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on surprise quizzes.” She laughed without humor. “Maybe my father could adopt you so
you
can be the doctor in the family.” She looked over at Chuck and brightened. “Hey, Justin,” she said with a wink. “Wanna practice for Mrs. Hall’s class?” Mrs. Hall was our theater teacher. I knew immediately what she meant.
    “Sure!” I said.
    I aggressively grabbed her and dipped her for the fake make-out.
    “What the hell!” Chuck yelled.
    I suddenly felt on my body two hands I had been fantasizing about touching me. Unfortunately, instead of caressing me, they were forcefully pulling me away from Becky.
    “Relax, Chuck!” Becky said, laughing as I caught my breath. “We’re practicing stage kissing … for acting class. It’s not real.”
    Chuck looked embarrassed … and gorgeous.
    “Anyway,” she said, obviously for my benefit, “why should you care? We’re broken up.”
    I already knew the real deal but didn’t comment.
    Chuck nodded and said stiffly, “You’re right, Becky. We are.”
    Ouch. If that was his version of convincing, maybe
he
was the one who needed acting class.
    “OK, Becks,” he said awkwardly. “So, uh … I guess I’ll see you when that report is due. Around eleven.”
    That didn’t make any sense, but I knew what his clunky cover-up really meant. I was annoyed that he was about to leave. My plan was not to wait here with Becky but to get some quality time with Chuck. I heard a car turning into the school lot. I looked and saw that it wasn’t my mom’s. It was some kind of red sports car.
    “Oh no!” said Becky in a frightened whisper. “It’s my father!”
    “I thought his car was broken,” I said.
    “He’s driving my mother’s car. She must have come home early.”
    She suddenly looked at me and we both realized that she never told me about her father’s car being in the shop. I had read it on Chuck’s computer screen.
    She looked at me quizzically. “How did you know—”
    “Becky!” Her dad walked up with a big smile. He was an imposing six foot three with a youthful, handsome face but completely silver hair. “I’m so glad I caught you. You called a cab—”
    He cut off abruptly when he saw Chuck. He turned toward Becky. His whole face changed. What had been open and friendly was now closed and steaming mad.
    “What is he doing here?” he demanded.
    “He’s a student in this school, Dad!” Becky said, exasperated.
    “Don’t take that tone with me, young lady. You know that your mother and I forbade you from seeing him anymore.”
    Chuck stepped up to her father. “Dr. Phillips, we broke up last June like you wanted. We just happened to have detention today.”
    Her father’s eyes narrowed. “You also just happened to be at Ben and Jerry’s that night I saw both of you. And at the Gap. And at the footbridge by the lake.”
    Becky looked nervous. “Dad, stop! Chuck lives in this town. I can’t help it if he sometimes goes for ice cream or to the mall.”
    Her father was silent. Then it looked like he made a decision.
    “No, Becky, you can’t control the fact that he’s always nearby. However,
I
can.” He pointed his finger at her. “I’m taking you out of this school and enrolling you somewhere you can focus on your academics and
not
on the local quarterback.”
    Becky looked stricken. So did I. If she transferred, it meant that Chuck would transfer, too. I couldn’t lose my boyfriend before I stole him.
    “Dr. Phillips,” I said desperately, “you have to believe that Becky isn’t dating Chuck anymore.”
    He looked at me quizzically. “Aren’t you Dr. Goldblatt’s son?”
    I smiled. “Yes, sir. I am.”
    He looked pleased. “I see your father at conferences often. Apparently”—he winked at me—“you’re a bio whiz.”
    Oy. I hated it when my father bragged about my bio grades. Especially since I didn’t care about that crap at all. I wanted the Great White Way, not the alimentary canal.
    He looked me up and down.