Side Note: I Think I Love You

Chapter 8 - Ian

 Attie's question isn't exactly random and out of the blue, considering what had just happened only moments ago.

"Ian," she grinds out. "You better answer that question."

"I was trying to save you from Rue's clutches," I answer.

"I didn't need saving," she argues. "Or for you to do... whatever the fuck you had just done."

"Are you sure about that?" I cross my arms over my chest and raise a brow. "Because I saw the panicked look on your face and that was enough to tell me otherwise."

"I wasn't panicking." Lies. "I was just surprised you were watching." She places her hand on her forehead and leans on a locker, groaning. "I don't even know why she thought you and I were dating. I tried to tell her that wasn't true, and there you go—throwing away all that hard work."

"Hold on there, princess." I place one hand over her arm. "Calm down."

"Calm down?" She shoots a pointed glare in my direction. "This is not a time to calm down, Ian!"

"Then, come on." I look around and try to find the nearest classroom. Jackpot! I take her arm and bring her over there. I open the door and turn on the lights. At least it's empty. Would have been weird if a random student was asleep in the classroom. "Come in."

Attie cautiously steps into the classroom, and I follow suit. Once we sit down—me on the front desk and her at one of the actual student's desks—I notice her unconsciously cracking her knuckles.

Shaking her hands, Attie takes a deep breath before forming her words. "Let me get something straight: you told Rue we were dating? You." She points to me. "Lied to someone about your dating life?"

The words, or lack thereof, are not lost on me. She didn't say them out loud but I just know that she was thinking them. Unlike her twin brother, she knows better than to say that out loud.

"I told her that I was seeing someone," I clarify.

"That's not helping your case. You still dragged me into this."

"How was I supposed to know she would bring you into the equation? I didn't even think Rue knew who you were." Rue Barlow doesn't even care for people younger than her which, in my opinion, is bullshit.

I thought Attie would glare at me, but instead nods vehemently."I didn't, either. But she saw us talking one day and—"

"When was this?"

"Last week, when you..." Her face turns pink as she trails off. Right, the letter. I had kept it safe and hidden in a drawer of my nightstand for the past week and it hasn't seen the light of day since.

That same day, when Rue had asked me out for the last time and failed.

I groan and rub my hand against my forehead.

"What now?" She asks, her voice tinted with worry.

I recount the events of my conversation with Rue to Attie. Starting from the moment she had asked me about having a girlfriend to me saying I did just so she would get off my back. That Thursday was probably the most unhinged day I've had this school year, and it's only early-September. I'm honestly a little worried about how the rest of the year will go.

"So she didn't bother you for eight days," she repeats after having a minute to soak it all in. "And then chooses today to pull me into a classroom to confront me and call me a lying bitch?"

My brows furrow. "What?"

Attie waves her hand to dismiss it. "Never mind. The point is we are now in this situation because you couldn't tell Rue Barlow, of all people, to stop bothering her? To put it politely."