Lunch came around and I met up with Elise at one of the shaded benches. Little hints of summer were drifting in the air.
"Is Liam going to sit with us?" She asks taking a bite out of her sandwich.
"Yeah, he had to talk to one of teachers first." I explain to her.
I could feel Elise's eyes on me. "What's wrong." She finally asked. "And don't give me some bullshit answer."
I look up at her before saying, "I saw my dad put with some girl. Like on a date."
"That's it?" Elise then says. Her reaction took me by surprise. She let a small chuckle escape from her mouth. "Andi, a lot of people's parents date." She then says.
"Yeah, but a lot of people's moms weren't-"
"Dead." She then says, interrupting me. "From that disease." She adds.
I look behind me and see Liam with a confused expression. "What?" He then asks.
"Nothing. Just talking about some book that Elise read over the summer." I cover up. I smile up at Liam to try and sell our lie even more.
"Ok.." Liam stated suspiciously.
"Hey, Liam are you goin going to the bonfire tonight?" Elise asked breaking the awkward silence.
"No, no one mentioned anything." Liam states squinting due to the bright sunlight. "Besides I've never been to one."
"We can help with that,"Elise smiled offering us to bring him.
"When is it?" Asked Liam skeptically.
"Right after school." I say. "At Huntington Beach, but the waters still not warm enough to swim in, so we could just bring you." I say in hopes that he'll come.
"I mean why not," he said with that smile that melt anything. "Who's all going?" He then asked takin a bite out of his sandwich.
"Honestly have no clue." Elise answered, raising both of her eyebrows. "But it should be fun."
The rest of lunch carries on to fifth period. Fifth period carries on to sixth, until the final bell rang.
I met up with Elise and Liam out by the front gate where her car was. She was lucky enough to get her dads old car.
I sit in the passenger side when Elise says quietly, "Jake will be there."
"I don't care." I tell her back in an even quieter voice.
"What about that Jake kid?" Liam asks leaning in, as I forgot that he was sitting right behind us.
"He's just an asshole," I tell him, waving it off.
"Friends don't keep secrets," he says in a sing song voice.
"It's not a secret." I mock him. "Everyone knows he's an asshole."
Liam gives me that "really" look until he finally drops the subject.
It wasn't a secret if I didn't tell him. It was just something that he didn't know. He doesn't know that the 7/11 right across the street sells drugs, but that doesn't mean they're keeping it a secret from him. Same thing here.
He doesn't know that Jake is toxic, but it's not a secret being kept from him. It's just undiscovered information.
