Before You Leave

30. The Date

When I got back home, I was already changing out of my skirt and long sleeves and into a black, long sleeved crop top with mom jeans.

Gideon noticed my rush as I entered the bathroom, and he followed after me as I took my hair out of a bun and brushed it furiously.

"Didn't you just get back?" He asks me.

I sighed. "Mrs. Hall wants to work on some stuff with me later," I lied. "She's picking me up in, like, ten minutes."

"Is that why you're out of your practice clothes?" He asks as he leaned against the wall of the hall as he waited outside the bathroom, even though the door was wide open.

I gulped and put up a quarter of my hair in a small ponytail.

"We're getting new uniforms today," I fib. "I'm getting fitted for it, too."

"Juliette—"

I left the bathroom, clutching BH's dog tag as I put my phone in my back pocket and slipped on my Filas.

"Juliette—"

I rushed back to my room to grab earrings with a slim, yet slightly long, blue crystal. The other earring was just a small fake diamond.

"Juliette—"

"What, Gideon?!" I nearly yell, stopping halfway out my bedroom door, spreading my arms. He kept following me around the house.

"What is wrong—"

"Nothing is wrong, I just want a moment of damn privacy!" I say. This time, I did yell. "Just because you are my boyfriend, it does not mean you have to know my every movement, so please just stop!"

I felt the guilt weighing in. For lying to him, and for yelling.

He stopped walking towards me and blinked. "We love each other, I'm just concerned."

I finally sighed as I walked to the door. "I'll be home later. Don't wait up."

And I slammed the door behind me.

It was better if he was already angry at me. It would make me feel better than him being sorry. Because I know I was in the wrong for lying and I just didn't want to get caught.

———————
Alexei was waiting outside by the time I raced across the quad. He leaned against his faded green car, crossing his arms as he looked up at the sky, the sun fading.

It wasn't a fancy car. It was quiet the opposite. It looked like it was close to breaking down.

I sighed and stopped in front of him. He finally looked up, put his hands in the pockets of his slacks and smirked. "You're late."

"I didn't ask," I say, walking to the other side of the car and opening the door.

"Fight with the misses?" He jokes, turning around and opening his own door.

I glared. "You don't even know me. Or my boyfriend."

He laughed. "Of course I know your boyfriend."

"Right," I sigh. "Stalker," I mutter.

He chuckled as he backed out of the driveway. "Stalker is a little far fetched. But I do know your boyfriend."

"And how exactly do you know Gideon?" I ask.

"We go way back."

I rolled my eyes, resting my elbow on the side of the car and resting my head on my palm.

"Where are we going?"

He didn't say anything.

I groaned. "You're kind of annoying, you know? Calling me rusty and all, but you're not too much of a cookie yourself."