Free Hooked (Harlequin Teen) by Liz Fichera Page B

wished
I hadn’t. Now was not a good time to confront Fred Oday in the middle of the
mall. She was the last person Seth needed to see.
    “I didn’t think you saw her,” Seth said. “I saw them when we
walked past the food court. I’m pretty sure they didn’t see us.”
    My eyes narrowed. “Who are you talking about?”
    “Your dad.” Seth lowered his voice along with his chin, not
that it was necessary. The mall noise muffled everything. “And that girl.”
    “ My dad? Where?”
    Seth’s head tilted sideways toward the west end of the food
court.
    I followed the arc of Seth’s head till my gaze landed on a
round table next to the fountain. Through a fake potted fern, I watched as Dad
chatted up a girl with spiky red hair. He was still wearing his shirt and purple
tie from this morning except that his tie was loosened at the neck. The girl
tossed her head back and laughed at something he said. She didn’t look much
older than my cousin Lauren. Except the girl seated across from Dad didn’t look
like she went to college. She wore a black smock with a white name tag,
accentuating the paleness of her face. Her lips were bright red.
    “I think that’s the lady who cuts my dad’s hair,” I
muttered. “She cuts mine, too. Sometimes.”
    Seth turned to me. “She’s pretty hot.”
    “Shut up, Seth,” I said.
    “Well, she is,” he replied, just as Dad placed his hand over
hers in the middle of their tiny table.
    My stomach did a somersault before my cheeks flushed hot.
Dad looked as if he liked her. I found myself clenching my fists. “Let’s get out of
here.”
    “Sure. Where?” he said, but I’d already turned.
    “Anywhere but here.”
    Seth jogged after me. “You gonna tell your mom about
it?”
    I snorted. “Don’t have to.”
    “She already knows?”
    “Why do you think she’s always working?” Seth had to jog to
keep up with me.
    By the time we reached the parking lot, I was breathing so
hard that my ribs hurt. I tried to stop thinking about Dad and his new
girlfriend by thinking about Fred and her smile. But it didn’t really work. I
kept seeing my angry reflection staring back at me in store windows.
    Seth knew me better than to ask what was wrong. “Why don’t
we head to the arcade and scare up some freshmen?”
    “Nah.” I shook my head.
    “Come on,” he said, reaching for the door handle to his
pickup truck. “It’ll be fun.”
    I climbed inside the truck, silent. I wasn’t in the mood to
terrorize the newest unsuspecting freshmen at Lone Butte High School who were
dumbass enough to spend time at the arcade. Last time we did, Seth had had one
redheaded dude practically in tears when he kept challenging him to a game of
air hockey in front of his friends. The frosh had finally relented and bombed,
although not after Seth had smacked the back of his head with his hand and told
him to stop being such a tool.
    “It’ll be a good time,” Seth said, not letting it go. “You
know you want to.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
    I sighed. “Okay, okay. Let’s go.” It was better than going
home. Anything was better than going home.
    “Good answer,” Seth said as the tires squealed across the
parking lot toward the exit.

Chapter 11
Fred
    THE NEXT FEW days proceeded almost exactly as the first.
    Each morning before work, Dad dropped me off in front of the
high school along with my backpack and sometimes my plaid golf bag, depending on
whether I decided to take it home or leave it in the coach’s office. I could
leave my bag in his office every night if I wanted, but I preferred to bring my
clubs home and practice my swing after I did my homework. Sometimes Sam and Pete
would ride with Dad and me. On those days, I relented and let Sam drag my golf
bag out of the van, if I had it. It was like Sam to be nice.
    Then I tried to ignore all the stares and practically nailed my
chin to my chest as I trudged through layers of high school kids to reach Coach
Lannon’s office. At least I had