Fallacies of Fidelity

"Are you done yet?" I called outside of Mila's room. My body was leaning against her door so of course when Mila opened her bedroom door, I almost fell in. She had to have been wearing only designer clothes and everything about her made her look like a model. "You do know you're just being tutored right?" I asked as I took the purse and the accessories off her. I also wiped off the ridiculous amount of makeup on her face.

She tried smacking me away but I was persistent. "But he goes to my school, Julie! What if he tells someone I took ugly or--"

"You stop it right now. You are not ugly." I looked her in her eyes. "If you're ugly, then what the hell am I?" I said, which made her laugh. I finally got her downstairs, in normal people clothes, before we bumped into mom.

"Where are you two going?"

"I'm taking her to her tutoring session" I replied.

"Tutoring?" She looked bored.

"Yes." Mila shifted feet.

"If you must." Mom walked away and I stood wide eyes at her.

"Did mom just--"

"Yes, now lets go." Mila started walking to the doors.

"I'll be right there," I said absently as I followed my mom and cornered her.

"Mom?"

"What is it, Julia?"

"What the hell was that?" I asked. She sighed and looked away but before she could answer I started up again, "Why are you acting you don't care? I know know you care, mom." She got a far away look in her eyes but refused to look at me. "You already know she's failing. So then you must know she's gone through more tutors than shoes." Oh heck no. I knew my mother so fucking well. "You've already given up on her?" I whispered. "Mom," I grabbed her face and made her look at me, "You have already given up on her, haven't you?"

"Julia--"

"Don't you 'Julia' me." I let her go, "You may have already given up on her but I haven't. Dammit mom, I didn't come back for nothing." She didn't respond. "Did you fucking hear me? I'm not giving up on Mila over some shitty grades."

My mother swallowed hard. "I haven't given up on her."

"What do you call it, then?"

"It's just so hard, Julia..."

"Oh shut the hell up mom." I stormed out of the house. I couldn't fucking believe her. She thought it was hard having a daughter who had bad grades. Well boo-fuckin-hoo. I was going to make Mila's grades have a dramatic change and it wouldn't be for my mom or dad. It would be for Mila.

I slammed the driver door closed and started Mila's car. "What happened?"

"Nothing." I said, squealing out of the garage, down the driveway and toward the directions Nicholas had texted me.

"Well, nothing sure made you pissed fast. If you were upset driving me, I could have gone alone."

"No thanks. I wanted to make sure you actually went."

"Well now that I know you trust me..." She puffed out as she closed herself off.

"Mila, I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated, I didn't mean to rub that on you." I said quickly.

"Why are you frustrated?" Mila asked curiously.

"Mom."

"Say no more."

The house was built out of entirely wood - kind of looked like a big glorified log cabin- which was sort of odd for a New York home. It had large windows that almost took up every wall. A bit excessive but it had a altogether comfy atmosphere that lacked from the mansion. Three cars lined at the front of the house. One of them being a particular horrendous one.

"What a dump." Mila snorted.

"I think it's pretty cute."

"I think it's pretty small." Mila retorted. With that, she grabbed her school bag, "You're just going to wait in the car?" she asked.

"Nah, I'm taking the car home." I said, after all, I had certain plans of my own. Plus a certain someone I didn't want to run into was here.

"No way! What if I suddenly want to leave? How will I go?"

"You'll call me and I'll come." I said as I got out of the car to make sure she got out.

"No way! Come on Julie, say here!" she pleaded when I opened her door and yanked her out.

"No, Mila. I have to go home. And you will stay and study the entire time." I said firmly.

"But Julie--"

"I can take her home." We both turned at the sound of the new voice added to our clamor. The voice I really was hoping I wouldn't hear today. There standing tall and beautiful was Alec. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he was staring at Mila.

"Alec what are you--" I started.

"I live here...?" He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head in my direction, but didn't look at me.

"Oh..." he still lived with his family? "Right well, I don't need a ride, okay?"

"Nope, she does! If Julia wants to go home, then you take her home." Mila said as she began pushing me to him.

"Wait but--" I protested before one final push landed me in front of Alec.

"Okay, if you promise to stay and study as long as Nick sees fit." Alec smiled, still looking at Mila.

"Hey don't I get a say in--" I felt a hand on my butt and I was about to bitch slap Alec before I realized he was now dangling the keys far from my reach.

"Deal!" Just as I jumped and my fingers grazed the keys, Alec flung them the short distance toward Mila. "See ya sis!" She sang and skipped inside.

Are you shitting me.

"If I'm not mistaken," I glanced over at Alec who was leaning on his horrid car and staring intently at me, "You've been avoiding me." My breath shook and I looked away.

"No, I've just been extremely busy." I lied. The speck of dirt on my Chuck Taylor's became very interesting.

"Alright, call it whatever you want but I know when I'm being ignored." I could hear him get his car.

I let out a massive sigh and figured I might as well get in. It's not like I had keys to drive a different car. I took a breath then slid into the car. A distinct silence set between us and I finally looked over at him. There was a subtle change since I last saw him. His jaw was tight and his eyes hard. The stubble on his face were even more prominent now more than ever. "Alec, are you okay?"

"Fine" he spat. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel and backed out of the driveway.

He was genuinely angry I had been ignoring him. "Hey um... I'm sorry that I've been uh..."

"Ignoring me?" he gritted his teeth.

"Yeah." He sped up. "Look, I... oh gosh," I didn't even know what I was going to say anymore -- or if I was going to even say anything. "I'm...I'm uh sorry. I just..."

"Spit it out."

"I don't know." He swerved the car and pulled over before he turned his body toward me.

"What did I do wrong, Julia?" His eyes were glaring.

I blinked back surprise. "What?"

He closed his eyes tightly and looked away, "What is it that I did that made you start ignoring me?"

"Nothing in particular."

"Bullshit. Julia there is something you should know about me." I tensed up and prepared myself for whatever I knew he was hiding. "I hate being ignored without being given a reason." Alec opened his eyes and stared at me as I scrunched my eyebrows. "And that is exactly what you have been doing. So please, tell me what I did wrong."

I opened then closed my mouth but no words came out. I really did like Alec, much to my own chagrin. Apart from the fact that he was the first guy I found attractive in the past three years, he was funny, kind, and I could tell he cared about people. The way he talked about his brother softened him and when he spoke to others, he held them in high respects. I liked that about him. I wanted to find more things that I liked about him. Besides, I couldn't blame Alec for anything he hasn't shared with me. We're not even dating. We hardly even know each other, if I was being honest. I took a deep breath then blew it out. "I feel like you're hiding something from me."

"Julia--"

"I know, we just met not too long ago so it's ridiculous to ignore you over that. I'm sorry, Alec. I really am. I haven't done this whole 'friends' or 'more than friends' thing in a long ass time."

"...'More than friends?'"

"Shut up." I glared.

A grin spread across his lips as tension slipped from his shoulders. "Okay. I'll tell you my secret, if you tell me yours." He shrugged then pulled out from the side of the road.

"Alright so-- wait what?" I said.

"I'll tell you what it is I'm hiding if you tell me why you came back."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm a millionaire's son, Julia, not an idiot. I heard you speak of Africa and how much you loved it. You wouldn't have left on your own free will. There was a reason you left and you're going to tell me."

"Well, aren't you confident that you know me so well?" I folded my arms across my chest and watched him fight a smile.

"You're sort of an open book, Jules. Sorry."

"I can close my book when I want to." My gaze drifted to the houses whizzing past us.

"So you're saying you purposefully opened your book for me?"

"Not consciously, that's for damn sure." I muttered. His laugh still rang through the vehicle when we pulled up a block away from the mansion.