Jason caught up with Peter an hour after mass, only for a moment in passing, having just enough time between classes to point to his own heart, then to Peter's with a smile.
It wasn't until after school that Jason finally met up with Peter again, in the school yard where the seniors ate lunch. Peter was sitting on the steps in front of the school… a blonde girl sitting next to him. She was actually very pretty even from Jason's point of view. She wore the normal plaid skirt, though it appeared more flowy than pleated, a short navy sweater over a white tank top, and red tights with black sneakers over them. Her legs were crossed at the ankles, her knees leaning casually against Peter's legs as they spoke, a wide smile on her face as he head tipped back into the sun, laughing.
Jason felt a twinge of jealousy when the girl placed a hand on Peter's knee, still laughing at something Peter had obviously said. Peter seemed to be enjoying himself too, an equally wide smile on his face.
Not that Jason begrudged Peter a smile, just that Jason normally played a part in causing the smile. …And he didn't like the fact that the girls hand was still on Peter's knee.
Jason rolled his eyes at his own thoughts, making his way over to where Peter and the girl were seated, simply standing beside them until it was finally the girl who looked up and noticed him.
"Hey!" She looked from Jason to Peter and pulled her hand back from Peter's knee.
He wanted to glare at her, but instead he wore and entirely blank face. "Hey." He looked to Peter. "You ready to go?"
It was Peter who wore a glare, making a face that said 'be nice'. He ignored Jason's question. "This is Gideon, she just started today."
Jason raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a guy's name?"
Peter shot Jason the same look again, but Gideon just laughed again. "Ya, but I'm used to it. I didn't pick the name." She held out her hand to him. "Most people just call me Ian anyways."
That still sounded like a guys name to him, but Jason took her hand, shaking it before shoving his hand back in his pocket. He looked back to Peter, repeating the question. "You ready to go?"
Peter opened his mouth to speak, but it was Gideon who spoke first, looking at Peter curiously. "Where are you going?"
"Just to the mall. We need a new alarm clock."
"Peter broke ours." Jason left out the part about how it had been the fact that they had missed the bed while making out that had caused Peter to hit the clock and knock it over.
Peter smirked inwardly as Gideon looked over Jason. "You mind if I come? I've been here for three weeks and I have yet to go anywhere aside from home and school."
Jason was about to object, but Peter was already happily agreeing, and Gideon ran back into the school to change out of her uniform. Jason and Peter moved to the parking lot to wait for her. "She seems really nice huh?"
Peter received a scoff in response. "Ohh ya. Really friendly." He tossed his book bag into the trunk of his car, closing it after Peter did the same.
They both climbed into the car and Peter let out a sigh. "What? What's wrong with her?"
"She was all over you Peter!"
Peter laughed. "No she wasn't! What are you talking about?"
"Ugh, you're so blind. She was hitting on you like crazy."
"I highly doubt that Jase. We were talking."
"You shouldn't let people hold your knee when you're just talking."
"You shouldn't let Ivy sit on your lap when you're just talking."
Jason's glare was finally intact. "That's different."
"How?!"
"Because when I appease her just a little bit, she stops hitting on me for awhile. I'm trying to make her stop, not encourage her."
"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!" Peter was actually laughing, though Jason found nothing humorous about this situation.
He was about to defend his statement when the back door opened and Gideon slid into the back seat, her hair now tied back in a low pony tail, her uniform replaced by a pair of jean shorts, a green tee shirt and a black hoodie zip up, the same black shoes on her feet. She looked to Peter, and his laughter seemed to put a smile on her face as she buckled herself in. "What's up?"
Jason started the car, pulling into the road. "Nothing, just talking." He masked up his emotion, appearing totally fine with the entire situation, and it was likely that Peter was the only one that could tell he was upset. "Want to listen to any music?"
She leaned forward on the seat, resting an arm on Peter's seat. "Ohh! Do you have any of your Broadway soundtracks with you?"
Jason groaned. "You like Broadway?" He already had Peter to deal with with all that shit. Now there's another one?
"Ohmigod yes! I've seen like all of them… okay well not all of them, but me and my mom went to one every other week."
"Guessing you lived in New York before this?"
She nodded enthusiastically. "Ya. I just had to move in with my dad for a bit, and this was the school he had set up for me to go to." Peter handed her a case of CD's and she leaned back, flipping through them. "I'm not even Catholic, but, again, Daddy set up the school, and he's a die hard grown up altar boy. Ohh! Here, play this one! Good timing." She handed him the soundtrack to Altar Boyz. "I love this play! Even if I'm not catholic." At the same time, she and Peter both said "Or Jewish!" and started cracking up, leaving Jason totally in the dust on the humor in the joke.
He tried to change the topic back to something he could talk about. "So can't you just tell your dad you're not interested in Catholic school?"
She shrugged. "It's no big deal. I'm very laid back. I just can't go along with a religion that doesn't accept premarital sex, shopping on a Sunday, and homosexuality." She looked out her window lazily, and therefore didn't see Peter and Jason look at one another. Peter looked amused, but Jason almost looked afraid, as if Gideon could possibly know something she wasn't supposed to.
Gideon didn't seem to notice and continued on with her story. "I'm just happy to be out. I'm sick of having a deity I don't really believe in looking over my shoulder all the time. Not that I don't believe in something, I believe in a natural and spiritual energy of good." She laughed shortly. "Can you tell my mom was the more liberal one?"
Gideon continued on talking, Peter listening intently and talking with her, Jason trying very hard not to notice how well they were getting along, and how Gideon's hand kept resting on Peter shoulder… and he didn't bother shrugging it off.