Chapter Fifty Five
What outfit should I wear? I'm only going to school so maybe some jeans? The weather is too cold for short sleeves.
Undecided, I just close my eyes and grab a shirt. When I open them I'm holding a light pink sweater.
The sweater brings me into the grand world of leggings.
I quickly throw on a pair of black leggings to go with my top. My shoes are just a pair of gray sneakers and my hair falls down my waist, curling at the bottom.
I'm about to go downstairs to see if moms home or not when my phone rings, I answer it.
"Hey, pretty lady." Trace says.
I smile at the sound of his voice, "Why'd you call me so early?"
He sighs out, pausing for a short moment.
"I'm picking you up for school."
My eyebrows draw together, "You don't have to-"
"I know I don't have to but I want to. Adalyns mother insisted on taking the kids to their school so I'm full of time and I want to spend it with my girl. I'm about to pull into your driveway."
My girl.
The words are like butterflies on a spring morning. Heartwarming and musical.
"Okay," is all I reply back with. He must be able to hear the smile in my voice because he chuckles.
He ends the call and I hear a horn honk.
He's here.
I grin like an idiot and grab my bag. Downstairs, I look around to see if there's any sign of mom leaving this morning. She doesn't always tell me when she leaves but she'll normally leave a note or something.
I scan the room quickly to see if there's an empty coffee cup or if the television is on. The room looks the exact same as it did the night before which can only mean one thing: mom's home.
She's still asleep since she worked so late last night. I remember hearing her come in at midnight. My brain was still half asleep and I knew she wanted to get to bed so I didn't bother trying to get up and have a drunken conversation with her.
When I get outside Trace is sitting in his truck watching me walk to him.
I climb in beside him and the warm air hits me. He used to never use his heater until I started riding with him.
"I like having a chauffeur take me to school," I smile at him.
He grins, "I'll be anything you want me to be."
A smile spreads across my face, "Just be mine."
That was super corny, but a perfect opportunity to be one of those couples and I couldn't pass it up.
He leans in and gives me a quick kiss, "I'd be honored."
Trace is mine. Of all the girls he could chose from he picked me. He could have anyone he wanted at the bat of an eye but he wanted me, he wants me.
It's like I'm Cinderella and I'm just wishing for a prince charming. And then he came.
We pull up to the school and we've only got a few minutes before the bell rings.
We jump out of the truck, grabbing our bags.
"What do you think we should do about Cameron?" I ask as we hurry into the building before we become tardy.
He shakes his head, "We can't tell him what we know. It'll only start unnecessary fights since we already know that it's not him. I don't think he'll like the idea of us digging around in his past."
I nod in agreement and we get into the wide school. My classroom is at the other side of the school and the hallways are already clearing up.
"I'll catch you later, Ems." he tells me as I hurry down the hallway. I throw him a quick smile over my shoulder and he returns it before turning and walking down a different hallway, out of my sight.
As soon as my foot hits the threshold of chemistry, the bell rings.
Mrs. Wilson narrows her eyes at me as if trying to decide whether or not she should count that as a tardy.
Please, don't. Please, please don't.
She finally decides against it as her stare softens, "Just in time. Find your seat Ms. Kennedy."
I nod my head towards her in appreciation and walk to the back of the room where I find the rest of my friends already sitting at our table.
"I'm telling you," Ethan starts, "I'm about to start making a list of all the places girls get horny." Josephine and I look at each other in confusion, Mason just stares at him with thoughtful interest.
"I went out with a girl last night, right? So we had spent the entire night watching a movie at my place. That's all that happened, we watched a movie. I wanted to strip her so bad but nope, we watched the movie. Anyways, the movie went off and I offered to take her home. On the way back to her house, we stopped to get McDonalds. We were in the drivethru and I looked over to ask her what she wanted, I'm not bullshitting you when I say she grabbed my forearm and says 'you daddy'. Like, bitch, we're in the drivethru!"
Mason throws his head back laughing while Josephine and I just give each other confused looks.
"How's Trace doing with everything?" Josephine asks after a moment.
"He's doing good." he's actually taking the fire better than I thought possible for anyone. He lost everything in that house but he's been very accepting of the fact. "He went to look at an apartment yesterday."
"That's good, I'm glad he's readjusting." She replies with a friendly smile.
Mason elbows my side playfully, "When'd you and Henderson become so close?"
I shrug, keeping my mouth shut.
It's not that I don't want our friends to know about us it's just that so much is happening and I feel like a relationship is the last thing for them to think about. I know that they'd be happy for us, it just doesn't feel like the right time yet.
Mrs. Wilson begins lecturing so Mason and I turn our chairs around to face her.
I can hear Josephine and Ethan behind us keeping a conversation going. He says something funny and she giggles girlishly at it, like always.
They get along great together. If they weren't best friends then I could see them being a couple.
Maybe that's just my new relationship mind working. All I can do is think about Trace and what he's doing.
I'd like to call myself an independent person but with Trace in my life it seems all I can do is think, eat and breathe him. He's my focus point, the feeling is beyond annoying but so incredible. It's like wanting air and then realizing you need it.
You can't live without it.
He's everything I've ever wanted. I'm willing to feel more powerfully, even if that scares me a little bit. Like we always tell each other, we're in it together. Between the two of us there's nothing we can't face.
~*~*~*~*~
"If anyone has food they don't want, pass it my way. This girl is starving." I announce to the table.
Cameron chuckles at me, "Didn't you just eat a sandwich?"
I nod once as if to ask 'your point?'.
He shakes his head and continues eating.
"I can run to the front and get you some food? I'd get you some from the lunch line if you want it but it's steak and gravy," Trace leans in to whisper across the table, "but I have to warn you: it's not real steak... or gravy."
My eyes widen. That's disgusting.
"Yea, could you please get me another sandwich? Ham and cheese?" I ask hopeful and he smiles. It's either that or peanut butter and jelly. If he remembers from our road trip, I told him I don't like peanut butter. Everyone else just thinks I'm allergic, but he knows the truth.
I wonder if he remembers when I told him that. And then he smiles as if to answer my thought. His smile says he remembers.
"No, that's not necessary. She can have my chicken strips, I haven't even touched them." Mason scoots me his basket of greasy, hot chicken strips and my mouth starts to water.
I pick it up and take a big bite, burning my mouth.
Trace sits back down and watches me chew wildly with my mouth open, trying to let the heat escape.
"I like a girl that can eat," Mason chuckles. He reaches his hands under the table and brush his hands off on his jeans, his fingers glaze over my thighs.
I shift away uncomfortably.
That was just an accident.
Lucas holds up a packet about football, offering it to Mason. He leans into me at effort to reach the packet from Lucas' hands.
Mason leans in front of my face and I can smell the cologne from his body, drifting into my nose. He smells good, but I still don't like the sudden proximity.
Trace snatches the packet from Lucas and throws it across the table to land in Masons lap.
He just picks it up and smiles, "Thanks man."
I stare at Trace for a minute, he's just watching Mason. He watches as Mason flips the page, focuses in on where Masons arm brushes against mine.
"We should get this." he shows me a photo from his packet and it's a picture of walkie talkies, "These would make cheating so much easier."
We literally sit right beside each other in our only class together. There's nothing he could say into a walkie talkie that I wouldn't be able to hear from the two feet away I was already.
But I don't tell him and put out the light in his eyes.
"Okay." Is all I say.
"I'm going to get some water." Trace says and stands up forcefully.
Everyone turns their attention to him. Adalyn raises her eyebrows, "You good, bud? You've got an entire water bottle right here." she hands it to him.
He takes the top off, puts the bottle to his lips and chugs the entire thing. Trace slams the empty bottle back on the table and walks away.
What the hell?
Josephine gives me a sympathetic look as if she knew that was aimed towards Mason and I.
He's acting very touchy today, I don't know why. He's not usually like this but it seems where my focus lays on Trace, Masons lays on me.
The two of us have always been close. He's been one of my best friends since I moved back into town. But lately things are just different between us. There's been an uncomfortable shift in the air whenever he's around, like he's waiting on something.
The bell rings and I automatically begin searching for Trace. He went in the direction of the gym but disappeared behind a wall. If he went that way he could be literally anywhere in the school right now, it even takes you out to the parking lot if you don't make any turns.
Adalyn and Josephine appear on either side of me, "What was that about?"
"What?" I shrug casually, pretending like I don't know the exact moment they're referring to.
Adalyn turns her head in disbelief, "I know you know what we're talking about. And I know you know I know something about it."
She's right. Adalyn went with me to talk to Liam and I had to fill her in on what's going on, it wouldn't be fair if I didn't. Since then she's had her suspicions about Trace and I but they've never been clarified to be right or wrong.
"Trace and I kissed." I tell then nervously. Josephine squeals in my ear.
"I knew it! I knew you two have been hiding something!"
"Yeah, well you were right. We were only keeping it from you until our lives became less hectic."
Adalyn nods, "I can understand that so I won't try and kill you right now. But next time your sneaking around with a sexy friend, we better be the first ones to know."
"And Erica," Josephine adds and I laugh.
"Promise."
When I get to my class, Trace isn't in there. It makes sense why he'd storm off at lunch, but skipping class? What am I missing?
Mason and I were just playing around. We always do goofy stuff and it never bothered him before. What changed?
I shoot him a text, asking where he went.
A few seconds later my phone buzzes with a message but it isn't from him.
It's Josephine texting in our four girls groupchat. We made it a long time ago when we decided we needed some girl time. We had a sleepover at my house after.
Josephine: How long have you been sneaking around? ;)
Erica texts back: Huh?
I quickly fill her in on the news of Trace and I. She tells me she's happy for me. Adalyn texts asking for answers on her test, I smile.
My phone buzzes again, I look down to check it.
Trace: Field house. Come join me?
He's insane if he thinks I'm walking out of class. Nothing is worth trying to face the wrath of Mr. Swon. Unless Trace needs me.
Me: Can it wait until after class?
I can practically hear the groan as he types back his respone.
Trace: Sure
Ethan quickly slaps my phone down on my leg. When I look up, I see why. Mr. Swon has entered the class room.
I give Ethan a thankful smile before hiding my phone back in my bag until class lets out. It'll be easier to leave school and head to the field house in between classes but walking out in the middle of class would only get me a write up.
Authors Note:
Hello! Thanks for reading and don't forget to vote if you enjoyed! Have a great day and stay safe!
I'm starting to lose my mind with this self isolation so I've decided to busy myself with a bucket list lol. It's got productive things on it and lazy things. It's working so far! I can't decide if I should start painting or writing lol. What have you been doing in quarantine? Or are you in quarantine at all?