Different Sides To The Same Story

Chapter eighteen - Jason Dalton

   "Can't you, like, do anything?" Jaime asks me.

I squint at her, "How could I help right now? I'm as useless as the rest of you, unless you want me to beat 'em up." I offer.

"What? No? But like you're popular, I'm sure people care that our only good teacher is being fired for being gay." Jaime tells me.

I shake my head, "Since when am I popular?" I question, "Everyone hates me."

"Yeah but you're, like, popular in like the 'no one likes you type' way." Callie adds in.

I shake my head, "Gee thanks man." I say, sarcastically.

"I mean you know how many girls are after you man, that type of popular." She adds.

Lily sits down beside me, dropping her tray of food down on the table. "Can you believe they're firing Ms. Deckers?" She asks, biting into an apple.

I take a sip of her open chocolate milk, turning back to the dumb looks everyones giving me, "Okay since when are you guys even on speaking terms?" Seth asks, his first time entering our conversation.

I turn to Lily muttering an 'oh yeah.' I put up my hands, "We got back together." I tell them.

Callie smiles genuinely, "Seriously? That's great guys." she tells me.

"Yeah, happy for you guys." Seth says, offering his fist to Lil, "Missed you." He says, igniting confusion from the rest of us as Lily bumps his fist, "You're the only one that gets me, Lily." He tells her, making all of us burst out in laughter at his joke.

"So spring break's coming up." I comment, it's in a little less than two weeks, the four of us went to some parties and shit last year, "So what're our plans this year?" I ask.

"Dunno, we could go to my uncle's cabin." Callie suggests, "It's in Lake Forest." She tells us.

I shrug, "Yeah that'd be sick, we could go there for like a few nights, hit some preppy parties while we're up there." I suggest.

"Yeah sounds good." Jaime says.

"I'm down." Seth says, before smiling, "I'll bring the weed."

We all look over at Lily, "Oh, uh yeah sounds great." She says, suddenly flustered at the attention.

"Okay now back to the problem at hand..." Jaime trails, "We could organize a walk out, or like a peaceful protest." She suggests.

I shrug, "Walk out sounds good, we could do it like next Friday, before March Break."

"'Kay I'll spread the news." Callie says.

---

"Jason we need to finish this project." Lily whines again as soon as my lips leave hers and trail to her jaw.

I kiss up to her ear "Just five more minutes." I whisper, as I suck at the side of her neck making her gasp.

"Jason I didn't invite you over to make out." She tells me.

I lean away from her neck to look into her eyes, "Well then you shouldn't have suggested we work in your bed." I say, dipping my head back down to nip at her neck.

"Seriously it's due this week." She says.

I sigh against her skin, leaning back and pressing one chaste kiss to her cheek, "Okay fine let's work." I cave, sitting up and grabbing her laptop. When I open it she's on the UCLA website, "Why are you looking at UCLA?" I question, curiously.

"Oh." She breaths, leaning over and closing the tab, "I was looking at universities for next year." She says, brushing me off.

She's not telling me something, I can tell. I don't push her, she probably doesn't wanna talk about whatever it is.

---

   The guys skate around as me and Lily sit on one of the ramps, "Hey, you wanna meet my mom?" I ask, out of the blue.

She looks at me surprised, "Uh yeah, yeah I guess." Lily says, sounding unsure.

"What is it?" I ask, "I've met you family." I remind her, reaching over na holding her hand.

She interlocks our fingers, "It's just..." She trails off, looking down at the ground, "Do you think she'll like me?" She asks suddenly.

Her sad tone hits me like a brick, "Are you kidding, she's gonna fucking love you."

A small smile tugs at her lips "You think?" She asks looking up at me.

"I know it." I say, leaning and and holding her face between my two hands, pressing a kiss against her lips.