UNEDITED
Calla Henrik's family runs the best ATV business in town, and she's ready to take over the family business for the summer while her parents go on a much-needed vacation. She's ready to earn some money before she attends the University of A...
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Calla
"Maddox Kase?!" Laurel exclaims.
I can't exactly decipher the look on my best friend's face, but if I were to hazard a guess, I'd say her face is the epitome of both disgust and concern. Even before I told her who I had hired, I figured this was going to happen. Laurel isn't stupid – the girl is going to law school for god's sake! – but where she has brains, she lacks empathy and the ability to give people second chances. She's the type of woman that will hold a grudge for years upon years, or judge someone's entire character by something they said when they were an immature teenager.
"Calla..." she trails off as she ties her brown hair up into a ponytail. "You can't hire someone like Maddox Kase. Or anyone that's associated with him, for that matter. His dad is bad news, and I can't imagine what Maddox does behind the scenes to please his father."
I turn my face away and pretend to focus my attention on folding clothes. I'm hoping Laurel doesn't catch the look of pity on my face, a look that's the result of the pang of sadness that reverberates in my heart. There's no way I'll be able to change Laurel's mind, but I can guarantee that Maddox is far from pleasing his father after seeing the bruises on his face. "Laurel," I sigh, "I know you don't like him or his cousin, but what's done is done. Maddox and Vance are going to be the other camp leaders for the summer. They proved themselves worthy of the role through hard work and skill."
"I don't think taking them on a black diamond trail overrules their relation to Roman Kase."
My temper getting the best of me, I slam my laundry bin down on my desk and turn to face Laurel. "Knock it off, okay?" I snap, feeling defensive of both Maddox and Vance. "It's not their fault they're related to Roman Kase. Kids don't get to choose their family or their parents. And just because Maddox is the son of a drug lord doesn't mean he's taking part in it. Besides, what the hell do you know about any of the trails? Last time I checked, you hated ATVing with a fiery passion. You never fail to tell me why I should hang up my helmet and get a better pair of boots."
Laurel tips her chin up, nose pointing to the popcorn ceiling of my bedroom. "It's a dangerous hobby, Calla. I don't like you going out there and risking your life for some dumb thrills."
I suppress a frustrated sigh. Laurel and I are like the moon and the sun – polar opposites. Sometimes, I wonder why we're even friends. "It's not a hobby. It's a sport. And I don't do it for dumb thrills. I do it so that when I become a conservation officer, I can handle any trails in any part of Canada. I want to make sure people are following regulations and not contributing to the damage we've already done to the planet."
Laurel stares at me with her stormy grey eyes. She's tapping her bottom lip with her pointer finger, her tongue pressed firmly below her lower lip and making her mouth look like it juts out. "Fine," she sighs. "Fine. All I'm asking is that you're careful around Maddox and his cousin. Those two were bad news back in high school, Calla."
