Ugly Truth (SAMPLE)

Six

ABOUT THIRTY MINUTES LATER, I hear a bear.

"Are you almost done?" Yep. It's a bear, alright. Yelling straight from the kitchen.

I just need my eyebrows, and then I can change. "Almost!"

"Hurry up." He burps.

I roll my eyes. Aren't you, like, not supposed to move for twenty minutes after eating? I'm sure I read that somewhere. "Gabe! It hasn't even been that long." I yell.

"I'll just wait for you in the car!" I hear his chair scrape against the floor.

"Shit," I mutter under my breath. He can't even wait just a few more minutes, geez.

Quickly, I clean up my eyebrows and run an eyebrow brush through them. Finally, I throw off my clothes and change into a pretty black blouse that hangs loose on me and dig in my closet for a pair of

leggings. Slip on my socks and tie up my shoes and run out the door.

"Y'all be careful!" My mom shouts.

"Okay, mom! Leave the back door open."

I race to the front door, closing it just as I hear my mom, "Okay, I will!" I run to the passenger side of Gabe's car and slide in.

"So, how far is the gig?" Crap. I forgot deodorant. Freaking Gabe. I gaze longingly back at the house.

"About an hour and forty-five minutes." He puts the car in drive and takes off. Nevermind. Staying with my au natural fragrance. Sweat a la mode. Good thing I'm not looking for a mate.

"Oh my gosh, where is this even at?" I reach for my seat belt and click it.

"Austin." He looks at me from the corner of his eye.

"Did you tell my mom?"

"Yeah." He lifts a hand off the wheel to rub a hand at the back of his neck. He doesn't know that he has a tell, and that maneuver right there is it. He did this back at the table when he answered about the reason why Keanu was using his phone.

"Really?"

"Yep." His voice goes an octave higher. That also is a tell of his.

"Bullshit. Why are you afraid to tell my mom where we're going?" I snicker.

"I'm not scared, I just don't want her to worry. And hear about it for, like, thirty minutes. Besides, I'm driving, and I wasn't planning on driving in the first place."

"Um, what do you mean you weren't planning on driving? You were gonna catch a flight, then? Whoa, big spender." I stare at him dumbfounded. He scowls at my sarcasm.

"We were supposed to go with Keanu in his car, but when he came back from getting me a new phone, he said that something happened with the tires, went over a pot hole or something and it blew out a tire. Had to put a donut on. He didn't feel comfortable driving it that far, so he said that he'd catch a ride in the van, even though there was hardly any room for him."

This bit of knowledge has my mind reeling a mile a minute. I open my mouth, but then quickly close it shut.

Did Keanu know beforehand that he wasn't gonna fit in the van? I'm confused. Keanu obviously knew that I didn't want to share the same space with him, especially when it came to us two being in the same car. The only thing that makes sense is if he lied to me back at campus. He must have, because it doesn't match with anything Gabe is saying.

"Oh."

"Yeah, we would've fit in his car and not have any trouble, so I wanted to go see if we had any used tires at the shop, but he said no, that he was fine being in the cramped van. Said he'd rather go and help set up, so it wouldn't take as long."

"Well, he probably didn't want to be in a rush to find tires that fit when he can do it anytime tomorrow when y'all don't have a gig."

I don't know what I just said. I just pulled it out of my ass. I mean, what else could I say? That his best friend lied to his face because I hate his fucking guts?

"Eh, that's true." He shrugs.

Did he do this for my sake or did he not want to be near me, thinking I'd confront him again about telling Gabe?

That topic pretty much ends there for the remaining duration of the drive out of San Antonio. I don't tell Gabe about our conversation on campus, because I don't even know what the hell Keanu is even playing at.