Golden Boy

N I N E - T E E N

"Do you guys want to go to Mama's Diner?" Cami asked, pulling away from our hug. 

"I could eat," exclaimed Dave, happily.

"Same, I didn't get to finish my lunch," I said, closing my locker and grabbing my bag. Cami and Dave walked two steps ahead of me, probably since Cami wanted to call shotgun. 

I walked outside to see Jace and his entourage of groupies standing on the stairs, gate-keeping the parking lot. We made eye contact so I nodded my head and kept walking. I saw him excuse himself from his friends to catch up with me. 

"Hey, do you need a ride home?" He asked, quite loudly, causing Cami and Dave to turn around. 

I shook my head. "No, Dave's—"

"Don't go home until I let you know," he leaned in closer to whisper under his breath.

I looked up to him, confused until realization dawned on me. The whole reason I slept over at his house was to protect my family at my house. He still needed to figure out why people were able to break into my house and fix it before I could go back. "Shiiitt," I cursed. 

"Bev will be back with some supplies at seven. Don't go home until I let you know if we fixed the problem."

"What if you can't fix it?"

"You'll just have to sleep over until we can fix it," he said with a smirk and a wiggle of his brows. 

"Jace," I sighed. "When can I get a break?"

"Sorry, El—there's no such thing as breaks."

"Fine, I'll probably come over later after we eat."

"I can pick you up," he offered, his hands shoved in his pocket. His hair flopped around in the wind, and I could see his breath in the air. I suddenly felt like we were in a relationship. A simple question like—do you need a ride—suddenly made me feel like we were in too deep. People were watching. I could feel Cami's gaze on us and Jace's friends watching our every move. 

I wasn't comfortable with the thought that they probably assumed we were making plans to hook up later or go on a date, or whatever. It felt like a bunch of people were suddenly aware of my existence, when I was better equipped for a life away from scrutiny. 

"I'll have Dave drive me to your block, and I'll just lie about who lives there."

Jace didn't seem comfortable with that, considering that no one knew he didn't actually live in that mansion. "Okay," he finally agreed. "Bring me food?" He playfully asked, and I shook my head. He left, moving back to stand with his friends. 

I walked over to Dave and Cami, who looked confused. They didn't ask me any other questions, which I was relieved about, because I didn't want to keep lying to them. I could tell that there was tension still between us because the car ride was quiet since Cami wasn't initiating conversation like she normally did. 

In Mama's Diner, we ordered our usual meals. Dave got a burger and fries, Cami got her french toast, and I got a chocolate milkshake, a bagel, and a side of fries. I was especially in the mood to eat after having to abandon my dry sandwich at lunch earlier today. 

Our moods diffused back into our normal banter as soon as the food came. I realized how much I had missed them these past couple of days, and how I wish I had more freedom deciding my personal excursions. 

I tried my best to stay distracted and keep my mind on my friends sitting in front of me, but I couldn't help but worry about my home and what it would mean for me if Jace wasn't able to bring the protections back up. I didn't want to keep lying to my family about where I was and who I'm with.