1.4 Do you want to carpool with me?

I drum my fingers impatiently against the car door, and Arnold's elderly driver, Jerry, gives me a concerned look. I smile at him. He's one of the good ones, not asking a thing when I asked him to drop me off a little ways from the school. I wonder if he can tell that I have no intention of going to school at all today.

Once I'm dropped off, I make sure that the car is out of sight before I take in my surroundings. I spot a convenience store a block away and thinking that a drink would be nice, I skip towards it happily. I can't help myself. I got David off my back yesterday, without either of my parents bailing me out. Who would've thought that the principal's a fan of Arnold's? Coupled with the lack of evidence on David's part, I am confident that I'm off the hook on this one.

"Hey!" I protest as someone bumps into me from behind. Unbelievable. Why does this thing keep happening to me? I right myself up, glaring at the guy. He doesn't spare me a glance, running straight towards the entrance of the store. I am about to yell at him about manners when I see him catch a girl who has just fainted. My jaw drops. Okay... It's clearly an emergency. I should probably put a pin on my tirade.

"Um... do you need help?!" I hesitantly ask the guy as he runs back towards where he came from, the girl in his arms.

He glances at me as if he didn't even notice I was there, "Oh, it-it's okay. I got it." he replies, quickening his pace.

"Thanks, Hyung. I'll return your car as soon as possible," he says to someone behind me.

"Of course. Drive safely, Sai." a familiar voice replies, and I tense up. Behind me, I hear the sound of a car driving away. Shit. Does this mean I am left alone with him?

"Dina Matthews. 16. African-American. Birthday, September 8. Arnold Moon's stepdaughter." David recites behind me. Panicked, I look for anything in the empty street that can hide me, which is ridiculous since he already has me cornered.

Realizing I have no choice but to confront him, I finally turn to look at him. Damn. He looks good today. Not like I didn't notice before. He's not as good-looking as Kier, objectively speaking, but I like his face. It would be such a waste if he did turn out to be gay. He and Kier both.

"Hey," I say, matching his tone. "David, right? Probably 16. Korean, probably American too. Your birthday? I don't really know, and I don't care. I also haven't been introduced to your parents. But it's probably not important."

He blinks at me, suppressing a smile. There's a sadness to his smile though, and I wonder which of what I said brought it on. I also want to know why he's suddenly talking to me like we're friends. I narrow my eyes at him, curious. The heat of the sun behind him makes me squint harder.

"Are you okay?" He peers at me with concern. Right. I must've looked like I was trying not to burst. I quickly smooth my expression. "You suddenly looked constipated," he comments and my mouth falls open.

What did he just say? I brace for a comeback but he cuts me off with a laugh. "I'm just kidding. Jeez. Relax."

I glare at him. "You're rude," I tell him. He shrugs at that, still smirking.

"Look. I want to apologize about yesterday," he says, suddenly serious. "I acted like an ass and accused you of something that you didn't do. I realized how stupid that was. I mean, why would Arnold Moon's stepdaughter go around stealing like that, right?"

I process his words, waiting for the punchline. It seems too good to be true. I honestly don't know if I should believe him and let my guard down. He keeps my gaze as I study him, waiting patiently for my response.

"Oh. That was nothing. Understandable. Let's just forget about it." I tell him, though I store the suspicion in my brain. He's clearly up to something. And he knows that I know that.

"Great," he responds with a smile, offering me his hand. "Friends, then? I'm David Choi. Though you probably already knew that. Everyone just calls me Dave."

"Dina," I shake his hand cautiously, meeting his eyes. Yep. Definitely up to something.

"Dina," he repeats warmly. "May I now ask why you are here? Are you lost?"

"I was driving to school when my car broke down." I lie smoothly, keeping my face steady.

"Oh. What's the problem, exactly? Maybe I can help."

Great. He's the probing type. Tucking my hair into my ear, I pretend that I don't hear his question. "Where's what?"

"Your car, " he replies, amused.

"Oh. I-I had it towed to the repair shop." I stammer again. Shit. When did I get so bad at lying?

David pauses, assessing me. I hold my breath for more questions from him. So, is this his plan? Ask me questions about a non-existent car?

"Well, I came here with mine, but my friend Simon had to borrow it due to an emergency, as you saw earlier."

"Oh," I say. "You must be a really good friend. Just handing your car over like that."

"Nah. I usually don't, but as I said, that was an emergency," he replies, "I am a good person though. And I really hate it when people lie and steal from each other."

I freeze, gauging his expression. He is still smiling. I consider calling him out on that statement. But it's probably the opening he needs to grill me about the wallet again, so I digress. "Well, isn't that nice?" I tell him.

"It is." he agrees. He sounds amused that I am playing along. I narrow my eyes at him. "Well, if you're up to it, maybe we could walk to school together? It's only about five blocks away,"

I look at him, he's actually offering his arm like a gentleman. I take it, but not before giving him the fakest smile I can muster. Damn it. So much for skipping school.