thinking that he’d remember me. Of course, he doesn’t.
I was always invisible to him.
CLICK HERE
to grab your copy of FLIRTING WITH FIRE
FREE BOOK
Book one in our reader’s favorite series is FREE! CLICK HERE to grab your copy!
Austin
The handsome guy on stage with his jaw hanging wide open, shock and awe in his eyes?
That’d be me. Austin Bailey. Eldest brother of the Bailey clan, guardian to my younger siblings, biology teacher extraordinaire, baseball coach, good neighbor, and all-round pretty great guy.
Before we dive into the fact that karma just raised its middle finger at me, you should hear how my day began.
Today started like every other day. I woke up, got ready, prepared breakfast for my ungrateful twin sisters, Phoenix and Sedona, then we all hopped into my Jeep to head to school.
Of course, Phoenix didn’t eat the pancakes. Her exact words, if I remember correctly were, “They taste like cardboard. Can’t you just follow the recipe?”
Sedona ate the pancakes, but as soon as we pulled into the parking lot of Lake Starlight High School, where they’re seniors, her appreciation for me ended. “Park in the back, I don’t want to be seen stepping out of this monstrosity.”
I’ve learned that there’s no pleasing a teenager, especially a female one—no offense, ladies, but her comment still irks me. How is my Jeep embarrassing? It has a snorkel so when I off-road, I don’t have to spend my money on a new engine and can instead afford to buy her whatever new outfit she wants. She should be grateful, thanking me. But she’s seventeen. Pleasing her is impossible.
I purposely park in the first row and honk my horn to announce our arrival, because pissing off Sedona is one of my top five favorite things to do. I’ll miss that come next year.
Phoenix’s stomach rumbles as she exits the car. Sedona has already raced off to the nearest entrance as if that creepy IT clown is following her.
I stroll toward the door, reloading my emails on my phone, hoping I received the response I’ve been waiting for and that it contains good news. Elijah, my star pitcher, cuts me off.
“Coach, I need some advice.” He runs his fingers through his long hair.
“How to cut your hair? Come see me. I’ve got clippers in my office.”
It’s like a contest these days for the kids to see who can grow their hair and look the most unkempt. I don’t get the appeal, and Elijah is the worst of them all.
“No, Coach, Becca broke up with me.” There’s a hitch in his voice. His eyes scour the courtyard, where most of the kids hang out until the first bell rings.
I stuff my phone into the pocket of my jacket. “Why?”
“Well…” He runs his fingers through his hair again.
For the love of God. Next season if I’m still here, I’m making a new rule—if your hair covers your eyes, I’m your barber.
Of course, then JP’s mom will call to complain. She always calls. I think if we changed the flavor of the performance drink we give them from strawberry to lime, she’d call. You know the type. She probably still wipes his ass to make sure he did it right. And though I understand that the Andrews family has had its share of heartbreak, she was like that before and after.
I push JP’s mom out of my head because just the thought of dealing with her will give me a headache. “What’d you do?”
I open the door to the hallway. With it being Monday morning, my fellow teachers nod, gripping their coffee mugs like life vests.
A group of three girls lingering around one locker follow Elijah as we head down the hall. I’m not blind. He’s kind of a big deal around here, and I can guess what path his teenage hormones led him down. They’re tricky fuckers to manage.
“You know Sara Pylar?” Elijah asks in a tentative voice.
See? Too bad I can’t bet on my players’ screw-ups. I wouldn’t be working here, that’s for sure. I’d be a rich man.
I open up the door to my classroom, and Elijah heads in first.
Do I know Sara Pylar? Of course, I do. She’s usually the one in the short skirt with her finger twirling a strand of her hair. The worse her grades are, the more bubble gum she chews while she asks to move to the front row so she can see the smart board better. Sara would eat up and spit out a kid like Elijah if