Accidental Mobster by M. M. Cox Page B

week—Tommy would have nothing to gain by revealing that to the people at the school. What else does Tommy know about me? He had called me a gutter-rat. That’s not exactly true, but it’s getting close. Tommy can’t know anything about me that’s personal—can he?
    â€œSo, what are you hiding?” Tony asks, attempting to sound curious, but I can sense the edge of suspicion in his voice. I look at Portia. She is studying me intently, yet she doesn’t ask any questions. I feel frustrated, even though I don’t know for sure what Tommy knows. I must be patient to find out what is going on—and patience, unfortunately, is not something that comes easy for me.

    * * * *

    By the end of the first day of school, I realize that high school is going to be completely different from middle school. Of course, the change in school districts only makes that difference bigger. The classes are going to be much more challenging—no longer can I do the bare minimum and still manage to make an A. I already have a ton of homework and am worried about being able to finish it in one evening. Of course, completing my homework would probably not be a problem if I wasn’t so concerned with planning my personal investigation of Gino, which I hope to begin tonight.
    The teachers are more energetic and less stressed than those in Ridley. My schedule will alternate every other day, and I am glad that I won’t have to worry about algebra until tomorrow. So far, I think I will get along with my teachers. I especially like the homeroom and history teacher, Miss Lowe—not only because she is nice but also because she is hot, for a teacher anyway. By the interest from the other guys in the class, I know I’m not the only student impressed with her appearance. The English teacher, Mr. Capriotti, seems like a good guy also, but I am distracted by the fact that he shares a last name with the man Gino mentioned last night.
    Portia, Tony and I all have biology as our final class of the day, so after the bell, we stroll down the hallway toward our lockers. Portia seems to have a friend tucked into every corner of the school, but she obviously spends the most time with Tony, much to my dismay. At the moment, the three of us are joined by one of those friends, a small, curvy girl with long, straight dark hair and brown eyes. Portia introduces her as Evie Alvarez, and she’s pretty but talks too much about her dad, a Newcastle detective. I’m hoping Evie won’t always be hanging around us because she seems endlessly interested in the Vigliottis. And I’m also a little ticked at Portia because she told Evie about Tommy wanting to meet me after school. Evie is very curious about that too, but I have given her nothing but a grunt or head movement in answer to her volley of questions. I’m actually a little afraid she might follow me there.
    That thought leads me to wonder if Portia will want to come with me when I face off with Tommy. I can’t let her because I just don’t know what Tommy is going to say, and I don’t want to lose Portia as a friend if the truth comes out about my past. I think of how uninterested in me the girls in Ridley were when they found out which neighborhood I lived in or where my dad worked. And those were Ridley girls—hardly much better off than I! I don’t believe Portia is that shallow, but I’m not going to take the chance. Especially when I’m competing with boy genius, Tony.
    We stop at our lockers, and I pull out the books I need for my homework. Portia asks Tony if we can all get together to tackle biology homework tonight. He nods, and she turns to me. “You want to study with us tonight?”
    I shake my head. I know it’s strange to turn down a girl that I’m really into, especially when that means she’ll be spending that time with Tony. But I must figure out what to do about Gino before I concentrate on