Free Chaos (Book 4) (The Omega Group) by Andrea Domanski Page A

the comment itself. He glared at Phoenix before slamming the door on
yet another one of his partner’s wry grins.
    Orano’s chest tightened as they entered their room. “Which
bed do you want?” he asked.
    “I’ll take the one by the window. I like to see the stars at
night.” Gracey plopped her suitcase on the bed and grabbed her nightclothes.
“I’ll be right back.”
    As he watched her enter the bathroom and close the door,
Orano let out a long breath. His nerves were getting the better of him. When he
looked at Gracey, he saw his childhood friend. The girl who’d driven him crazy
by breaking through his well-honed gruff exterior. The girl who never let him
retreat from her, even when being his friend caused her trouble. The girl who’d
given him his first kiss.
    “Something wrong, Sparkles?” she asked as she exited the
bathroom wearing a huge T-shirt and shorts.
    The girl who’d nicknamed him Sparkles.
    “No, and can you please not call me that?” Orano grumbled.
    “No can do, Sparkles. You’re stuck with that one for life.”
Gracey laughed.
    Orano grabbed his bag and stomped off to the bathroom to get
himself ready for bed. The memory of the day she’d given him that name flooded
his thoughts.
    It had been his least favorite day of the year during middle
school. The day all of the students brought their fathers to school and
introduced them to the class. Since Orano didn’t have a father—at least not one
he’d ever met—he sat alone and endured the smirks from his classmates. By the
time lunch break came around, he’d had about all he could take.
    Instead of heading outside to eat with the other kids where
he would no doubt have been tortured even more, Orano grabbed his lunch box and
snuck into an empty classroom to eat in peace. Mrs. Greer, his seventh grade
art teacher, always left her room unlocked at lunch, so it quickly became his
secret hideaway. That day, however, it didn’t offer the quiet it usually did.
He could hear his classmates laugh and play with their fathers through the open
window.
    Grinding his teeth in anger, Orano sat on the floor trying
to ignore the sounds. He pulled out his lunch and tore through it as though he
hadn’t eaten in days. When he finished, he dutifully picked up the empty
wrappers and tinfoil to throw them in the trashcan. One piece, however, drew
his eye. The yellow Post-It must have been hidden in his lunch box, and he’d
missed it in his haste. He uncrumpled the note and read his mother’s words.
    Darling, don’t let them get to you. They’re not worth it.
I love you!
    His anger quickly turned to guilt as he thought of his mom.
Even though he’d never mentioned the day’s planned activities to her, she’d
known anyway and tried to make him feel better. He’d been so miserable about
not having a father to bring to school, that he’d ignored what he did have. A
mother who loved him.
    After pressing the note against his pants in an effort to
remove the creases, he carefully placed it back inside his lunch box. She was
right. They weren’t worth it. He would deal with that day like he dealt with
all others—with strength and courage. Just like his mom taught him.
    The calm that came over him after reading his mother’s words
didn’t last very long. Some of the boys in his class were playing kickball
outside the open window, and their conversation set Orano’s blood to boil.
    “Did you see him sitting there? What a dork.”
    “I heard his dad left before he was even born because he
didn’t want him.”
    “No, I heard that his mom had so many boyfriends, she
doesn’t even know who his father is.”
    Orano clenched his fists. He’d heard those words before, but
on that day they were more than he could bear. As he reached for his lunchbox,
the rubber ball being kicked by the boys outside flew through the window,
crashing into Mrs. Greer’s art supplies on a nearby table. He heard the boys
curse before running away so as not to get