couldn’t be absolutely sure, she could have sworn she caught Brandon looking at her every now and again when he thought she wasn’t paying attention.
As soon as the credits rolled, she stood up. ‘I think I’ll go now.’
Brandon looked at his watch. ‘It’s still only four.’
‘That’s OK. It’ll take me a while to get home and I can always stop at McDonald’s and get something to eat on the way.’
‘Do you think that’s safe?’
‘Yeah. I work there, so my peeps will look after me.’
‘Did you just say peeps ?’
She giggled. ‘Yeah, so?’
‘That kind of language makes me feel ancient.’
‘Sorry old man, but you kind of are.’
‘Hey! Who are you calling old man ?’
‘You. Anyway, thanks heaps for letting me stay. I’ll see you Monday. Which is technically tomorrow. Ugh. This weekend is already going way too fast.’
‘I know. Hey, even though you work at McDonald’s, I still feel like I shouldn’t be sending you out in the dark by yourself. So here’s my mobile number in case you get stuck.’ He quickly wrote on a piece of paper and handed it to her.
‘Aw. How nice of you to look out for your students.’
He walked her to the door.
‘I just wish your friend would be a bit wiser. I’m surprised she’s still in there, as a matter of fact. I’m betting Jason will kick her out any minute now.’
‘Not if Taylor has anything to do with it. Good luck dealing with all that.’
He grimaced. ‘Thanks.’
Lizzie left him there, only breaking out into a huge smile once she was out of sight.
***
The rest of Lizzie’s day was a mass of confusing thoughts. Every time she thought about Gabe, Brandon’s face made an appearance. She was annoyed at Gabe for not being honest with her about the text message, because it meant she had an excuse if she suddenly decided that their relationship was too hard, and she didn’t want to feel like that. She wanted to be one hundred percent dedicated.
Not that she was doing so well on that front today. Brandon was crowding out more and more of her brain space, leaving little room for her boyfriend.
She typed Brandon’s number into her phone, saving it under OH for Orion’s Head. She didn’t want anyone looking through her stuff and stumbling across it by accident. She then hid the piece of paper he’d written on in her bedside cabinet. She couldn’t bring herself to throw it away. It was a physical reminder of the night they’d spent together, and proof that he cared enough about her to risk his job. Something like that was unlikely to happen again.
She’d snuck in the door at five thirty and avoided waking her dad.
After grabbing a few hours’ sleep, she met him in the back garden again.
‘Am I pushing my luck if I ask you to help again today?’ he joked.
‘No, not pushing your luck.’ Lizzie knew she’d probably have to lie to him if he asked about the previous twelve hours, and she already felt guilty.
‘Great. Go get a spade then. I’m planting some new shrubs.’
Lizzie obeyed. She returned with a spade and started digging alongside her dad.
‘So what happened last night? You were already home when I woke up.’
‘When did you get up?’
‘I don’t know. I guess it would have been around seven.’
‘I must have gotten back just before that.’
‘Did you and Taylor have a fight or something? You don’t usually come home this early on a Sunday.’
Lizzie could actually tell the truth here. ‘Sort of. She was just being a bit selfish, so I didn’t feel like hanging around for breakfast.’
‘I don’t know why you even hang around with her in the first place.’
‘You don’t like her?’ This was the first Lizzie had heard about it.
‘Not particularly.’
‘How come? Why haven’t you said anything before?’
‘Well, she’s your friend, not mine, so it doesn’t really matter what I think. But I’m not happy with the way she takes advantage of you all the time.’
‘You’ve noticed that,
As soon as the credits rolled, she stood up. ‘I think I’ll go now.’
Brandon looked at his watch. ‘It’s still only four.’
‘That’s OK. It’ll take me a while to get home and I can always stop at McDonald’s and get something to eat on the way.’
‘Do you think that’s safe?’
‘Yeah. I work there, so my peeps will look after me.’
‘Did you just say peeps ?’
She giggled. ‘Yeah, so?’
‘That kind of language makes me feel ancient.’
‘Sorry old man, but you kind of are.’
‘Hey! Who are you calling old man ?’
‘You. Anyway, thanks heaps for letting me stay. I’ll see you Monday. Which is technically tomorrow. Ugh. This weekend is already going way too fast.’
‘I know. Hey, even though you work at McDonald’s, I still feel like I shouldn’t be sending you out in the dark by yourself. So here’s my mobile number in case you get stuck.’ He quickly wrote on a piece of paper and handed it to her.
‘Aw. How nice of you to look out for your students.’
He walked her to the door.
‘I just wish your friend would be a bit wiser. I’m surprised she’s still in there, as a matter of fact. I’m betting Jason will kick her out any minute now.’
‘Not if Taylor has anything to do with it. Good luck dealing with all that.’
He grimaced. ‘Thanks.’
Lizzie left him there, only breaking out into a huge smile once she was out of sight.
***
The rest of Lizzie’s day was a mass of confusing thoughts. Every time she thought about Gabe, Brandon’s face made an appearance. She was annoyed at Gabe for not being honest with her about the text message, because it meant she had an excuse if she suddenly decided that their relationship was too hard, and she didn’t want to feel like that. She wanted to be one hundred percent dedicated.
Not that she was doing so well on that front today. Brandon was crowding out more and more of her brain space, leaving little room for her boyfriend.
She typed Brandon’s number into her phone, saving it under OH for Orion’s Head. She didn’t want anyone looking through her stuff and stumbling across it by accident. She then hid the piece of paper he’d written on in her bedside cabinet. She couldn’t bring herself to throw it away. It was a physical reminder of the night they’d spent together, and proof that he cared enough about her to risk his job. Something like that was unlikely to happen again.
She’d snuck in the door at five thirty and avoided waking her dad.
After grabbing a few hours’ sleep, she met him in the back garden again.
‘Am I pushing my luck if I ask you to help again today?’ he joked.
‘No, not pushing your luck.’ Lizzie knew she’d probably have to lie to him if he asked about the previous twelve hours, and she already felt guilty.
‘Great. Go get a spade then. I’m planting some new shrubs.’
Lizzie obeyed. She returned with a spade and started digging alongside her dad.
‘So what happened last night? You were already home when I woke up.’
‘When did you get up?’
‘I don’t know. I guess it would have been around seven.’
‘I must have gotten back just before that.’
‘Did you and Taylor have a fight or something? You don’t usually come home this early on a Sunday.’
Lizzie could actually tell the truth here. ‘Sort of. She was just being a bit selfish, so I didn’t feel like hanging around for breakfast.’
‘I don’t know why you even hang around with her in the first place.’
‘You don’t like her?’ This was the first Lizzie had heard about it.
‘Not particularly.’
‘How come? Why haven’t you said anything before?’
‘Well, she’s your friend, not mine, so it doesn’t really matter what I think. But I’m not happy with the way she takes advantage of you all the time.’
‘You’ve noticed that,
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