If I can't have you

eighteen

I step out of Shawn’s car and into the school’s parking lot after a week of staying home, finding somehow that I weirdly missed going to classes. I’m about to hang my backpack over my shoulder when Shawn takes it from my hands so he can carry it for me. I tell him he doesn’t have to, but he won’t take no for an answer, taking my hand and interlocking our fingers before we walk slowly to the main building. It feels odd to hold his hand in front of everyone after hiding it for so long, almost like I got used to keeping it a secret.

We meet Brian, Julia and Alessia at the top of the stairs in front of the doors and they sound happy that I’m back. I can see a few people staring at us as we walk down the hallways to my locker, but no one dares to say anything. Shawn kisses me before I walk into my first class of the day and I somehow already know we’ll be the talk of the school by the end of the first period. It was not a secret in such a small town the fact that I’m his stepsister and that our parents are in a relationship, so just like in any small town, people will talk.

 “ Oh, my god! That’s kind of disturbing. Aren’t they like siblings or something?” I hear a girl whispering to her friend from across the hallway when Shawn meets Julia and I at the cafeteria doors for lunch and greets me with a kiss.

 Shawn looks at the small group of girls that seem to still be talking about us and I roll my eyes. Out of all the things I came to learn about small towns since I moved here, this was the one that I hated the most. People were really nice, but they were also quick to judge and find themselves entitled to talk about other’s lives. Everyone at this point knew about Shawn and I and they have no problem gossiping like we’re not around.

 “ Wouldn’t life be great if people just minded their own business?” Julia says loud enough for the girls talking about Shawn and I hear. “ I mean just like I don’t go around talking about those rumors about what happened in a certain car in the parking lot last week?”

 “ Julia.” I whisper, making her look at me as the other girls quickly walk inside the cafeteria after sending Julia a death stare.

 “ What? They were annoying me.” She says shrugging. “ And she did cheat on her boyfriend in the parking lot last weekend. Brian and Shawn saw it just like everyone else in the swimming team.”

 “ It’s still not cool to call her out like that.” I say as we walk to our usual table, finding Brian and Alessia already there.

 “ How is our it couple doing?” Brian asks, teasing us when we sit down across from him at the table.

 “ Not you too, please.” Shawn says with a laugh.

 “ Sorry, but literally every single person that talked to me today had to ask me if you two were dating. It’s kind of annoying.” He says before taking a bite of his sandwich.

 Alessia tries to change the subject because she can see I’m kind of annoyed by it, but all I can focus on is how everyone in the cafeteria seems to be watching us. I send angry stares to a few people on the nearby tables, who apparently find quite entertaining the fact that Shawn has his arm over my shoulders. I feel his hand squeezing my shoulder, making me look up at him and notice his apologetic expression.

 “ Sorry.” He whispers in my ear, knowing this is getting to me more than it should.

 “ You know what?” I whisper back so only him can hear. “ Maybe we should give them something actually entertaining to talk about.”

 Feeling brave for a moment and ignoring everyone around us, I place a hand on his face and pull him down for a kiss. His arm slips from my shoulders to my waist and suddenly we’re giving the whole school a show as we kiss like no one is watching. We only pull away when we hear Julia cheering and clapping, but she’s the only one and half an hour later we’re at the principal's office while he calls my dad. We get scolded when we get home, but both him and Ella let it slip after we tell them how people were being nosy and talking about us all day.