I snorted. "Yeah, right."

Mr. K sat up straight and measured my expression.

“What's wrong? Surely there's some girl out there you think is hot and are looking forward to seeing again tomorrow."

I shook my head.

“I got all the hot girls I need hanging out with me all the time."

Mr. K exchanged a look with Belle. He knew about the "Nobody dates

Matty" rule, but every now and again he looked like he wanted to check and make sure that The Rule was still in force. She just shrugged.

So Mr. K Looked back to me. "I meant someone you might actually be able to date."

I waved him off.

“I haven't had a girl approach me in more than six months. And even the ones I might be interested in all get scared off by the BTC."

Belle frowned. "We do NOT scare them off."

I shot her a look.

“Were you not there when I started talking to Ashley

Mitchell and Sam suddenly joined us with a smile full of teeth, thrusting her big power boobs out an extra couple of inches?"

Belle snorted and choked a little bit. She coughed, thumped her chest twice, and managed to say, “I forgot about that.”

Mr. K looked at his daughter. "Doesn't seem very fair."

I shook my head.

“I‘m not complaining. Seriously, it's fine."

Mr. K's eyebrows both went up.

“Well, it's a brand-new year. Anything can happen."

He was totally right.

“I hate school, I hate school, I hate school," Belle muttered as she slammed the passenger door shut on my minivan.

Back before I'd turned sixteen, Mother offered to buy me a new car.

Expensive gifts like that were one way she felt she was still fulfilling her parental responsibilities in lieu of spending quality time with me. She thought I'd go for a fancy sports car, but I'd surprised her with the minivan request. She understood after the first day I drove the entire BTC to the beach.

Belle was still muttering about how she hated school. I didn't respond except to arch an eyebrow and wave to Mari, who stood just outside