Mask of Celibacy

Chapter 7

My stomach churned with nerves.

Grandad peered behind him through the rear-view mirror and the side mirrors before I met his concerned gaze through the windshield. He could never hide his emotions, and this was definitely anger. Or fear. Or both.

Uh-oh! This is gonna be bad.

Don't worry. Just play it casual. No big deal.

It doesn't have to turn into an argument.

I opened the passenger side door, tossed my bag on the floor, and hopped in. "Hi! Sorry I'm late."

"Late was fifteen minutes ago," said Grandad in a firm tone. "Where were you?"

"I—I—I had to discuss something with my French teacher," I said, my heart pounding.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really!" I said, a bit snottier than I'd intended.

Oh, well. Too late now.

Grandad's harsh glare shrank me about fifty sizes until I could have crawled inside the dashboard. And I wished I could have done so.

"Don't you take that tone of voice with me, young lady!" he growled. "What the hell takes half an hour to discuss?"

"Madame Waters wants me to tutor a student," I said, my head held high.

"Oh, really? And who is this student?" he asked. "Could it be Mr. H-She?"

"Grandad!"

"Is it?"

Heaving a resigned sigh, I leaned against the window. Refusing to look him in the eye. Clenching my jaw in anger. It wasn't fair! Never once had I broken their rules, and they always acted like I was some kind of common criminal ready to throw my virginity to the wind.

What in the actual frack, man? If I wanted to do that, I'd have done it already.

I was tutoring people, not screwing them. I never wanted to screw them!

Why didn't they get that?

In some ways, I wish I did want to boink a dude. At least then I'd be freaking normal rather than just a freak.

Ugh!

"Am I talking to myself here?" snarled Grandad.

Danger, Will Robinson.

Grandad flipping his lid wasn't a pleasant sight. He never got violent, but he got loud. Really loud. Mom called him Teddy Bear for a reason. Most of the time, he was sweet as a teddy, but sometimes he did act like a freaking bear. No holds barred. Dukes up.

With all the verbal rage of a Spartan warrior.

The problem was: I had fiery blood too. So we loved each other fiercely and fought even fiercer.

"No, you're not talking to yourself here," I answered in a caustic tone. "Unfortunately."

"Jessica Maria Sophia Perez!" he shouted. "I've had just about enough of your sass!"

Jessica?! Are you fucking kidding me?

My blood pressure shot through the goddamn roof.

"Don't call me Jessica!"

"Then don't act saucy with me." He gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. "I had to put up with enough crap from your grandmother today. Not you too!"