Dirty Little Secret

Chapter Fourteen - Homecoming Dates & Mission Impossible

"So, how's the first day on the job?" Jenna's voice sounded through the speaker of my phone and I sighed as I sat down on a bench in the middle of Kelley Park, a city park just a block away from the office.

"Dull." I grumbled as I tried to retract my sandwich from the plastic container using just one hand, which proved to be quite the task.

"What kind of work are they putting you up to?" She asked, and I could hear the noise of rowdy students in the background, causing me to believe Jenna was seated in the school's cafeteria. It was lunch time at Capitola High, and I felt slightly out of place sitting by the wooden picnic table in the cold open air rather than sitting in my usual spot opposite of Jenna.

"Organizing files, taking phone calls, making coffee. I swear I've never been more desperate to sit through one of Mrs. Campbell's lectures in my life." I groaned and took a bite from my peanut butter jelly sandwich.

"Wow, sounds horrid." Jenna concluded sympathetically.

"Yup. So how's school?" I asked in an attempt to change the subject, desperate to talk about anything but the work at the law firm in the short forty-five minute break I was granted from it. Horrid was a mild way to describe how it made me feel. Even though the people were friendly, the work was soul-suckingly boring.

"No different from Friday, everyone is still freaking out about homecoming."

"Right." I sighed and stared at the water in front of me, watching a duck stick it's head under water in the hopes of catching it's next meal "I'm so glad we decided to sit this one out. I don't think I would've survived another year of dress shopping with my mom just to show up dateless. Do you know how awkward it is to have to sit on the bleachers watching other people have fun all night?" I shuddered at the memory. Yeah, school dances definitely weren't my thing.

"Yeah..." Jenna muttered guiltily before continuing "About that..."

"What did you do?" I asked her suspiciously, the sandwich stopping mid-motion only inches from my mouth.

"I may have sort of told Jaxon that you and I are going together, as friends." She squeaked out in a rushed sentence.

"What? Why?" I frowned, even though she couldn't see me.

"Well... You know how  I said homecoming was just a lame excuse for boys to try to dry hump girls and hopefully get laid?"

"Yeah..."

"That was before Matt Collins asked me as his date."

"Wait, what? Matt from algebra?" I gasped.

"Yes! Honestly Nina I wasn't planning on going, but that boy is some serious man candy and I just couldn't say no."

"No, of course I get it..." I told her with a frown "But I just don't get what a guy like Matt Collins would be doing at homecoming."

"Neither do I, but I'm so not going to over think it. This is the first time I've been asked out since freshman year and I am not letting Jaxon ruin it for me this time."

"So you told him we're going together." I concluded understandingly and took the last bite out of my sandwich.

"I'm really sorry Nina, but Jaxon would never let me go if he knew I was going with a guy, let alone someone with the looks of Matt. This is the only way." Jenna explained with a desperate tone, and I quickly soothed her worries "Relax, I'll help you. What's the plan?" I asked her as I got up from the bench and gathered my bag to start the walk back to the office.

"Thank you! You're a lifesaver." Jenna exclaimed "All you have to do is show up at my house looking pretty, have Jaxon drive us to the dance and be back by 12 for him to pick us up again."