Started With a Lie

Chapter Forty-Six

listen to the song when it says "listen to the song".......lol

Chapter Forty-Six

The next morning, I get an urgent text message from Lee.

              See me tonight. Immediately.

               During the entire first day of school, that's all that runs through my head. What can he possibly want? We both knew Lee was going to take the fall for Penelope and act like he was the father of her baby by marrying her, but still, it's so...sudden. Should I even see him? Will it really help?

             "And so, see you next week, class!" my physics professor announces at last. He looks up at all of us in the lecture hall, just like one I imagined to be here in college. "Remember your first assignment, freshmen! This isn't high school anymore. You're dismissed."

           One thing never changes. The quick shuffling of people to escape the institution that is school. Chairs scrape and bags are thrown against shoulders. Suddenly, I'm getting whipped in the face by a bag.

          "Oof!" I can't help but say while I'm being temporarily blinded. A bit of anger surges through me. What kind of idiot doesn't see a person right next to them?

            "Yo, you okay?" the boy says and I try to open my eyes but they just end up watering. "Oh jeez, ya look like a mess. Sorry, man."

               "No," I say, rubbing my eyes. "That's not your fault. I always look like a mess." My eyes focus on the boy in front of me. He's a bit taller than me and has dirty blond hair. "But you could try not to kill me whenever you get the chance."

              He smiles. "Sorry, again...uh...."

            "Ivory."

             "Ah, okay, cool," he says. He takes his hand out of his pocket and extends it towards me. "Name's Tanner." We shake hands and he's rather aggressive, like he's on steroids or something. "Ya wanna walk with me?"

              I shrug. "Sure."

            Since Pace has many buildings scattered around New York City for several uses, we are on the streets as we exit one of the science buildings. The sun is out and there's a hint of summer still in the air as my forehead starts to sweat again. I wipe my brow and walk along the semi-crowded mass. Tourists are leaving but the city is still home to millions.

            "So, you from around here?" I ask Tanner.

            "No, actually," he replies. He nudges to a Starbucks with his chin and I nod as we both head that way. "I'm a Cali boy, if ya couldn't tell by my orange skin."

            He's right. Tanner has a dark tan and flowy blond surfer hair. I could see him on the beach, using surfer tongue somewhere beautiful in California. "Even your name has tan in it," I comment when we walk into the coffee shop.

               Tanner gets an iced coffee, plain and simple. "And what about you?"

             "Vanilla iced latte," I tell the barista after a surprisingly short wait. I turn back to Tanner. "Here in New York. But not from the city." He nods at that. I'm running out of things to say as I start to notice the silence. I've never been good at this. Meeting new people or really talking in general. Suddenly, I'm nervous.

             I need to keep it alive. "So the weather—"

             "Wow, it's hot—"