'd arrived.

I didn't need any cheering. The truth was, I'd been shamefully glad to see her go. But my grandparents – well, they were softies when it came to my mom, probably because she was their only surviving child – and the youngest, too.

In the school hallway, Brody's lips formed a sneer. "Sorry, I didn't know 'cookies' were on the line." He said "cookies" like it was a four-letter word.

I tried for a scoff. "Oh? So you've got something against cookies?"

"Me? Nah." He gave me a rude look. "Just people who make them."

My gaze narrowed. "I hope you're talking about me, because if you mean my grandma—"

Once again, the lighter appeared in my face. Without flicking it on, he asked, "You sure you don't need a light?"

I glared at the lighter and then at him. "Trust me. I'm sure."

With cold defiance, he flicked it on, anyway. The flame wasn't terribly close, not even within cigarette-lighting distance, but it was annoying. No doubt, it was meant to be.

He was trying to goad me. That much was obvious.

This shouldn't have been a surprise.

When the list of lab partners had been posted three weeks ago, Brody hadn't been any happier than I was.

I knew why, too. Unlike me, he never took any of it seriously. Oh sure, he took all of the advanced classes, but his grades were lackluster at best.

Between cutting class and missing half of his homework, he surely would've flunked out entirely, if only he didn't have this annoying habit of acing all of his tests.

But me? I had to study. Hard.

I gave a silent scoff. But that was Brody for you. I'd known him for nearly four years now, ever since I'd moved in with my grandparents just before my freshman year.

Turns out, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Unlike my parents, my grandparents actually liked having me around. And I liked being around. Plus, this gave me the stability to try for a scholarship.

And my parents? Well, they got their freedom, I guess.

Let's just say, parenting wasn't their thing.

When I considered how lucky I felt just to be standing in this particular school, it made Brody's casual attitude all the more maddening.

He nudged the flame a tad closer, as if preparing to light my face on fire.

I told him, "You know that's not allowed, right?"

Talk about a massive understatement.

With a laugh, he finally flicked off the lighter and lowered it once again to his side. Normally, I liked his laugh, even if I'd never admit it. But today, it sounded all wrong, laced with cruelty rather than humor.

His mouth twisted as he said, "Relax. I'm not gonna burn your cookies."

For some reason, his words sounded vaguely suggestive and just a little bit insulting.

I stared up at him. "I don't get it," I said. "If you were just gonna be a jackass, why'd you bother to show up at all?"

With no trace of laughter, he replied, "Because I told you I would."

"So?"

"So I always do what I say."

"Oh, really?" I scoffed. "Do you always do it seventeen minutes late?"

His mouth tightened. "Better late than never."

It was so easy for him to say. Unlike me, he got away with everything. Still, I couldn’t resist saying, "Has it ever occurred to you that if you just applied yourself, you'd be getting all A's?"

"Has it ever occurred to you that it's none of your business?"

Yes. It had, actually.

Still, I had to ask, "But what about college?"

"What about it?"

"Aren't you worried you won't get in?"

With another scoff, he replied, "Hell no."

His attitude grated. Gee, it must be nice to be so confident.

But probably he was right. No doubt, he'd ace some assessment test and get into whatever college he wanted without even trying. With as brilliant as he was, he'd probably get a scholarship, too.

Thinking of my own scholarship, I pulled out the lab key – the one