Page 28 of Finding a Melody
“Now you don’t have to be all cloak and daggers, trying to hide shit with us.” Bryan huffed, ignoring the glares of his buddies. I just smiled. It was a very Bryan response, being so blunt with me.
Justin approached me slowly and I watched him, still feeling hurt that he told them. He must have seen it because he flinched, stopping before he got within reaching distance of me. “Do you forgive me?” he asked, his eyes dark with his insecurity.
I nodded. “I do. I get it, Justin. I understand why you did. I was just angry and embarrassed.”
“Embarrassed?” he asked.
“Ashamed, really,” I admitted. “You told them something I didn’t want anyone to know and it embarrassed me, but I don’t hate you for doing it. I never could. And besides, I wasn’t planning to ever tell them, so I guess someone else had to take up that burden.”
Justin sighed as he pulled me into a tight hug. With the way his arms shook, there was so much more with this hug than I’d be able to understand. I wrapped my arms around him and tried to give him what seemed like the comfort he needed from me.
“I’m not leaving,” I said into his chest.
“Good,” he whispered, pressing his lips to my forehead. “I don’t think I would be able to let you leave, anyway.”
I smiled at that as I stepped away, my heart full of the warmth they all made me feel. I looked around at everyone and tilted my head to the side, cocking an eyebrow.
“What?” Toby asked.
“So?”
“So?” We stared at each other for a few heartbeats before his eyes shifted to the ground and I grinned.
“How much trouble did you all get into?” I asked.
Paxon chuckled. “We aren’t allowed back until next Tuesday, five days suspension. It’ll be formalized tomorrow morning for some of us, once our parents can meet with the principal.”
I focused on Seth. “And you?”
“Just a warning that the next time I came to the school without permission, they were going to call the police and press charges.” Seth grinned playfully. “I was a good student before graduating.”
I laughed. “What do your parents have to say?”
That seemed to get a different kind of reaction and smiles dropped and everyone shared glances.
“Well?” Were they in deep trouble? They were all here, no parents apparently came in.
“Dad’s too busy at work, thankfully,” Paxon finally answered. “He’ll get the message later. So I have time to come up with an excuse he’ll accept.” Paxon seemed nervous, playing with his beanie as he spoke.
Bryan snorted. “Once my parents have time to even bother to get the news, they’ll just rant at me for being an embarrassment.” His words were almost completely nonchalant, but bitterness still slipped in.
“Toby?” I asked.
Toby swallowed and glanced at Justin. “Um. She definitely got a call and she was definitely present during the call.”
Justin chuckled. “Aunt Laura will always be on our side in public. Then she rips us a new one when she sees us later. For now, as far as the school is aware, it’s their fault for not having better security and that they should thank us for pointing that flaw out for them to correct to prevent future incidents.”
Toby shuddered. “But when she gets off work this evening, she will definitely rip us a new asshole. We need to be home for sure then to meet her. Thankfully she’s working a bit later today.”
I laughed. “So you’re all free for now?”
“For now,” Seth said. “I took the day off. I have so many vacation days built up that they were more than happy for me to take today off. They wanted me to take more days off, but I need the work.”
“Come on then,” I said, nodding toward our cars.
“Where are we going?”
“I’m still mad at you all, truthfully.”