Page 24 of Ask No Questions

Neil came into the room to tell my mother it was time to leave. He was dressed in a designer tuxedo and looked every bit the renowned heart surgeon he was. He was a distinguished looking man with salt and pepper hair and an air of superiority.

Neil took a brief look at my red-rimmed eyes and turned back, choosing to ignore what he saw. “We have to leave, Katherine. I’m presenting tonight, and we cannot be late.”

I watched as he turned and descended the stairs feeling my hope going down with him. My mother patted my shoulder as she passed. She didn’t say good-bye or that we would discuss it later.

I was already forgotten.

Eleven

I misjudged Mr. Cox. He looked and acted strict, but the second day was the same as the first, only this time we got a ten-minute lecture on the chapter we were covering that week. Then he excused us to work on the assignment for the rest of the period. Of course that meant chatting until the bell rang. As Mike scooted his desk up next to mine, I looked up and saw Sydney openly glaring at me. Didn’t she know her face was going to freeze like that if she didn’t relax?

"Hey, Study Buddy. How did you like your first day at this fine institution?"

"It was all right. None of my classes have this one beat, though," I teased.

His smile brightened. "Of course not, this is the only class I'm in with you. So, tell me about yourself, new girl."

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. The only people that asked questions like that were adults, usually in an interview setting.

"I was born and raised in Chicago. My mom is the head of too many charities to keep track of, and my stepfather is a heart surgeon. I have a younger sister, Peyton, who is my parents' pride and joy.”

“Where’s your dad?”

His interruption startled me. I wasn’t used to people asking that, but I guess everyone back home knew.

“He died when I was really little. I don’t remember him, and my mom remarried soon after. Neil is the only father I’ve known, but I’ve never called him dad. I guess I just followed my older brother. Brandon remembers our dad so when he kept using Neil’s name, so did I.”

“I’m sorry, Aubrey. That sucks. Is Brandon the one you live with now?”

“Yeah.”

"Well, now that all the informative and formal stuff is out of the way, tell me about you. Did you leave any boys or friends or boyfriends behind?"

I chuckle at how direct he is. "Not really. I don't have a boyfriend. At least not anymore… We had an incident at my family's Christmas party, and I have sworn off men."

"Now that's not fair, new girl!” He crossed his arms across his broad chest, showing off his bulging biceps. “Don't let some dirt bag ruin all of our chances. A girl like you shouldn't be allowed to swear off the rest of us."

I didn’t have the nerve to ask him what he meant by ‘a girl like me’ so I ignored it. "You find me a good guy, Mike, someone honest and loyal, and I will consider changing my mind."

"Done. You and I are going out on Saturday."

I laughed despite his straight face. "Mighty sure of yourself. Are you positive you’re the best choice as the representative for all men?"

"Trust me, Aubrey, I'm a true gentleman. And this doesn't have to mean anything. I just want to show you how a girl like you deserves to be treated. Any loser who has a chance with you and ruins it should be committed."

I wasn't sure how to reply to such a sincere compliment from someone who had the reputation of a player and class clown. “All right, I’ll give you one chance.”

For the rest of the class period, we worked on our homework, not discussing anything about my past or our date. I didn’t plan on wanting to go out with anyone. Especially with a new guy I barely knew, but it felt so easy with Mike. I wanted to trust him. I probably could have changed my mind and suffered a little teasing from Mike, but I needed to face my fears head on.

I gathered my things before the bell rang and hurried to the gym, not giving Mike the chance to catch up to me. I wanted to get changed and start stretching before the other girls got there. I slipped into my jazz pants and school t-shirt and carried my jazz shoes in with me.

I watched as each girl walked in and could instantly tell whether or not they were going to be assessed or had been approved by Coach Sandra already based on their expressions. I was surprised when Sydney walked in, looking anxious. I scooted closer to where Cassie was stretching and shot her a questioning look. She followed my gaze then gave me a mischievous smile.

"I thought she was Ms. Pop Star."

"She thought so, but this past summer someone in the industry actually told her that she couldn't sing without Auto-tune and had as much rhythm as a toddler playing the drums. Her agent recommended she take lessons, but she fought it—obviously in denial—until now, apparently."

"This just got so much better."