Hide Your Fires

24: I Know

"I feel absolutely exhausted," I say with a loud sigh as I plop down on the couch just as the front door slams behind the last parent coming to pick up their child from Jude's birthday party.

The party was a huge success among Jude and his little friends but it was absolutely exhausting to me. It was a pretty generic birthday party with cheesy Marvel decorations and then cheesy birthday games like pin the tail on the donkey except ours was place the hammer on Thor. A piñata, cake and ice cream, opening presents, and then just like planned, it was all over by four.

"You did good," Tate assures me, sitting down beside me and putting a hand on my knee. He'd been there the whole time to help me out along with Matt so that made the whole thing bearable. I think he's mostly here just so he knows exactly when the party ends so that he can take me out on that date right afterwards.

After our making out in the empty janitor's closet on Monday, we kind of made a habit out of doing that every day. Not always in the janitor's closet though, but we'd always take our lunch break to go make out somewhere. We can't date until today, but that doesn't mean that we can't make out at every possible chance. Sometimes in his car, sometimes in mine. But for every day of the week, our lunch hour was never boring.

"You guys can go now if you want," Matt offers as Jude is rifling through all of his new toys that are now in a pile in the middle of the living room that's now back to its original state- no blue tape or sewing machine anymore, all of my design stuff is either crammed back into my room or stuck in the dusty basement. "I'll help Jude put his toys away."

"I'm so tired though," I groan even though I really do want to go on this date with Tate. I have no idea where he's taking me or anything about it at all because he's been so mysterious about the whole thing but I am really excited about it. And also a little bit nervous for some reason. Just mostly excited though.

"You can sleep on the way there," Tate informs me, standing up from the couch and pulling me up with him. "See you later, Matthew."

"Wait, well let me get dressed first," I mutter, motioning down to the skinny jeans and dark gray sweater that I'm wearing with my hair in a messy bun on my head. I didn't really dress to impress considering I spent my day chasing after a crowd of first graders.

"No, you look great just like that," Tate assures me as I'm pulling my blonde hair out of the bun on my head and then he takes my hand in his and starts pulling me toward the front door.

"I at least need shoes," I remind him but I don't try to argue with him about my outfit because he's so painfully stubborn. Granted, I am too, but it's snowing outside and really windy so I'm not going to oppose wearing pants today.

"No fancy heels," He tells me when I start backing away from him to go into my room where my closet is full of my small-ish shoe collection. Mostly black and mostly heels but I do have a pair of gray suede boots with knitted insides and they're really warm so I slip those on my feet and return to the living room where Jude is still engrossed in his new toy collection and Matthew is cleaning up the last shreds of gift wrap.

"I didn't realize that going on a date with you had its own dress code," I tease Tate as he hands me my winter coat from the coat rack by the door and I slip it on over my warm sweater.

"That's just how awesome a date with me is," He tells me jokingly.

"Right," I roll my eyes at him, grabbing a small duffle bag that has all of my overnight stuff in it. I'd packed it last night since I plan on spending the night at Tate's house, which I've never been to which is ironic considering how much time he spends at my house. "Jude, be good for Matt."