It wasn’t the first time Ian was showing up unannounced at my school. While I wasn’t as surprised as the first time, I was just as irritated. Maybe even more so considering the fact that he was drawing a lot more curious gazes this time as he causally lounged against my car with his jacket hanging jauntily over his shoulder like there was a hidden film crew secretly taping the event. That and the fact that I hadn’t ditched my friends yet annoyed me to no end.
He couldn’t have picked a worse day to show up. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking post last night’s confession but in my book, he was still a dirty secret I needed to hide. Showing up unannounced at my school with Claire out for blood was one hundred percent unacceptable.
The girls started walking in his direction before I even took a step forward.
I scowled and quickened my pace, getting to him just a few moments before they did.
“I told you to wait at home!” I hissed quietly.
“You always go directly to your job. I figured I’d better meet you here,” he whispered back just as the girls came to stop behind me.
I shot him a look that made it clear I wasn’t a fan of his idea before pasting an amicable smile on my face. I turned to face my friends so Ian and I were standing next to each other, facing them.
“Guys, this is Mask-- Ian.” My smile felt like more teeth than lips but with their attention firmly fixed on Ian, they didn’t notice. They didn’t even catch the blunder I almost made saying his name. “Ian, my classmates. Mae. Claire. Tony. Bailey. Cara.”
“Hello.” Claire led the coop, an angelic smile on her face.
“Hey.” Ian nodded.
“You’re picking Avy up?” she asked innocently.
I managed to refrain from scowling but I didn’t buy her act one bit.
“Uhmm,” he hinged, looking for me to help.
Keeping my expression neutral became so much harder.
I couldn’t communicate to him that it was a question that required a lie. Not with Claire’s hawk-like gaze trained on me, waiting for any slip-ups. Any tells. If I so much as glanced at Ian, she would know something was up, that I had something to hide so, I kept my gaze on the others and prayed he would be smart enough -for the first time ever- to come up with an acceptable response on his own.
“Yeah, I guess.” He shrugged when no help came from me.
It took all my willpower not to slap a hand against my forehead in exasperation. His response would have Claire panting for more.
“Really?” She beamed, eyes narrowing imperceptibly.
“Yeah, I need her help with something. She’s the smartest person I know,” he embellished, then threw in a shrug at the end like it was supposed to be common knowledge.
my shoulders fading away. A smile was easy to drum up
Claire smiled
one who caught the annoyed glint in her
tomorrow.” I feigned
couldn’t get
did a good job with your makeup. What lie
touching his expertly concealed black eye.
boxing. Told her my dad was in
a liar of you
never be a good liar. How Tammy bought
he inquired. “That girl. It felt like she was fishing for
I shrugged, keeping my
a boyish grin that had
ahead of yourself there,
my lips
your friend, why was she acting that way?”
took my eyes off the road for
steering, “I don’t think of her as an enemy but I wouldn’t call her a friend. An irritation, yes. An annoyance, yes but we’re too passive for actual enemy status. It’s more that we just have the same group of friends and are mature enough to
as I wondered whether or not to pursue it. Eventually, I decided to let it go. It wasn’t
here,” I needlessly announced, pulling up at the library.
regulars- blinked when he trailed in behind me. I immediately got to work updating the log. He perched gingerly
you and her. She's the same one from the day you fell sick. What's up with you two?” he asked conversationally, sparing me a
your business,” I said flatly, not taking my eyes off the desktop
he cajoled, inserting his face in the space between mine and the computer screen, awarding me an up-close-and-personal view
didn’t need
looking lips, big eyebrows that somehow still worked and a barely there beard which he,
cleared my throat awkwardly, pushing his head out of
grinned with all the roguish charm of a boy band member and for a second I understood why
averting my gaze, “is smart. Really smart and she has the guts -and the brains- to go after what she wants. I
rolled his eyes
was doing. “She moved to town in middle school. Before that, she was the best at
she met
I sighed. “Until she
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