Love Hides The Truth

Chapter 20

My body jolts awake at the sound of an alarm clock, I almost forgot it was Tuesday. Yesterday was so chaotic and busy it seemed like a week went by.

"Gage." "Gage!" "Gage!!" I shake his body trying to wake him.

"Wh-hat?" He groggily answers.

"It's 7:45, we'll be late for school!" Without waiting for an answer I dash to my closet and frantically search for clothes.

I pull out a red 'Washington State' crewneck and black Lululemon leggings. Quickly, I change in my closet then brush my teeth. I straighten my hair and do my makeup in less than five minutes, not perfect but something.

When I walk back in my room Gage is still laying on my bed, "Gageee."

"Shit." He mutters before getting up and going to my bathroom. 

I decide to wait for him downstairs and grab my back pack, thank god I didn't have any homework. After about five minutes Gage follows down the stairs, If my mom found out he slept over she'd ground me for life. 

As I watch him tie his shoes I notice what he's wearing "I'm so sorry you have to wear the same clothes because you slept over."

"Eh, no worries. I'd rather be here than in clean clothes." He answers hugging me.

I hug him back then slip on my Converse and walk out the door. 

"I'm excited." He says grabbing my hand and walking to the car.

"For what? School?" I ask scrunching my nose.

"No, I get to drive you like I promised."

The memory of him nervously asking to drive me on our first "date" flashes through my mind and makes me smile. 

"Me too." I kiss his cheek before hopping in the car.

I search for a CD from his pile while he pulls out of the driveway, "Which one's your favorite?" 

"I have so many I can't even remember, but if I had to choose 'Breach' by Lewis Capaldi."

His answer surprises me, but also makes me feel warm. I find the CD and pop it into the player. Gage rests his hand on my leg as 'Someone You Loved' fills the car.

...

When we pull up to the school my stomach fills with butterflies. I still haven't made any other friends, Gage is in my lunch but that's it.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm nervous."

"You don't need to be, everyone will love you. You just need to open up." He squeezes my thigh and gets out of the car.

I follow behind him up the front steps where he takes my shaking hand in his and walks inside. Gage gives me a hug of encouragement before walking the opposite way to his locker. 

I get all my things from my locker and head to Chemistry. When I walk in the room I see the desk are replaced by lab tables, oh no. Don't get me wrong I love labs, but that means I'll need a partner. 

"Hello class, today we're going to do a follow up on our reading of Magnesium Oxide yesterday by seeing in a lab. Everyone go to the lab table that would usually be your desk, only two to a table please." Informs the professor.

I nervously walk over my table and put my safety goggles on. I look up as a brunette boy with green eyes walks up and smiles at me. Maybe this won't be so bad.

"Hey looks like we're partners." His voice is raspy.

"Guess so." I smile.

We read the directions on the sheet in front of us and finish the lab in no time. We're the first ones done, so we spent the rest of the hour talking. He's really funny and nice, I think I might've made a friend.