Language of Love

Veritas

I look over to Fitz and he smirks. I can feel them all staring at us. I lean towards him and press my lips to his. His hands come around my back and he scoots me to him. I pull back and stare into his eyes.

I look out to them. Brandi and Sally smile wide.

"Brandi." I say, "Truth or dare?"
"Dare." She says.
"Hm." I say. Fitz whispers a dare to me. "Oh. That's good. I dare you to show us everything that's in your purse."
"Could be worse, I guess."

She grabs a brown bag and opens it up. She pulls out basic things first, lip balm, gum, wallet, tampons. And then she grabs a packet.
"Oh, uh, condom, then there's nail clippers, and oh no. Um, a thong, well that's it." She says and flips her bag upside down.
"Nice." I say.

"Okay. Mr. Kennedy, Truth or dare?" She asks.
"Truth." He says. I look over at him, curious to see what will be revealed.
"Is it true that you are in love with Ms. Thorne?" She asks. At least seven kids gasp. I look over to him. Will he lie?
"Yes." He says. I feel my jaw drop.
"Fitz!" I exclaim.
"What was I supposed to do?" He asks.
"Lie!" I holler.
"Too late now." He stated. I laugh.

"Well aren't you going to say it back?" Mabry asks me.
"I love you too, Fitzgerald." I reassured.

My midnight alarm goes off, I set it remind me to separate the kids.
"That scared the shit out of me." Fitz says. I raise an eyebrow. "Not only did I kiss you in front of all of them, but we literally revealed that we're in love. I don't think they care if I curse." He commented.
"Point made." I say. "Anyway, we're splitting up. Boys in the band room, girls in the orchestra room. No girls and boys together, no cuddling or sex with either gender, and be quiet. You don't have to sleep, but you have to let me sleep." I remark.

     Fitz and I sleep in the small room that connects the orchestra and band rooms. Ms. Tomlinson slept in between the rooms in the hall. Fitz has an army green sleeping bag. Mine is blue.

    I roll over to talk to him.

    "That was a rough game," I comment.
    "Yeah. A little too much was revealed," He says.
    "Yes." I agree.

     The next morning at 7, I wake up and walk into the girls' room. I flip on the lights.

    "Good morning. Ms. Tomlinson is setting up breakfast in the cafeteria right now if you want to walk down there." I say.

    Most of the girls leave. Sally stays.
    "What's up?" I ask. She glances over to see if anyone is near.
    "Can I use your phone? I don't have one and I doubt my mom will remember to pick me up if I don't call her. I don't have a car either." She pleads.
     "Of course. Let me grab it." I assured and walked to my sleeping bag. I unplug my phone and give it her.

    She dials the number and brings the phone up to her ear. She stands there and waits for someone to answer. I hear the phone click. Nothing. She tries again. No answer. She grumbles and hands me back the phone.

    "Sorry." She says. "Can I call later?" I nod once she's finished.
    "Of course." I assure again.

    After she eats, Sally asks me to borrow my phone. She calls again, twice. Finally on her third, truly fifth, attempt she gets answer. I try not to eavesdrop, but I also don't want to leave my phone alone.

    "Hello?....Yes, I'm at school. You need to come get me....Mom. I told you last night not to... What do you want to me to do, walk home?....No...I'm using a teacher's....I know. Yes ma'am....I can't....Okay....Bye." Sally converses.

     "You good?" I ask. She nods and gathers her things. "You still have an hour. Is your mom here?" I question.
     "No, I just don't want the other kids to see..." She responds.
     "See what?" I ask.
     "Me walking home. It's not that far, but it's not something I'd like everyone to know." She disclosed.

    "I can take you home. It's not a big deal." I offer. She shakes her head.
    "No, it's really not that far." She insists and turns to leave the room.
    "Hey." I say. She looks back at me. "Why couldn't your mom pick you up?"
    "It doesn't matter." She says. I sigh.
    "Look, I don't know your situation, but you are saying exactly what I did in high school. I didn't have a car, I taught myself to drive, my mother could never pick me up. I said I didn't live far, but I lived 11 miles from the school. It took me 3 hours to walk home on a good day. If you need a ride, tell me. I wish someone would have pressed me." I explain. She drops her bag onto the ground at looks at my nervous.
      "If you don't mind." She answers. I nod.
      "Do you want to tell me what's going on at home? I can tell you all about my mother." I offer.
     "She's high." Sally confessed, "So, she can't drive."
    "Drugs? My mother never did drugs, but she went through seven bottles of booze a day." I reveal.
    "My little brother, he doesn't know what she does. He thinks she sick and can't take care of herself. They say addiction is an illness." Sally mutters.
    "My sister, didn't know my mother was an alcoholic until she went into liver failure. That's when I had to tell her. She just thought my mother was, laid back." I relate.
    "How old was she?" Sally asks, with a pain in her voice. One that I know all to well.
    "Nine. She's about your age now. She's in the foster care system, supposably." I say.

    "Do you want me to tell someone? I can if you'd like. I never wanted anyone to know, but it has its effects today." I explain.
    "No. I'm managing." She answers.
    "And the brother?" I question.
    "I don't know." She muttered. I nod.