Before You Leave

17. You'd Know, Wouldn't You

My foot tapped gently against the floor. I looked down at my interlaced hands, my forearms resting on my knees as I waited in Ms. Birchwood's office for Ms. Birchwood.

Gideon sat next to me, his knee against mine in the same stance I was sitting in.

"You shouldn't have done that."

"Yes, I should have and I did." His thumb was swelling. Bad.

"You could have broke your thumb, Gideon!" I turn to him, arms spread out to try and get him to see reason. "You might have, even."

"So you're not mad I punched Samuel?"

"Mad, no." I shook my head. "Surprised, yes. Gid, you could lose everything. Just for some lying jackass."

He sighed and shifted.

I eyed him. "How did you know that he was lying, anyway?"

"I didn't care if he was lying or not," he tells me. "He was disrespecting you."

I chuckled. "So? It's not anything new."

"I'm not gonna let people say that's crap about you." His cheeks inflamed. "Or anyone," he continued.

"I was just really hoping he was lying," he confided.

"He was—"

"I know," he tells me softly. He's still looking at the floor as he smiled gently, even if nothing was funny. "Somehow, I know."

"Gid, you need a doctor," I say, picking up his hand. His knuckles were now turning a deeper shade of red and Samuel's blood was drying on Gideon's fingers. "Your thumb could be broken."

"It's not." He tried to shake my hand away gently, but unclamped my hand on his softly, careful not to hurt any of his wounds.

Gideon, a ray of sunshine when he's getting his way, when he's safe, when he's happy... he wasn't used to getting taken care of.

I was in the contrary. I was too used to being coddled. It's why it hurt so much when BH died. Because no one was there to baby me anymore. But I grew without that.

I looked up at Gideon's beautiful eyes.

He didn't need anyone to baby him. I knew that.

But I wanted to.

"Pro tip," I say, interrupting the silence, "punch with your thumb outside your fist. Not in."

He laughed, which sounded a little like a scoff. "You'd know, wouldn't you?"

"Oh, shut up." I scowled, but couldn't help but grin as I nudged his shoulder with mine.

He then returned the favor as he repeated that process, nudging his shoulder to mine.

I don't know how but we ended up looking into each other's eyes. And I don't remember who leaned in first, I just know that my forehead needed up against his and I was hesitating to move my lips closer. I went in a bit, but overthought it and moved my lips back.

Not until I knew how I felt about him.

Just as I was about to pull away, the door opened, making us both jump in our seats and scoot away from each other.

"Now, Ms. Ashton, when I said that Gideon could loosen up, I didn't mean it like this." A hand rested on her hip, on her lilac dress and her other hand braced her desk.

We both said nothing. I think I heard Gideon gulp.

"He's pressing charges, you know?"

Gideon's eyes widened and I nudged my leg with his to reassure him.

"But luckily, I got him to drop them."

"How?!" Gideon and I both said simultaneously.

"I could ruin him in a heartbeat and his parents know that. The charges were dropped after I played my authority card." She tossed a price of her tan, blonde hair aside.

"This ain't going to happen again, Gideon. And if it does, those charges will not be dropped and it will be mentioned on your records." She tilted her glasses. "Are we clear?"

"Yes, Ms. Birchwood."

"Detention. Saturday. That's all I have to say."

"What?" I say. "No lecture?"

"Unlike you, Ms. Ashton, Gideon does not have a record as long as yours, nor will he do it again." She sighs. "I cannot say the same for you."

I grumbled once before getting up at the same time Gideon did. He walked out the door first, and as I followed, the headmaster called my name. Gideon kept walking and I watched him go outside and then pause and wait for me there.

I turned to see her.

"I'm rooting for you two," is all she says.