Chapter 41: Chapter forty one

Arielle

“Well, you didn't try to strangle me throughout the ride here so I guess you truly accept us being friends.” I said to Drayton as we approached the school's gate.

“Don't jump into conclusions, Frozen. You're not out of the car yet.” Drayton replied, glancing at me with his annoying smirk on his face.

“Now I'm back to fearing for my life.” I pretended to shudder in fear and he laughed.

I ignored the tiny movement in my stomach at the sound of his laughter. Something had changed between us over the weekend but I couldn't figure out what it was. I just knew I didn't hate it.

Drayton pulled up in his spot at the school's parking lot and I got out of the car. Fortunately, no one was around to take pictures of me getting out of Drayton King's car. We'd arrived a bit late and I was sure everyone would be at the hall for morning assembly.

I didn't particularly care about the rumors spread about me, it wouldn't be the first time anyway. I was just worried about what Dan would think. It's been well over a week since my mum and I moved in with Drayton and Penelope, but I still haven't told my best friend.

It's not like I enjoyed lying to him, but telling Dan would mean explaining everything that led to us moving out. While I was certain Dan would be supportive, I wasn't exactly ready for the conversation that would follow.

Besides, it's not like there was anything he could do about it except comfort me. And the last thing I needed was someone pitying me.

“Hey?” Drayton called.

I turned towards him to see the frown etched between his brows.

“I called your name three times. What were you thinking about so much?” he asked.

“Huh? Oh! Nothing. What were you saying?”

Drayton stared at me, his brows arched in a silent question.

Please, don't ask. Don't ask. Don't ask.

“I was asking if we should move our tutoring session to Chuck's after school since we'll both be working there.” He said.

I felt a strange sense of relief that he didn't ask why I spaced out. I wouldn't know how to answer that. I couldn't exactly say I was worried about my best friend figuring out my lie now, could I?

“Uhm yeah, sure. But I'm supposed to always check in with the librarian. What if Ms Brown thinks I skipped?”

“Don't worry. I'll deal with the librarian. I'm the tutor after all. My rules, remember?” He said, his signature annoying-as-hell smirk making an appearance.

We began walking towards the grand hall for the morning assembly. I was half certain it would be almost over by now.

“You sure are enjoying your title too much. Do you have to flaunt it everytime?” I rolled my eyes.

“Well, I'm tutoring the “great” Arielle McAlister. I'll flaunt it as much as I goddamn want to.” He said.

I pinned him with a glare which he responded to with a chuckle. We were almost at the grand hall now. I could already hear Principal Givens voice fluttering into the empty hallways through the speakers.

“Maybe I should go in first. We shouldn't be seen together. Imagine the headlines it would make on the school's platform.” I chuckled.

Drayton stared at me blankly before he nodded.

“I'm skipping assembly anyway. I'll see you in class.” He gave me a wink and walked away.

I stood in the empty hallway, staring at his retreating figure. A tiny part of me felt guilty for sending him off like that. I'd asked him to be friends just few minutes ago and now I didn't want to be seen with him. Since when did I care about the school's headlines anyway?

God, why am I such an asshole?

I heaved out a sigh and made to walk into the hall just in time to hear Givens closing speech.

Great, now I missed morning assembly too.

I turned and began walking to class before students start to disperse into the hall. I was almost at my classroom when I heard someone called my name.

“I've been calling you since you left the hall but you didn't seem to hear me.” Jack said when he finally caught up to me.

It didn't seem like he attended the morning assembly too. Or maybe he was just carrying his backpack around. I really didn't care.

“What do you want, Jack?”

“Woah, a little aggressive this morning, aren't we?” he chuckled.

I rubbed my temples gently, but the movement didn't make my growing headache go away.

“Uhm.. I'm sorry. I've just had a really bad morning.” I said.

“It's okay. Saw you with King earlier. I can tell that didn't go well.”

Jack and everyone at school still thinks Drayton and I were enemies. Based on how I just treated him, it was probably best I didn't correct Jack's assumption.

“Yeah,” I said simply. “Is there something you wanna say? I have to get to class quickly.”

“Uhm, yeah. I didn't get to finish what I was saying at Caleb's party last week.” He paused, his eyes scanning over my face.

“Oookayyy.”

Truth was, I had no recollection of what we were discussing that night. The only major incident I could remember from that party was Drayton pushing me into the pool.

But I didn't tell Jack that. I didn't want to drag this conversation longer than necessary. The only reason I was even talking to him at all was because of the mix-up with his cousin few weeks ago.

“I'm sorry for everything that happened between us. Honestly, I feel really terrible for not paying more attetion to you than I should have. I was also going through a really rough patch at that moment. It's not an excuse for me being a shitty boyfriend though.” He said, his face full of regrets.

“It's fine. It's all in the past now.” I said absentmindedly.

“No, it's not. I'd really like to make it up to you.”

“You really don't have to.”

“I have to. Please, El.” He took my hand in his amd squeezed gently. If he thought calling me by his chosen nickname will make me go out with him again, he was sadly mistaken. But I couldn't stand this conversation for one more second.

“Alright, cool.” I removed my hand from his and shoved it into my jacket’s pocket.

His eyes lightened up at my response and he gave me that golden boy smile that had once got me smitten.

“We should go out for coffee some time.”

“Yeah, definitely.” I nodded and began walking away before he could stall me with another conversation.

I heard hurried footsteps behind me. I swear, if that boy is following me, I will literally lose my mind.

“So are you two like back together now or what?”

I sighed in relief as I heard my best friend's voice.

“You do not know how happy I am to see it's you.” I said, just as Dan swung his arm around my neck.

We walked into our classroom and my eyes immediately collided with Drayton's. His gaze fell on Dan's arm around me and hardened. I felt the sudden need to pull away from Dan's embrace under Drayton's intense gaze. He tore his gaze away before I couod figure out what the sudden change in his mood meant.

“Strange, considering you've been MIA all weekend. My calls weren't returned and neither were my texts. I thought you got yourself a new BFF.” Dan arched his eyebrow.

That was enough to cut through any thoughts I had Drayton's change in express. I pulled away from Dan and walked hurriedly to my desk.

“That's because I was really busy.” I said.

“Doing what? I called your house, your housekeeper said you weren't home.”

My heart stopped as I heard those words.Did Dan know I had moved out of my father's house?

But as I stared at his face, I could only see questions there. It didn't seem like he knew.

“Mum and I went to Ohio for a charity thing. I got so busy that I didn't have time to check my phone.”

My heart thundered erratically in my chest as I waited for Dan to uncover my lies. I mean, it was pretty believable, but he was the son of a lawyer. It wouldn't be surprising if he figured it out.

“Hm! So you didn't make a new BFF in Ohio?” He arched his eyebrow in question.

“Come on, you know you'll always be my number one.” I hit his shoulder playfully and we both chuckled.

I had the fakest big ass smile on, but my inside was churning with guilt. I had just straight up lied to my best friend. I just wish we could come back from this when he finally finds out the truth.

That I am the biggest fraud ever.