Secrets

Chapter 14 ✧

I stare at my open closet wide-eyed not knowing what's appropriate to wear to school when you're coming out as Nicholas Jones' girlfriend and you already have a secret boyfriend. Seeming like a pretty bleak day I decide to wear my long lined denim skirt and my pink cable knit sweater. Mum loves me in pink, she says it makes me look feminine so I hope she'll be happy with my choice of clothing considering. I gather my things before heading down stairs and joining everyone at the dining table for breakfast. We munch on our mood in silence but I can tell that mum wants to say something to me as I watch her look at me every five seconds from the corner of my eye.

"You look so pretty today Juliana, Nicholas is going to love it," My mother chirps as she reaches over the table to fix my hair. All I do is smile not knowing to say especially with my father here to listen. I mean he's clearly okay with it all gathered by his cheering yesterday at the announcement of our courtship, but that doesn't mean that I have to be.

"Nicholas?" Theo questions to himself, loud enough for only me to hear and I give him a plat smile and nod. "I'm done, ready Juliana?" and I simply nod getting up quickly from my chair so mum won't say anything else to me.

"Juliana, Juliana wait!" my mother yelps running over to the front door before I can make a break for it. I stand in the doorway and I watch her as she looks past me outside with the most delighted smile on her face. "Oh Nicholas! Good morning!" my mother beams waving outside. I turn around through gritted teeth and knotted brows to see Nicholas in his car parked on the side of the road.

"Morning Mrs Hudson, is it okay if I take Juliana to school today?" Nick asks from the driver's seat of his car.

"I don't see why not," my mother beams. "You have such a gentleman for a boyfriend Juliana," my mother gushes over Nick loud enough for him to hear.

I internally roll my eyes at my mother's desperate to please nature before walking out of the doorway and down the driveway to Nick's car.

"Hi," I peep as I climb into the passenger seat.

"I'm sorry I should have called and asked you if it was okay but I just thought it would be nice to pick you up," Nick apologises with a deflated look on his face.

"No no no, its fine. And it is really nice of you to pick me up," I say earning a smile from Nick. I mean it did catch me off guard but can I really blame him for trying? I am his girlfriend now after all.

"Hey are you Nicholas?" my brother queries as he walks up to Nick's car.

"Yeah, but you can just call me Nick," he says almost nervously, like he was trying to stay calm.

"Just get my sister to school is one piece yeah?" Theo says as he tugs at the window seal.

"Will do," Nick says looking extremely uncomfortable by Theo's sudden urge to go into protective big brother mode. Theo walks away into dad's car, reversing out of the driveway and speeding down the street. "Your brother does realise that I met him yesterday?" Nick says as he turns towards me.

"Honestly, probably not. He's in his own world I swear," I explain as I roll my eyes at Theo's idiotic behaviour.

We drive in the direction of school and I begin to feel nauseous at the thought of it all. Walking around school with Nick, being introduced as his girlfriend, seeing Easton, or worse Easton seeing us, what would he think? By the time I could even process that thought we pull up in the school parking lot and my eyes begin to dart in every which way in search of Easton. I want to somehow tell him about all this craziness but that's going to be quite literally impossible.