Dirty Little Secret

I plug the address Tate gave me into the GPS of my car, scanning over them quickly before texting the number that I was on my way. I felt a nervous pull from deep in my stomach as I put my car into reverse and backed out of the driveway and towards the destination showed on the digital map.

I didn't know why I felt nervous. Probably because, no one that I have ever associated with has ever seen Tate's house, and judging by what he wore and how he looked, I was preparing myself to enter some sort of trailer park.

However that wasn't the case, I drove until I reached the outskirts of town and pulled onto a long driveway with a house that is easily the most beautiful house I've ever seen sitting perfectly at the end. I checked the GPS with the address on the scrap piece of paper to make sure I punched it in correct, I did. I looked at my phone to see Tate replied to my text, telling me to pull around to the garage.

I took my foot off the brake and rolled up slowly until I was behind the house and staring at a garage with one of the garage doors open. I could easily see Tate, sitting shirtless on a bench working on a motorcycle. He looked up when I turned off the engine. I slowly climbed out, trying to find my balance on the gravel driveway. I shut the door with my hip as Tate stood to greet me at the threshold of the garage.

"Are you serious?" He asks giving a heavy chuckle, ruffling his dark blond hair.

"What do you mean?" I question.

"I mean, what the fuck are you wearing?" One hand rests on his hip as he extends the other hand to gesture my outfit.

"What? It's just a dress," I look down, pushing my hair out of my hair.

"Are you having tea with the Queen of England after this, or?"

"Tate, this is how I always dress."

"I know, I just figured that since you didn't have anyone to impress that you would dress somewhat normal."

"What do you mean impress? I don't dress like this to impress anyone. I dress like this because it makes me feel pretty," I say rashly.

"Wow, you're more damaged than I thought."

"I'm not damaged."

We stare at each other for a long time. His eyes never leave my face, as mine take in all of him. This is the first time I've seen him without a long sleeve shirt on, even if it is one hundred plus degrees. I could now see why. Tattoos cover most of his arms and torso, they were highly frowned upon at school.

"I didn't know you had tattoos," I say obviously.

"Yeah, I do."

There was another long pause, this time it is more awkward than before. I feel like I have stepped over some invisible boundary. "So this project," I say, pulling out the list of projects to choose from, from my purse.

"We're going to algae one," Tate starts to say as he returns to the motorcycle. He pulls up two milk crates stacked on top of each other for me to sit on. I brush it off before sitting on it lightly, not wanting to get dirt on the back of my write dress.

"Why?"

"Because no one is going to do it because it is boring but it is also the easiest."

"We need four different water sources-"

"We can get it from the tap, take a trip to the east coast to get some, we'll get one from Lake Okeechobee, and finally from the beach here."

"You would go all the way over to the east coast just for a sample of ocean water?" I question.

"A buddy of mine just opened up a tattoo shop in Fort Lauderdale and he said that he'd hook me up with a free tattoo if I was ever in the neighborhood, so I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone, ya' know?"

"Fine, we need to form a hypothesis and stuff."

"We'll do that in class."

"Okay," I say frustrated, "When do you want to go kill two birds?"

"You free this time next week?"

"I guess."

"Great, I can pick you up at like seven. It'll take like two hours to get across, then like two more hours for the tattoo, we'll stop to get something to eat. After that we can head up to the lake it'll only take about an hour, then we'll head home. You'll be back to your prefect little world before the sun sets."

"My world isn't prefect."

"I forgot, it's really hard being a princess," he mocked.

My lips went into a thin line as I held back everything I wanted to say. I didn't need to stoop all the way to Tate Daniels' level. "You don't know me, you have no right right to judge."

"You don't know me either, Princess, but that doesn't stop you from judging me now, does it?" Tate pushed his shaggy curls from his eyes with his forearm, letting me look into his dark eyes clearly.

"You're right. I do judge you. I think you're crazy, clinical insane, but I also think you like everyone thinking that, so they won't get to know the real you."

"Do you want to know the real me?" He asks seriously, the motorcycle no longer holding his attention.

"Maybe. Do you want to know the real me?"

"Maybe."

"I'll see you in class Monday. Bye Tate."

After a few silent beats Tate says, "Yeah, see ya."

I slowly make my way back to my car, and reverse the way I came in, allowing the beautiful house that I didn't expect Tate Daniels to live in, grove smaller and smaller until I was finally at my house, which never really felt like home.