Dirty Little Secret

Finally, biology class came around. I rushed into class with my sorry speech for mentally written out for Tate to hear.

He was sitting in the back of the class, in his usual seat. I take the seat next to him, this time he is the one to scoot further away.

"Tate, I'm sorry," I say in a hushed tone so only he could hear.

He didn't say anything, he just stared ahead, eyes fixed on the board.

"I mean it; I don't even know why I said that. I know you aren't poor."

"You do?"

"Yes, I'm just confused. You have a beautiful house that must have cost a fortune, yet you dress like you've bought everything from a consignment shop."

"I don't feel the need to flash my parent’s money around by wearing designer jeans. I like clothes that don't get me stared at."

"Those clothes do get you stared at."

"Not in the real world."

I stare at him confused but Mr. Tregus interrupts our conversation by starting the class. Tate was right, no one but us picked the project on growing algae from different water sources. I looked over at him to see him smirking knowingly at me. I roll my eyes and continue to listen to the teacher.

"I'm excited to start all of these different projects with you, and to prove to you wherever you turn, biology awaits!" Mr. Tregus shouts his finishing line, giving us the last few minutes of the school day to pack and talk among our friends.

"Am I forgiven?" I ask Tate standing to organize my things.

Tate stands too, making me extend my head back to look him in the face. "Yeah I guess, want to come over tonight to work on the hypothesis?"

"I have cheer tonight until about six, and the girls and I normally go to the gym right after. If we don't work on it tomorrow in class, I can come over after practice, if that is okay?" I add.

"Yeah, tomorrow is Tuesday so my parents are working late, we can get take out."

"Sure, I'll see you tomorrow," I smile lightly as the bell rings and Courtney and Allie sweeping me out the classroom.

**

Practice drug on, but it finally ended and the rest of the squad left, leaving Allie Courtney and I alone to use the schools weight room.

"So what were you and the freak show talking about at the end of class?" Allie asks in her high snobby voice.

"I'm going to his house tomorrow and we're getting take out while we work on the project," I answer, picking up a weight and turning my body from side to side.

Both girls stop what they are doing and stare at me. "What?"

"You're going to his house? No, I won't let you," Courtney said, sounding horrified.

"I went to his house Saturday. Why won't you let me go?"

"You've been to your house and you're not dead? Courtney and I think he's plotting to kill you, kill all of us."

"If someone was plotting to kill people from school, wouldn't you want to be nice to them, so they wouldn't kill you?"

"We can't be nice to him now, he'll get some sort of idea that we like him and then he'll get all obsessive and eventually kill us that way. Cori, Tate is a killer either way," Allie's voice now echoed in my ears, making my head hurt.

"You both are so stupid. Tate isn't a killer, he's just an ass most of the time. I like him, I think he's interesting."

Both Allie and Courtney rolled their eyes but I ignored them. I didn't think that Tate was the beast that everyone made him out to be, I know that I certainly not the princess everyone thinks I am.