The Viper (Untamed Hearts #1)(83)
“You forgot this, cari?o.” He held up a small cooler bag. “Tía Sofia packed it for you. We didn’t want you to starve.”
“I could’ve eaten at the cafeteria,” she said as Marcos walked in like the room belonged to him.
He set the lunch down on her desk, but he wasn’t looking at her. Instead he eyed the guy sitting in the front. Then his gaze darted to his friends spread out on the ends of the first row.
He did it fast, so much so Marcos probably thought she wouldn’t notice the flash of a gang sign with his hands. It was different from the ones he used with his friends. Katie didn’t recognize it, but she wasn’t going to acknowledge it either.
Certainly not in front of the class.
“Gracias.” She pushed at his shoulder and then turned to the class. “Excuse me for one moment.”
She all but shoved Marcos out the door and then closed it behind her as she whispered, “What did that mean?”
“It meant he better not f*ck with you.” Marcos reached out and smacked her ass as he gave her a smile. “Have a good day, chica.”
She turned around, making sure no one was in the hallway. Then she shoved his shoulder. “Get out of here.”
“I was thinking I could close up early and take you to the beach before dinner.” Marcos put his sunglasses back on. “Call me at lunch.”
Katie couldn’t help but smile, though she knew she shouldn’t be encouraging him. Then she went back into the classroom. She looked at the students, trying to gauge if they’d noticed anything, but they didn’t seem to. They all looked normal and restless like teenagers were apt to do on the first day back to school.
“I’m sorry about that.” She walked to the chalkboard and grabbed a piece of chalk. “As you saw on your schedules, my name is”—she wrote as she spoke—“Mrs. Rivera, and this is eleventh grade World History. When I call your name, you can tell me what you like to be referred to as, and I’ll do my very best to remember.”
Katie picked up the roll sheet. She looked at the boy in the middle, and then found his name on the list. “Since we’ve already been introduced, Mr. Perez, is it Jesus, or do you prefer something else? Chuito or—”
“Chu. It’s just Chu,” he mumbled as he looked to the door. Then he met his friends’ gazes uncertainly and finally huffed in frustration. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Rivera…about before.”
He seemed to choke on the apology, but something in the silent communication with his friends must have forced it out of him.
“Apology accepted,” she said with another smile. “As long as you don’t make a habit of it, I think we’ll get along fine.”
*