Five Hundred Miles

2.9: Sneaking out.

Chapter 2.9: Sneaking out. [UNEDITED ]

[I wish I had a boyfriend. I wish he lived in a wardrobe on a coathanger. Whenever I wanted, I could get him out, and he'd look at me the way boys do in films, as if I'm beautiful.-Jenny Downham, Before I Die]

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

Lucas looks so shocked that his mouth hangs open, big enough for a fly to enter. Pauline, as well, is utterly silent, understanding the situation.

"Shouldn't you be with your brother, working on a project for my company that due date is a fortnight away?" Joshua-Gideon crosses his arm in front of his chest. Business mode-on.

"Does that mean that I can't be here with my girlfriend?" Lucas asks, although I can notice the slight change of his posture-his spine has been straightened.

"It does mean that you should be working your ass off and burning the midnight oil instead of snoging around in an orphanage with an underaged girl." Gideon says.

"She's turning eighteen in a while." Lucas says. "Shouldn't I be asking you, Mr.Camerons, why are you here?"

"How's the project?" Gideon ignores Lucas' question.

"Smooth."

"Good. Tell your brother that the due date has been forwarded. By Friday I want to see everything done, or I'll cancel our association." Gideon promises.

Lucas seems infuriated for a second, but manages to keep his composure. His Adam's apple bobs up and down as if he's thirsty. "I...You can't change the date, Mr.Camerons, we've already had all the schedules planned according to the given date."

"In that case, since you proved yourself an excellent planner, I suggest you start a new plan."

Pauline looks at me and scowls in confusion. She obviously isn't comfortable with Gideon and Lucas together.

"I will," Lucas grits his teeth and fists. He is trembling, not from fear, but from the anger that's clearly written on his face. "But dear Gideon, now I know your deadliest secret, and my brother too."

"Then congrats, if that makes you happy."

"You'll never know how powerful the media is," Lucas finishes off with a smirk.

Gideon tenses beside me. It's time for me to rescue the situation, I think. Except the fact that I might screw it up even worse.

"Well, Pauline," I put my hands on my waist as Miss Collins always did when she is starting a lesson. "It seems that I can't left this whole boy-over-fence thing kept away from Miss Collins. It's either you tell her yourself or I tell her."

Pauline scrunches her face into a tight knot, sulking. "Do what you want. I'm getting outta here after a while anyways."

Challenge accepted.

"And you are Maple?" Lucas interrupts.

"No. I'm Pel-Mei." I say in sarcasm. In my mind, I imagine myself rolling my eyes at Lucas. Of course I'm Maple.

"Pauline," Gideon's voice rings through the garden. "Get in now. It's late, and you need to get in bed."

"I don't have to listen to you, I want to spend time with Lucas." She whines. I'm starting to hate teenagers. Last time I checked, I wasn't all messed up and whiny like her when I was a teenager.

Or Maybe I was. With Joshua and the depression thingy.

Yes. I was.

"You don't have to listen, but you have to follow by the rules." Gideon reminds her. "In fact, you have broken enough rules for the orphanage to have you grounded in for a year or two. One, sneaking out after 10, Two, dating a boy secretly at night and so on."