Chapter 33
Author’s Note:
So I don’t really like how the last couple of chapters played out. I feel like one minute Emma and Justin are fighting and the next they are kissing…So, I probably put a chapter between the two, but it won’t really be too important because it’ll just be a filler chapter. Oh, and we are nowhere near the end, the fun has just begun.
Devin4862
The next day, everything was back to normal, well kind of. Justin came over for breakfast, and we talked and laughed like normal. Grandma gave us an odd look at first. She probably didn’t expect Justin, because we were pretty cold towards one another last night. It didn’t really matter, because as always, there was more than enough food, and she seemed happy that we had fixed or differences. I was too.
“Bye Grandma,” I called as Justin handed me my backpack and we walked out the door. The walk down to the car was quiet as were the first few minutes in the car. It was quite awkward. As I waited for a car to get off the old bridge, I tapped my fingers on the wheel and reached for the radio. Before I could touch the dial, Justin grabbed my hand. I smiled down at the ground. “What are we going to tell Ally and the others?”
Justin’s thumb massaged the back of my hand as he thought. “We could mess with them?” he suggested with a shrug.
“What do you mean?” My head turned to him before the car slowly rolled across the green trestle bridge.
“Well, we could,” his cheeks turned red so I quickly looked away and tried to hide my smug smile. “I don’t know; act like we would anyways, but anytime someone asks us about…we just play stupid.” Justin tried to hide his blush by looking out the window.
I squeezed his hand in mine, “sounds like a plan.” After that, the ride was filled with chatter. I told him about dinner with my brother and his friends.
“Can I meet your brother?”
“Sure,” his hand finally let mine go in order for me to put the car in park. Justin waited for me to pull my bag out of the back seat before we walked into school together with our hands grazing each other as they swung back and forth between us. Tingles surged through my knuckle each time his skin touched mine.
“Hey guys,” Ally caught up to us just outside the doors readjusting her backpack.
“Good morning,” Justin opened the door for us.
“Thank you,” the smile on my face grew larger and we held eye contact just a bit longer than usual.
“I see you two are talking again,” Vince walked up to us from inside the building. I looked to Justin quick before copying his confused glance towards Vince. “Oh come on,” he threw an arm over my shoulder. “You were silent towards my girl for a whole week.” I watched something flash through Justin’s eyes at Vince. I’m pretty sure it was jealousy, but he hid it quickly as did I the smirk that threatened to blow our plan.
“Honestly,” I ducked out of Vince’s arm which meant standing closer to Justin. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Justin and I had our arms pressed against each other. Normally Justin would have taken a step away, but at the moment I was enjoying the warmth that radiated from him.
Vince glanced at Ally who was also confused before shrugging it off, “Whatever.” He and Ally walked towards the lockers, and after a moment where Justin and I shared a quick smile, we followed. Vince glanced back at us, a smile on his face as we split ways. He and Ally continued to her locker whereas I pulled Justin to mine by his sweatshirt. He didn’t seem to mind.
“What does Vince know?” Curiosity got the best of me as I spun in my combo.
The smirk fell from Justin’s face. “Well, I may have,” his hand rubbed the back of his neck, “told him about what we told each other last week.” His eyes dropped to the ground in shame.
“Then what does Ally know?” I was so relieved that it wasn’t about my parents that I didn’t really care that Vince was never going to let me be about liking Justin.
“That I like you,” his cheeks turned red and his eyes didn’t leave the ground. “At least, she’s pretty sure I do, I never admitted it her and Vince wouldn’t tell her, but she’s been bugging me about it for weeks.”
I sighed in relief, letting myself chuckle a bit at Justin’s expense. “Is there anything else I’m missing?” I pulled my homework out of my backpack placing the books in my locker.
“Charlie’s on board with Ally, that’s why they made us, or at least tried to make us, dance together at the parties.”
I nodded as Vince and Ally returned, their hands intertwined. “Emma, will you come with me to talk to Ms. Harrell about our English homework?”
“Um,” my eyes met Justin’s, “sure, I guess.” Ally linked her arm through mine and pulled me away before I could even shut my locker.
Looking back I saw Justin close it right as Ally began to speak. “Vince is right, last week you and Justin didn’t speak a word to one another and now you seem as close as ever, what gives?”
“Justin and I talked last week,” I stayed defensive. “I mean our families are practically family.” Does that even make sense? I shook of the thought knowing Ally understood.
She gave me a glare, knowing I was holding back on her as she walked into Ms. Harrell’s room, but didn’t say anything else.
That’s pretty much how the entire day went. Justin sat next to me at lunch, which thankfully left no room beside me for Vince since I sat at the end of the table. I don’t think I could have dealt with his constant flirting while playing twenty questions with both Ally and Caitlyn. In History, Justin and I sat a little too close to each other, but no one noticed since we were the only ones in the back row.
“So what did Vince have to say to you this morning?” I took out my notebook, but had no plans to write notes as Mr. Bradfield lectured on about the Articles of Confederation.
“Oh, he asked about us and, although I denied everything, he knows.” Justin was quiet as Mr. Bradfield waited for an answer to a question he asked before continuing. “Ally will know tomorrow. He said he couldn’t keep this secret from her, so Charlie and probably the whole school will know by the end of tomorrow.”
I wanted to ask what they would know, because I was a little confused about what Justin and I are, but Mr. Bradfield called on him to answer a question and after that we had to at least pretend to pay attention.
I didn’t get a chance to talk to Justin after that, because someone from class started a conversation that lasted all of passing time and even into gym class and then we were split into teams for basketball.
By the time we were walking to my car, I had forgotten my question. “So, movie night tonight?” Justin asked as I drove through the small downtown.
I shook my head. “I shouldn’t, I have a lot of homework and I need to call Alex and Hannah and Riley and Jenny and Michael,” the list grew longer as I said it, “about next week.”
“Who are Michael and Riley?” there was a hint of bitterness in his voice and I could help but laugh.
“You don’t have to get jealous like you did with Vince this morning. Michael and Riley are practically family, and besides, they’re old.” I smiled at his hostile attitude.
“But they’re not family?” He rolled over my mention of Vince from this morning. “Then who are they?”
“Well Michael’s…a friend and Riley, he’s, he’s, I’ll tell you about him another time, alright?” I couldn’t exactly say godfather without my parents’ absence being brought up. I looked over at Justin, hoping he wouldn’t press the subject and that he wouldn’t be too mad about another secret.
“Okay,” he took my hand with a smile on his face. “How about a movie tomorrow?”
“Deal,” I jumped eagerly, happy that he wasn’t upset, “as long as I don’t have to pick the movie.”
“You have never chosen the movie before, so we start now?”
Full Copyright 2013