He looked for her in the halls the rest of the day, finally waiting out front when school got out. He sat perched on his bike, talking to some girls but scanning the crowds for her. She was elusive, and she almost slipped away, but he spotted her walking home. She was a good distance from the school when he pulled up, his bike idling.
“Wanna ride?” he called out.
She shook her head no and kept moving. He followed alongside her slowly.
“What’s your name?”
She looked over at him, wishing he’d leave her alone. “Cal.”
He nodded. “Yeah, what’s your name?”
She flashed him an annoyed look. “Cal,” she repeated, picking up the pace.
He pulled up a little ways and cut the engine, forcing her to walk past him.
“Seriously, what’s your name?”
She looked at him, his curiosity blazing a confident warm gold. The glow surrounded him, making him look like Apollo. If he were a mythological figure, he’d be a foolish, vain one, like Narcissus, she reminded herself.
“My name is Cal, too,” she informed him flatly.
He laughed, and his amusement came right through his dark eyes. “Is that short for Callie?”
“No.” She kept walking, forcing him to push his bike alongside.
“California?”
“No.”
“Hold on a sec …” he asked, smiling a charming, lopsided smile. “Please?”
She stopped, looking over at him with irritation. He almost felt like he was inconveniencing her, and he’d never had a girl look at him that way before. Her extraordinary eyes darted around like she was trapped, searching for a way out.
“That was you a few nights ago, wasn’t it?”
She nodded once, looking at him with resignation.
“Wow.” He flashed his most beguiling smile. “Thanks for the help.”
She frowned with disapproval. “You should be more careful who you meet up with in the middle of the night.”
“I was doing a favor for my brother,” he said defensively. “Anyway, what were you doing there? You shouldn’t be out wandering around alone in the middle of the night.”
She held her head high. “I can take care of myself.”
He chuckled. I bet you can, he thought, remembering the way she wielded a knife.
She looked angry at being laughed at. “I wasn’t the one meeting with the ruffians.”
“Ruffians?” he said mockingly.
She set her jaw and started walking away fast.
“Hey Cal,” he called after her.
She turned. “What?”
“The dog … Rufus. He’s my brother’s dog. I’m taking care of him while he’s away. I only leave him out at night when I’m gone. He goes nuts and tears up the house if you leave him alone.”
She shrugged and kept walking.
“You still didn’t tell me what Cal was short for,” he called after her.
She didn’t turn around this time. “That’s right Calvin, I didn’t.”
She heard the bike roar to life and watched as he sped away past her, popping a wheelie for her benefit.