Leap of Faith

Day Ten

There were twenty-three unread messages on my cell, and all were from TJ, wanting to talk. The first few were generic, asking if we could talk and him telling me how sorry he was. After that they became more frantic with him begging me to reply, but I ignored him each time.

Since yesterday lunch time I’d been feeling down. Seeing Catherine approach the lunch table had thrown me and then having to sit there, even for the briefest time, and watch as TJ salivated over her was too much. I couldn’t, with a clear conscience, stay around and pretend to be friendly with the girl that had made my life hell for the last few months.

Georgie had come over last night to fill me in on what happened after school and I was still fuming about it this morning. Catherine had fobbed TJ off with a story about how I had been the one to steal her boyfriend and from how Georgie made it sound, TJ believed every word she had told him.

That’s when I decided that I’d just let TJ believe whatever he wanted to believe. If he thought I could be the type of girl to go after another girl’s boyfriend, then I had clearly underestimated our newly formed friendship.

My phone chimed with a new text alert.

Hey, Girly. We’re pulling up outside your house now. G xx

I pocketed my cell and pulled on my zip hooded jacket, grabbing my purse as I rushed down the stairs. The hallway that led into the kitchen was filled with flower samples as well different colored ribbons and such. I laughed to myself and shake my head at how Libby was going in to Bridezilla mode. I bypassed all the wedding paraphernalia and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl in the kitchen before wishing my parents and sister goodbye and running out the door.

As had been arranged, Greyson was driving and Georgie was sat in the passenger seat. I opened the rear passenger door and jumped inside only to be greeted by a smiling TJ. I groaned and without speaking, got out of the car and headed back in doors. My father was stood in the doorway to his study and gave me a quizzical look as I reached in to the key bowl and found his set. I held them up, silently asking if it was ok that I loan his car and he nodded.

“Where you going, Kiddo?” He asked, before waving to someone behind me. I’d left the front door open and filling the entryway was TJ, who waved back to my father. “Hello. I’m Martin, Cate’s dad. You are?”

“Hello, sir,” TJ said to my father, a polite smile on his face. “I’m TJ, a friend of Cate’s.”

I scoff. “A friend? That’s hilarious.”

“Cate,” Dad scorned me. He shook his head disapprovingly and turned to TJ. “I take it you’re a new friend and aren’t used to my daughter’s ways.”

“Yes, sir,” TJ confirmed. “Although I would like to get to know better. At the moment, she can’t even stand to be in the same car as me.”

“Really?” Dad laughed as he neared me and took his keys out of my hand. Pushing me forward by my shoulder, he led me towards the door. “Well, it looks like today she’ll just have to suck it up, right, Kiddo? Have fun while you’re out with your friends.”