Thief(5)

“And I’ll never let you forget it,” I say, poking my tongue out.

“Brat,” he grumbles.

When Dash falls into line with us, Max and I both give him side-glances.

“No gym?” Max asks, chuckling.

Dash shoots him a stern look, but says nothing else on the subject. “What do you know about a guy named Tom Richards?”

“Why?” Max asks.

“He’s asked Sierra out on a date, and she really wants to go, apparently,” he says, sounding extremely put out.

Max looks to me. “Have you heard of the dude?”

I nod. “Yeah, he does the school yearbook with me. A year younger than us.”

“Decent?” Dash asks me, gently grabbing my arm and pulling me to stop. “If he’s an *, there’s no way I’m letting her go. Her tears worked last time, but they won’t be saving her this time.”

Both their eyes linger on me, waiting for my answer. I shift on my feet, not too sure what to say. I don’t know the guy that well, but he seems nice enough. What if he turns out to be a dickhead though? Then everyone will blame me in the end.

“I mean, I don’t think I know him well enough to make this judgement.” I think of Sierra having to deal with her overbearing older brother yet again and feel a pang of sympathy for her. I then come up with an idea that has less pressure on me if Tom turns out to be a bad boy. “What if you tell her she can go to a movie with him? Max and I will be there Friday night, so we could keep an eye out on her, and you wouldn’t have to worry so much.”

I feel like squirming as Dash looks at me, thinking about my idea. He’s wearing a red cap today, and earlier I saw another girl take it off his head to put it on hers.

I didn’t like that.

The cap suits him, though. As does the black t-shirt he’s wearing.

“You wouldn’t mind doing that?” Dash asks, turning his attention to Max.

“Not a problem, bro,” Max replies, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’ll even threaten him a little, if you like.”

“You’re the best,” Dash replies, flashing his dimples. “I have to stay home this weekend to look after my younger sisters, so I won’t be able to keep an eye on Sierra.” He slaps Max on the shoulder affectionately. “Got to get going.” He turns that violet gaze on me then, and I think I stop breathing. “Thanks, Viola.”

“No problem,” I manage to get out then watch him as he leaves.

He stays home all weekend to look after his sisters?

“That’s nice of him to stay home with them,” I say, trying to wrap my head around Dash and exactly who he is.

“Yeah,” Max says, bumping me so I move forward. “Sometimes he brings them to the basketball games if Sierra can’t watch the younger two. He’s a really great brother. Four sisters, though…that’s a lot to take on.”

I have to agree.

“What if they ditch the movie or something?”

Max just grins, flashing white straight teeth. “I’ll have a little talk with Tommy boy before Friday.”

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” I ask, shaking my head. Max is an only child, like me, and I can picture him doing this to his sister if he ever had one. I guess the closest thing he has to a sister is me, and since I don’t really have much of a love life, his bullying skills have been put to rest until now.

“I am, actually,” he says, looking amused. “Look at us, chaperoning teenagers.”

“Teenagers who are like a year or so younger than us,” I point out, smirking. “That probably makes us a little too responsible for our age, if you ask me.”

Max stills. “You’re right. We should turn up to the cinema drunk.”

I laugh, even though I know he’s totally serious.





Chapter Four


“He’s just putting his arm around her,” I whisper to Max, grabbing his arm and pulling him back into his seat. “You can’t do anything to him over that! Imagine if this was you out on this date. You’d be doing way worse than that.”

“We’re not talking about me, though,” Max grumbles, sitting back down. He pulls out a pair of binoculars from his pocket and I scrub my hand down my face.

“You’re freaking kidding me right now,” I mutter to myself, watching my best friend as he peers through the binoculars. I’m pretty sure he can’t see shit through them; he’s just trying to be dramatic.

“I take this shit very seriously,” he says, shoving a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

“I can see that,” I say dryly then look back at the screen. “I think Tom must really like Sierra to put up with all of this shit, to be honest.”

“Time will show his true intentions.”

I roll my eyes and block him out as he grumbles about not having a close enough view of where Sierra’s hands are. When the movie comes to an end, we wait for the two of them outside. Max pulls Tom aside for a chat, leaving Sierra and me alone.

“This is ridiculous,” she says, pursing her red lips. “But Tom has been so sweet! He asked me out again. Don’t you think he’s so good looking?”

I don’t, but anyway…

“You two look cute together,” is all I tell her.