Chào các bạn! Vì nhiều lý do từ nay Truyen2U chính thức đổi tên là Truyen247.Pro. Mong các bạn tiếp tục ủng hộ truy cập tên miền mới này nhé! Mãi yêu... ♥

Chapter 13

Marlowe

Going out on a Wednesday. Who does that?

Okay, probably most teenagers... But usually, I'm not one of them.

I have more important things to do like cheer practice and homework, and if I don't have either of those things to work on, there's always something I could be studying. Even if I don't have a test coming up, I like to look over the material that I'm learning in my classes. It's never too early to study.

But here I am, standing near the flagpole at the front of the school, scanning the sidewalk for Puck so that we can go out... on a date, or whatever.

Is it still considered a date if he's your fake boyfriend?

... Can I still consider him my fake boyfriend if I get butterflies in my stomach every time I see him?

Speaking of, there he is and there they are, fluttering around in my stomach and making the air around me suddenly feel thin. That is, until Natalie runs out of the school after him.

"Puck! Wait up!" she shouts as she closes the distance between them.

His eyes have already found me at the flagpole, and there's a wide grin on his face. He waves at me as he stops walking and then looks over his shoulder at Natalie.

"Thanks for helping me with my math homework during Spare," she all but coos at him once she's at his side. She looks up at his handsome face, batting her eyelashes. "I was wondering what you were up to after school today. I could use some more of your help. I promise I'll make it worth your while."

I could swear she sneaks a sideways glance at me while she waits for his answer, but she's not the only one who has moved their eyes in my direction.

"I'm actually about to take my girlfriend out," Puck answers her while gesturing toward me. He begins to walk again, and Natalie keeps in step with him like a gnat buzzing around your head that won't fly away even after you bat at it with your hand. "You know Marlowe, right?" he asks.

It's comical watching Natalie's eyes widen before she narrows them at me. They're standing in front of me now, and Puck reaches for my hand with an easy smile.

"Hey cheer girl, you know Natalie, right?"

He knows I know her. I talked about her after we left the party on Friday. I admitted to him that part of the reason I had jumped him when he got to the party was to show her that I had a claim on him. And now, he's making it clear to her, even going as far as to call me his girlfriend.

"Hi, Natalie." I give her a winning smile, and Jonah chooses that moment to lean down and lightly brush his lips against my cheekbone.

The butterflies flutter through me again. I'm not sure if he's playing his fake boyfriend role to get Natalie off his back or if he's just being my sweet Jonah who can't seem to get enough of me even when no one is around. Either way, the butterflies don't care... But, do I?

"Hi." Natalie's sugary sweet voice is gone now that she's talking to me. It's replaced by one that is much more flat.

Jonah keeps my hand in his but turns his attention back to Natalie. "I can help you during Spare again tomorrow," he offers kindly, "I'm not able to help you any time outside of school though. I have a lot going on with hockey, and any free time outside of that I want to spend with Marlowe."

"Sure," Natalie replies with a tight smile. "I'll see you tomorrow then." She walks away with her chin held high but I know it's all for show. The girl is pissed.

I grin at Jonah and turn towards him with a laugh once Natalie is out of hearing range, but he doesn't look nearly as triumphant as I feel.

"You ready to go?" he asks, reaching for the strap of my backpack to slide it off my shoulder. He's made a habit of carrying my stuff every chance he gets.

I pass my bag over and fall into step next to him as he uses my hand in his to lead me toward the parking lot.

"I think we got her to give up," I point out as we walk, "I told you this would be a good plan."

"Yeah," he agrees with a small smile that doesn't look at all convincing.

"You don't seem happy about that. I thought you wanted girls to leave you alone?"

He raises our connected hands between us and winks at me while he gives my fingers a light squeeze. "Ah, yes. The plan. It's working out quite nicely."

I roll my eyes and pull my hand away from him. "It was your idea to hang out after school today. Not mine."

He sighs and gently takes my hand again. "I know, I know. I'm sorry. I just... I want to hang out with you because I want to hang out with you. Not just because I want an excuse to not help Natalie with her math homework." He frowns and gives his head a small shake. "Do you know what I'm saying?"

I do. I know exactly what he's saying, and I feel the same way... I'm just trying to figure out if that's going to be a problem.

Before I can come up with an answer, Jonah points excitedly at a green hatchback that we're approaching. "It's nothing fancy, but your Uncle Jack convinced my dad to let me have a car!"

I can't stop myself from grinning at his excitement. "Oh. So you really meant it when you said that you were going to take me out, huh?"

He nods enthusiastically and walks me to the passenger side door. "I told you I said it the way I did for a reason." He opens the door for me and releases my hand to allow me to get inside. "I'll bring you back here to get your car after. Or, I can bring you home and then pick you up in the morning for school?"

"Here is fine, Jonah," I answer, laughing softly at the quick pace that he's talking. "But... Do you even know how to drive?"

His smile quickly disappears at my teasing, and he gives me a blank stare. "Do I... Do I know how to drive?" he asks, pretending to be offended. He leans into the car to grip my seatbelt and reaches across my chest to buckle me in, stealing a quick kiss in the process before he straightens his back and looks down at me with a devilish grin. "Guess you'll just have to find out, cheer girl."

Five minutes later, we're flying down the Queen Elizabeth Way—though I have no idea why. Jonah weaves in and out of traffic with ease, keeping his eyes on the road for the most part other than the occasional smirk in my direction.

"Wow. Very impressed," I state with no inflection. "Do you know what will be even more impressive though?"

"What's that?" he asks while maneuvering around a pick-up truck.

"How high your insurance will be before you even graduate high school if you get caught speeding." I raise an eyebrow at him.

That seems to burst his bubble. He eases up on the gas pedal and slows to a reasonable speed in the center lane.

"I just had a vision of your Uncle Jack pulling me over," he tells me with wide eyes. "Why'd you challenge me to drive so fast, MJ?!"

"What?" I snap back at him before I notice the teasing gleam in his eyes. "Haha. Very funny. We both know it was you questioning your own masculinity that made you speed. And FYI, driving fast is not an indication of being a good driver."

He grins as he shrugs. "I know. I was just looking for an excuse to drive fast for a few minutes. I haven't had a chance to test out this car's acceleration rate just yet." His face turns serious while he looks over at me. "I was being careful though. I wouldn't drive recklessly with you in the car with me. You know that, right?"

"Technically, speeding is driving recklessly," I point out, and Jonah's face fills with shame. I reach for his hand and lace our fingers together. "But yes, Jonah, I know you wouldn't. I felt safe the entire time."

His expression of shame disappears, and he smiles again while he squeezes my hand. "Good."

There's a brief moment of silence between us and then I just have to ask, "Do you have any idea where you're going?"

Jonah laughs and shakes his head. "Not even a little bit."

I join his laughter and point to a sign coming up ahead. "Take that exit for the 406. We can get to the mall from there."

He puts on his signal to move over to the lane we need before we reach our exit.

"Congratulations. You just turned a fifteen minute drive into half an hour. Good thing you're such a good driver."

"I said I knew how to drive," he points out, "Not that I knew how to get around anywhere in this city."

I laugh again and lean back in my seat to get comfortable. "I'm driving next time."

He grins over at me. "Already thinking about next time, are we?"

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: Truyen247.Pro