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Four
After school,I went home long enough to change into leggings and a sweatshirt and put my laundry in the washer before heading across the street to Gavin’s. Dad wouldn’t be home for the next day or two, but I didn’t want to stick around just in case.
“Gavin?” I called out while toeing off my shoes and heading into the kitchen.
“Up here.” His voice was distant coming from his room, so I turned back and picked up my backpack over my shoulder from the foyer before taking the stairs. He was at his desk with his notebooks and textbooks already spread out.
“Homework already?” I groaned. I didn’t want to be productive. I wanted to zone out for a while, but I’d lost this argument a dozen times before. If we got it done now, we didn’t have to worry about it later.
“Yup,” he said while writing something down. “I’ll never understand why you guys are surprised by it every day. It’s the routine.”
I scrunched my nose and made a face to his back while sinking to the floor with my back against his bed. Having two weeks off school meant no homework either. I shouldn’t complain, but it was a habit after months around Sky and Vince that never wanted to do anything school related after the final bell. Gavin might be the only person who didn’t mind the extra hour or two of school work we had to do. I only had a few problems for math, reading for world lit, and a study guide to fill out for history. I usually needed his help at least once with math, so I put it off until the end so I didn't interrupt him and slid my history book onto my lap.
A minute or two later, my mind wandered. I stared at Gavin’s back. He hunched forward so his shirt strained a bit, revealing the growing muscles below. His brown hair was growing out, the ends almost reaching the collar. I imagined letting my fingers tangle in it while kissing him.
My head tipped back, and the softness of his duvet reminded me of how easy it would be to recreate my dream. Well, half of it.
I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth.
“Why aren’t you working?”
I flinched at Gavin’s voice. He hadn’t moved but somehow sensed my distraction. I wanted to tell him the truth, if only for his reaction, but admitting what my mind had summoned to Sky had been embarrassing enough. I didn’t think I could tell Gavin without bursting into flame from embarrassment.
“I’m reading,” I lied.
He twisted to look at me, and I tapped the page I’d been staring at.
“You okay?” His eyes locked on my face, and I wanted to duck or hide. I felt like he could read my mind. Too bad he was the one who could go invisible.
“Yes?” I didn’t mean for it to come out as a question. I wasn’t good at keeping things from him despite all the practice I had at trying.
“Something happened today.”
I waited for him to continue his thought, but that was it. “Several things,” I teased.
He watched me like an equation to solve. “Something to do with Sky.”
How could he possibly know? I opened my mouth, but he spoke too quickly.
“He didn’t get called to the office. I’m sure it doesn’t mean anything.”
Oh. Right. We spent both afternoon periods waiting for someone to interrupt class, but it never happened. Sky must have told Gavin.
“Yeah, maybe Mr. Peters is just more on top of things.” He hadn’t asked anything interesting. Maybe he was checking in because it was me, and he knew I was prone to crisis and conflict.
“That wouldn’t surprise me.” He turned back around, and I slouched, grateful I was off the hook. “If you want to tell me what’s really going on, I’m listening.”
I dropped my head back against the bed. Damn him.
“I’m not sure I want to tell you.”
He snapped around. “I knew it. What’s going on?”
He played me? He was just guessing, and I walked freely into his trap.
“You were right.” I conceded. “There was something with Sky today.”
“I knew that’s why you two were talking during weight training.”
