Love Lies

The Next Morning

The next morning comes along quickly. I get to school without a hand to hold. I walk to class without anyone to kiss goodbye. It’s really over isn’t it? There’s no more Chris and Tia. It’s just Tia.
        I get to lunch and see my usual table empty. Usually, Chris is there before me, waiting for me to walk over and kiss him before taking my seat. But today, it’s a different story.
    Chris is sitting at another table with his friends, laughing. I walk to my table in the back and watch him. I know watching him is only torturing me further but, I can’t find anything else to do. Maybe I should go over there and say something.
    Before I can take action, Theo walks over with his usual charming smile and asks, “Is this seat taken?”
    “No. No, it’s not,” I whisper.
    “What’s wrong? My smile is usually what gets you to smile. Do I have something in my teeth? Is that it?”
    I try to crack a smile but it’s too painful. “No, your teeth are perfect. It’s just- Chris and I broke up yesterday. At least I think we did. I’m not really sure.”
    “Wow. I’m sorry. Do you mind telling me why?” he asks, grabbing my hand.
    I look at Theo and realize he’s the reason. If he didn’t text me that message, none of this would’ve happened. As mad as I want to be at him, I can’t bring myself to be. He has an effect on me that I can’t tame for some reason. And I don’t think I want to.
    “You, actually,” I say with a touch of anger. “Theo, is there something you need to tell me? Something I need to know?”
    “What do you mean?” he says while eating a carrot.
    “Chris said I should be careful around you. That there are things about you that I don’t know and should steer clear from. So, do you have something to tell me? And please, please don’t lie to me.” I say, fighting the tears that are forming.
Theo turns in his seat so that we are now face-to-face. He grabs my other hand and locks his fingers with mine. He looks me deep into my eyes and says, “No. There’s nothing I’m hiding from you. I would never hide anything from you. You have my word.”
The honesty and sincerity in his voice and eyes makes me breathe a sigh of relief.
“Thank you. I really needed to hear that. You don’t even know how good it feels to hear that come from you,” I say with a smile.
We sit hand-in-hand for almost two minutes. When  I realize where we are and that Chris might be looking, I pull away and begin to eat my sandwich.
There’s dead air between Theo and I for almost ten minutes. Now what? I think.
“So are you still going to the Formal, then? I mean since this plan of yours doesn’t seem to be happening, what are you going to do?” he asks.
“I don’t know, actually. I haven’t thought about that to be honest. But, now I have a dress and nothing to use it for.”
“Well, since you have this dress- and might I say a lovely one at that- and you still have to show it to me in person, maybe we could go together? And this time not as friends. But if you don’t want to because of the break up then-”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“Yes. I would love to go to the Winter Formal with you,” I say without hesitation.