think I’m going to need that homework note after all,” Aaron said.
Zoe smiled, her eyes shimmering pools.
“We’ll never forget your father,” she said. “He was my husband, the man who gave me you. He’s in you, and will be a part of you your whole life. There’s no way of getting away from that – even if you wanted to.”
Aaron smiled, and a snotty chuckle escaped his lips.
“How about we go downstairs and finish off our meal?” Zoe said. “I bought some ice cream especially for you. Come on.”
She stood up and held out her hand. Aaron took it and together, as mother and son, they descended the stairs.
“Who is he, anyway?” Aaron said.
“He’s a businessman,” Zoe said.
“The enemy, Dad used to say,” Aaron said.
“This one isn’t so bad,” Zoe said. “But you’ll get to see that for yourself. Oh, I almost forgot. You won’t be the only one going through this. There will be two of you.”
“What do you mean?” Aaron said.
“Bryan has a daughter,” Zoe said. “She’s your age. You used to say you wanted a sister. This could be your chance.”
“What’s her name?” Aaron said.
“Cassandra,” Zoe said. “Cassandra Angelo.”
11
Why her own father, the CEO of a large and growing company, would be nervous about telling his own daughter about his decision to start seeing someone was a surprise to Cassie. She never expected a man like her father to be afraid of anything. But it turned out he was afraid of something: of losing Cassie, or at least her favor. Her mind turned to ways she might be able to exploit the situation. There was a nice pair of heels she had her eye on. Maybe if she spun her father the right way…
Mrs. Rae entered the classroom and addressed the students.
“Okay class,” she said. “Get into the same pairs you were in yesterday.”
“Aw,” Clint said. “Do we have to?”
“Yes,” Mrs. Rae said. “I’ve found this is the best way to encourage students to make friends outside their usual narrow groups. Take your seats please.”
Take your seats, not take a seat. Cassie made a face at Clint as she sat down at the front of the class. Aaron was already hunched over his microscope, peering at a slide. What a nerd.
“Morning, Poindexter,” she said to him.
“Morning,” Aaron said. “Have a nice evening?”
“Not bad,” Cassie said. “Nothing to write home about.”
“Looks like we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other from now on, huh?” Aaron said.
“Yeah well, what can you do?” Cassie said, glancing at Mrs. Rae. “They’re in charge.”
“I never thought I’d hear you say that,” Aaron said.
“They’re in senior positions,” Cassie said. “What can I do but complain during PTA meetings?”
“So, you’re okay with this?” Aaron said.
“There’s nothing to be okay with,” Cassie said. “But the world is the way the world is.”
“That’s very philosophical,” Aaron said.
Cassie shrugged.
“At least now maybe you won’t think of me as such an idiot,” she said. “Let’s just make the best of a bad situation.”
“I don’t think you’re an idiot,” Aaron said. “I think you’re very smart.”
“You do?” Cassie said. She couldn’t hide her surprise.
“Sure,” Aaron said. “You’re in the top set for everything. Your grades are high enough to stop you from going down a set, low enough to make sure you don’t look like someone like me to your friends.”
“You noticed, huh?” Cassie said.
“I don’t understand why you think their opinions are important enough to hold yourself back though,” Aaron said.
“That’s something that will forever prevent you from entering my group of friends,” Cassie said.
“Thankfully,” Aaron said. “I’m surprised you’re taking this so calmly. I would have thought you’d go crazy at the damage it might do to your reputation.”
Cassie snorted.
“You’re not that important,” she said.
Aaron smiled at the gentle
Zoe smiled, her eyes shimmering pools.
“We’ll never forget your father,” she said. “He was my husband, the man who gave me you. He’s in you, and will be a part of you your whole life. There’s no way of getting away from that – even if you wanted to.”
Aaron smiled, and a snotty chuckle escaped his lips.
“How about we go downstairs and finish off our meal?” Zoe said. “I bought some ice cream especially for you. Come on.”
She stood up and held out her hand. Aaron took it and together, as mother and son, they descended the stairs.
“Who is he, anyway?” Aaron said.
“He’s a businessman,” Zoe said.
“The enemy, Dad used to say,” Aaron said.
“This one isn’t so bad,” Zoe said. “But you’ll get to see that for yourself. Oh, I almost forgot. You won’t be the only one going through this. There will be two of you.”
“What do you mean?” Aaron said.
“Bryan has a daughter,” Zoe said. “She’s your age. You used to say you wanted a sister. This could be your chance.”
“What’s her name?” Aaron said.
“Cassandra,” Zoe said. “Cassandra Angelo.”
11
Why her own father, the CEO of a large and growing company, would be nervous about telling his own daughter about his decision to start seeing someone was a surprise to Cassie. She never expected a man like her father to be afraid of anything. But it turned out he was afraid of something: of losing Cassie, or at least her favor. Her mind turned to ways she might be able to exploit the situation. There was a nice pair of heels she had her eye on. Maybe if she spun her father the right way…
Mrs. Rae entered the classroom and addressed the students.
“Okay class,” she said. “Get into the same pairs you were in yesterday.”
“Aw,” Clint said. “Do we have to?”
“Yes,” Mrs. Rae said. “I’ve found this is the best way to encourage students to make friends outside their usual narrow groups. Take your seats please.”
Take your seats, not take a seat. Cassie made a face at Clint as she sat down at the front of the class. Aaron was already hunched over his microscope, peering at a slide. What a nerd.
“Morning, Poindexter,” she said to him.
“Morning,” Aaron said. “Have a nice evening?”
“Not bad,” Cassie said. “Nothing to write home about.”
“Looks like we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other from now on, huh?” Aaron said.
“Yeah well, what can you do?” Cassie said, glancing at Mrs. Rae. “They’re in charge.”
“I never thought I’d hear you say that,” Aaron said.
“They’re in senior positions,” Cassie said. “What can I do but complain during PTA meetings?”
“So, you’re okay with this?” Aaron said.
“There’s nothing to be okay with,” Cassie said. “But the world is the way the world is.”
“That’s very philosophical,” Aaron said.
Cassie shrugged.
“At least now maybe you won’t think of me as such an idiot,” she said. “Let’s just make the best of a bad situation.”
“I don’t think you’re an idiot,” Aaron said. “I think you’re very smart.”
“You do?” Cassie said. She couldn’t hide her surprise.
“Sure,” Aaron said. “You’re in the top set for everything. Your grades are high enough to stop you from going down a set, low enough to make sure you don’t look like someone like me to your friends.”
“You noticed, huh?” Cassie said.
“I don’t understand why you think their opinions are important enough to hold yourself back though,” Aaron said.
“That’s something that will forever prevent you from entering my group of friends,” Cassie said.
“Thankfully,” Aaron said. “I’m surprised you’re taking this so calmly. I would have thought you’d go crazy at the damage it might do to your reputation.”
Cassie snorted.
“You’re not that important,” she said.
Aaron smiled at the gentle
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