supposed to say anything. He wants to go and make sure Kallos is okay, but he knows that there isn't much time before the bell rings and has a feeling she doesn’t want to see him. Not after what his brother just did.
“So, you have a thing now for girls’ bathrooms?” He chuckles at Karissa’s voice. “Or is it the girl inside?” He looks at her and feels sorry for her. He knows Sean broke her heart; he was the one to hold her when she cried for hours.
“The girl.” He says, as he smiles broadly in return.
“She is pretty. I hope she picks you.” He turns to his best friend, and can see all the hurt on her face. He saw it when Sean followed Kallos out of the lunchroom. He should let his mother take away Karissa's pain, but it is too risky. His mom can't be exposed.
“Me too.” Ian says. She grins and looks back at the bathroom.
“This is the first time you and Sean have been into the same girl. What are you going to do?” That is where she is wrong. Acidalia was a girl they both loved unconditionally, and she died. With Kallos they knew that she was for one of them and he isn't going to give up easily; he waited sixteen years for her.
“I don't know, but I'm not going to give up on her.” he says.
“What about Nikki?” Karissa looks back at him.
“There was never anything of consequence there between us. She wasn’t the girl for me.” Karissa looks down, and Ian knows she is thinking about Sean with her faraway stare as if she is a million miles away in her head. He wanted to kick himself. That is what Sean said to her, and he just reminded her of that. He knows that Nikki cares for him, but they were not meant to be. Kallos is the one. “I'm sorry.” He says and puts his arm around her shoulders. She is going to make some guy very happy one day.
“I know,” she whispers, and they embraced in a companionable silence. “I'm going to go. The bell is going to ring in a minute.”
“Okay Kris. I'll see you later.” She nods and walks away. He knows Kallos is coming out soon, so he walks away too.
CHAPTER TWO
The shrill bell rings as Kallos walks out of the powder blue restroom. She walks to her next class and could see Ian and Kellee sitting in the back. They wave at her and she waves back. She just can’t sit with Ian. There is so much that she needs to know.
She sits in the front of the room thinking: Sean scares me, but there was something different with Ian, the way he was always watching her. How he could drown out all the noise when he’s around, and with one look into his sapphire eyes she feels safe. She has never felt this way about anyone. She hasn’t been close to anyone. She feels her mind and body being pulled to him. Even now, she can feel him staring at her. The class goes by in a blur.
After the last bell, Kallos hurries to her dad’s office. She has never been happier to see him. He looks up at her and smiles. Kallos and her dad have always been close. That is why she doesn't know if she should believe Sean. She just met him today. Looking at her dad now, she is convinced that he can’t keep anything from her. “Hey peanut, how was your day?”
“It was interesting.” His smile fades and he crosses his arms across his chest.
“Interesting how? Were they mean to you because I’m your dad?” he asks and narrows his eyes.
“No dad, everyone has been really nice to me. Can we go home now? I have something I need to talk to you and Mom about.” He gets up and walks toward her. She can see worry and terror flash on his face.
“Everything is okay?” He asks and she just nods. “Fine sweetie let’s go.” Her father says and she knows that he didn't believe her. They have a connection where he could always tell when she was lying.
Most of the kids had already left, but there were a few stragglers just standing around talking. As they walk out to her dad's car, she notices Ian, Sean, and Kellee talking by the car. Ian looks up and meets her eyes, and she quickly looks away. She looks at