Secrets Look Different in the Light

Chapter 6

Theo's POV

Monday. First day of Junior year and the start of a new school year. As soon as I pull into the parking lot I'm ready to turn around. I barely have time to breathe before Avery yanks open the passenger door and hops in.
"Where the fuck have you been?" She snaps, swatting my arm.
"Ow," I mutter, rubbing it. She's bug-eyed, waiting for an answer.

"Seriously, Teddy. Last I heard from you, you were in my kitchen saying you'd take Jackie home. Then... nothing- even though I called and texted. And I know you didn't take her home, so either you're covering for her, or you lied to me for no reason." She blurts.

"Honestly? I went home and slept most of the day. When I woke up, my phone was dead, so I plugged it in and didn't touch it until this morning. I didn't know you had called or texted. As for Jackie, I did go looking for her at your place. Couldn't find her, figured she Ubered home or something. Why would I be covering for her, though? What would I even be covering?" I ask. 

She sighs, clearly already past rational. "When Jayden and I got to Mango's yesterday, we saw her. On the patio. Eating breakfast. With my brother."
"Oh fuck," I say, before I can stop myself.
Her eyes narrow. "You do know something. I'm trying really hard not to jump to conclusions, but I can't think of any normal reason they'd be having breakfast together." She folds her legs up in the seat, turning her body to me.

"I'm sure it's nothing. Probably just May's accusations making everything feel sketchy. They hung out that night after she left the game, right? He might've offered her a ride and they stopped for food." I say, trying to rationalize this for her. 

She squints at me. "I thought she crashed in the guest room. You're saying they hung out?" She asks.

"I mean, yeah. I found her asleep in his room. Figured they talked and fell asleep." I calmly say.
"Oh god- please tell me he wasn't in the bed with her." She says with disgust.
"He wasn't. He was sitting on the floor."

She sighs with relief. "So... there was no touching of any kind, right?"

Shit. I have to tell her.
"Well..." 

"Well?!" She yelps.

"They were holding hands," I admit, "but they were asleep. That's it."

She flops back in her seat like I told her the world was ending.
"Oh my god. Theo, that's so intimate. What if they are fucking? Maybe May wasn't totally off the rails. I mean, she was, but what if she wasn't wrong?" She asks desperately.
"I don't know. I mean, yeah, I teased Jackie about the shirt thing, said it was kind of a move. But it was a joke. If it were me, I'd have just tossed her a hoodie. Not taken my whole shirt off." 

Her eyes widen again. "He totally made a move. How did I not see that?!" 

Jackie's POV

I didn't hear from Avery at all yesterday, which means we probably got away with it. If she'd seen us at Mango's, she would've blown up my phone—or come at me in person. So I'm assuming I'm safe. I know Avery would be fine if I told her what had happened. I know I could just tell her what happened.  "I checked on him after May lost it. He looked like he needed someone, so I sat in his room till I crashed. He gave me a ride home, and we grabbed food because I felt like puking in his truck." If I say it like that, she'd understand. Maybe side-eye me a little—but she'd get it. It was just a sympathy chat and a hangover breakfast. 

Still, I don't see her or Theo anywhere outside the school, which makes me nervous. I see May approaching me and I debate whether I should run.
"Hey Jackie." he says with a practiced smile.
"Can I help you?" I ask, flat. I'm not here to play nice.
"Look, the other night got messy. I drank more than I meant to, and I said shit I shouldn't have. I'm kind of embarrassed, honestly. Can we just... forgive and forget?"