Archaic (9 page)

"Hi," they all greeted back. I sat down next to Andrew and he smiled...I liked his smile.

"Did you have a good time on Saturday?" he asked. I got an apple out of my bag and started to nibble on it.

"Yeah, it was good," I replied. I was unsure if he was genuinely asking about the party, or if he was asking about what had happened when I left the party.

"Where did you and Jared disappear to?" he continued to question me as he fidgeted with his soda while keeping his eyes intently on me. I wasn't sure why he was asking. Kennedy gave Stacy a look and they mumbled something about having forgotten something somewhere and they both got up and left. I couldn't blame them, because this conversation was certainly getting awkward.

"We went back to his house." I looked straight into his eyes and lied like I was supposed to.

Tension filled his features as his jaw hardened and his gaze dropped to my hands. It was then that it dawned on me: he liked me. I was in unknown territory and didn't really know how to handle this, so I nervously nibbled my apple as I waited for him to say something.

How had my life gotten so complicated? It felt like, just as I managed to sort out one problem, two problems appeared in their place. I couldn't tell Andrew the truth, that nothing had happened between Jared and me. No matter what, I had to protect Jared's secret, and that meant I had to sit next to Andrew and lie to him even though it was hurting his feelings. I felt horrible. I was going straight to hell for this.

"So... are you guys dating now?" He struggled to ask the question. His eyes moved to the can of soda in front of him. He was so different from his usual teasing self.

I shook my head silently. "No, we aren't dating. Things are...complicated."

"So what exactly is going on between you two?" he prodded. His eyes settled back on my hands, which were still fidgeting with my apple. It was like he couldn't look at me while he asked these sensitive questions because the answers could hurt him.

"Nothing, really. We made out and haven't made any plans to meet up again. It was a one-time thing." I shrugged, hoping it would help. His eyes lifted to mine. I guess it had.

"You wanna go out sometime?" he asked, "so I can show you around town and maybe get a movie or something?"

I liked Andrew because he made me feel safe and comfortable. I was at ease with him. Being around Jared was different because he pulled fierce emotions from me that made me nervous, even though I knew that nothing would ever happen between the two of us. It would be easy to agree to go out with Andrew and see what happened, but deep down I knew that I didn't feel anything more than friendship for him.

"I don't want to give you the wrong idea," I said. "I like being around you and would love to go out sometime. But it would have to be as friends."

There was a moment of disappointment before it was replaced with one of his signature smiles.

"Sure, I can do friends," he said. The burden on my shoulders lightened.

"Great," I replied with a smile, feeling better that I'd been honest with him up front.

"Are you allowed out during the week?" he asked, his eyes watching me expectantly.

"Yeah, it should be okay. My grandmother isn't very strict. As long as she knows where I am."

"Are you free tonight?" he asked.

I smiled at him. "Yes, tonight would be good."

The bell signaled the end of lunch and Andrew walked me out of the cafeteria. As I walked out, I saw Jared watching us. I'd done my part; I'd lied about hooking up with him to protect him.

"I'll pick you up at six," he said as he walked with me to my next class.

"Six is good." I gave him a nod.

"I'll see you later, then," he said as he left me at my class.

After school had finished, Stacy and Kennedy cornered me for details.

"Whatever you are wearing, I want some, too," Stacy remarked, looking convinced that my perfume was the reason for all the attention I'd been getting from the opposite sex.

"So what happened with Jared?" Kennedy nudged me as we walked out of the school entrance.

"Not much, he just wanted to say hi." It was close to the truth.

"Just hi?" Kennedy asked, looking unconvinced.

"Yup." I shrugged, hoping they would drop the subject.

"And Andrew?" Stacey was now the one questioning me.

"He asked if he could take me out tonight." Both of my friends didn't look surprised. They'd realized before I had that Andrew liked me.

"And?"

"I said yes," I answered as I stopped and looked at them for their reaction. "But only as friends."

"Why just friends?" Stacy asked. "He's cute and so into you."

"I just don't feel that way about him." It wasn't something I could force. It was there, or it wasn't.

"So what's happening between you and Jared?" Kennedy asked.

"Jared made it clear it was a one off," I explained as I fiddled with my bag's strap. Stacy threw her arm around my shoulder and pulled me toward her car.

"It's his loss."

Stacy dropped me off at my house. I'd forgotten to ask Andrew where we were going, so I wasn't sure what I should wear. I didn't think I could really go wrong with a T-shirt and jeans, and I would smarten it up with some nice sandals. I brushed my hair and left it down. It hung in waves down to my shoulders. I put on a little lip gloss and I was ready by six.

Anne hovered by the front door, so when the doorbell rang she was the one to answer it. I think she was more excited about me going out than I was.

"Hi, you must be Andrew," she greeted him as she ushered him inside.

"Yes, it's nice to meet you," he greeted back.

It was a relief to see Andrew as casually dressed as I was. He was wearing a button-up cotton shirt rolled up to his elbows, and a pair of jeans. He looked cute.

"Where are you taking Ava tonight?" Anne questioned him.

"Dinner or a movie, or both? Whichever Ava is happy with?"

Anne smiled. I could see that she approved of him. "Okay, well, whatever the plan, have fun." And with that she rushed us both out of the door.

"Sorry, my gran is a little weird," I said as we walked to his truck.

"I like her," he said as he opened the passenger door for me. "She's... interesting." He grinned and walked back around the vehicle after I sat down.

"So what do you want to do?" he asked as he settled into the driver's seat.

"A movie sounds good," I said, nodding.

"The movies it is, then."

The conversation on the way to the movie theater consisted of the reason why I'd moved in with my grandmother.

Andrew let me choose the movie, which I appreciated. It was toss-up between an action and comedy, though I ended up deciding on seeing the comedy. We got popcorn and soda and made our way into the theater. I settled into my seat next to him and waited for the movie to start. By the time the movie was finished, my sides were sore from laughing. It had been a good movie.

Afterward he drove me home. It was getting late and we had school in the morning. He walked me to my front door.

"Next time I get to choose the movie," he insisted as we both stood facing each other on the front porch of my house.

"Thanks for a nice evening," I said with a genuine smile. Being around Andrew was easy and just spending time with him had taken my mind off all the chaotic thoughts of Jared.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," he said as I opened my front door and quickly disappeared inside my house. I sighed and leaned against the front door. Anne appeared in the hallway in her dressing gown.

"Did you have fun?"

"It was nice," I admitted to my grandmother.

I went upstairs and started getting ready for bed. That night I slept better than I had in a while and I couldn't help thinking that spending time with Andrew had something to do with it.

The next day at school, my friends wanted to know what Andrew and I had done the night before.

"We just went to a movie," I told them.

I told them a little about the movie and a couple of the funny parts that had me clutching my sides with laughter.

"I've been meaning to see that movie," Kennedy said.

"I'll go with you," Stacy offered.

That lunchtime, Andrew stopped by our table.

"Thanks for an awesome evening," he said, brushing his hair out of his face.

"You're welcome. We'll have to do it again sometime soon," I said.

"Next time can we come with?" Kennedy asked.

"Sure," he replied. "Are you in as well?" He directed the question to Stacy.

"Okay. But no horrors."

"Really? No horrors."

"I second that," I said, adding my opinion. Horror movies were a waste of time for me because I spent most of the time hiding behind my hands.

"Okay. No horrors."

He was still smiling when he left our table.

At that moment, my eyes caught Jared's. I couldn't decipher the expression on his face. Abruptly, he looked away.

"I think someone is jealous," Kennedy said cryptically.

"I think you could be right," Stacy agreed.

I was already shaking my head at them. Why would Jared be jealous? He only saw me as an ordinary human who had discovered his secret.

"Are you sure your hookup was supposed to be a one-time thing?" asked Kennedy as she watched me closely.

"Yes, that's what he said." That had been the agreement, hadn't it? Now that I actually thought back, he hadn't actually specifically said those words, but it had been implied.

"If he'd wanted to continue what happened, surely he would have made plans to see me again, wouldn't he?" I threw the question at my friends. "He lives on the same street as me. So at any time between Saturday and now he could have come over and made plans to meet up. But he hasn't, because he isn't that interested."

He had come over but it had only been to make sure we had our story straight so there wouldn't be any suspicion.

They knew I was right. The subject of Jared was closed. I wished I could tell them the real reason for the 'hookup'. The truth would make them realize that Jared wasn't interested in me in that way. The only reason he was having anything to do with me was to ensure I kept his secret.

CHAPTER EIGHT

After school I was walking to the school bus when Jared's Jeep pulled up beside me, and I stopped as he got out of the driver's side.

"Get in," he commanded in a voice that didn't leave room for argument. I crossed my arms and shot him a glare.

"Please," he added in a softer tone before I relented and followed his order. He closed the door shut before he walked around and climbed back into the driver's side. I looked at him expectantly, but he kept his eyes fixed on the road in front of him as he started up his car.

"We need to talk," he told me as he started to drive.

The tell-tale sign that he was agitated was the continuous tap of his fingers against the steering wheel. He remained completely silent. It wasn't long before we pulled up in front of my house and he switched the car off.

"Can we talk inside?" he asked, nodding his head in the direction of my house. I shrugged and got out of his car and walked to my house. I opened the door and invited him inside, dropping my school bag in the hallway before I walked into the kitchen.

"Do you want something to drink?" I offered. I opened the cupboard and got myself a glass out.

"No thanks," he replied as he stood in the doorway of the kitchen.

I poured myself some water in a glass and took a sip before putting it back down again on the kitchen counter, looking at him expectantly.

"Okay, what do we need to talk about?" I asked. My patience was running out.

"I don't want you going out with Andrew anymore," he stated as his eyes bore into me.

"Excuse me?" I asked when I got over the initial surprise of what he'd said. At first I thought he was joking, but his serious features told me otherwise.

"You heard me," he said with a determined look.

I couldn't believe it. Who did he think he was?

"You don't get to tell me who I get to go out with," I informed him as the anger began to build inside of me. He didn't get to control me!

"I need you to keep a low profile," he explained. His features softened slightly.

"Why?" I was agitated. There was something up.

"The Hue that you saw the other night are still in town. For some reason they haven't left yet. It's easier keeping an eye on you at school and I can post someone to watch over you outside your house. You're going to have to keep your after-school outings to a minimum; nonexistent would be better," he explained calmly, his eyes never leaving mine.

"I don't understand why you need to keep an eye on me," I said, feeling unsettled that he felt he needed to protect me. Why was I in danger? I wasn't one of them so why would I be a target?