Don't Lie To Me
Billy took me to school, like always and his parting words to me were that Ace was going to pick me up after school today.
I walked across the snow covered ground, towards the building, it hadn't even been one day and already the news had spread. Eyes were on me and whispers followed me as I made my way to my locker.
"Baby, Baby… is it true? Are you really dating Ace Merrill?" Mary Ann Miller asked as she ran to my locker.
Mary Ann was my best friend, she was a shy girl and I knew she had a thing for my brother Billy. Aside from her questionable taste in men, she was really quite smart which is probably why we got along so well. She was taller then me with Blonde hair and blue eyes that she hid behind her cat framed glasses. She tended to worry a lot but other then that she was a real sweet heart.
"I wouldn't really call it dating, Mary Ann," I answered hanging my head.
"It's true then, your Ace Merrill's Girlfriend!" she said shocked.
"Like I said I wouldn't really call it dating," I answered feeling like some cheep floozy.
"BUT ITS ACE," she said again.
"It's complicated." I answered and opened my locker.
My eyes went wide, inside my locker was a single Lavender rose with a note attached to it.
"Who's it from?" Mary asked
"It's from Ace," I said more then a little surprised.
"What's it say,"
"Just see you after school" I said pulling out my books, carful not to damage the rose.
"Wow, I never thought I would say this, but, that's really kind of romantic," Mary said and I rolled my eyes.
"Baby, don't you know what a lavender rose means." She said grabbing my arm.
"No, Flowers never really have been my thing," I said humoring my friend.
"You know for all the brains you have in your head you could sure use a study in some simple romance," she said knocking on my head before continuing. "A Lavender rose is traditionally used to express feelings of love at first sight." Mary said offering a smile.
"Come on, we don't want to be late for class," I said slamming my locker shut.
The truth was I was afraid, when I heard her say those words, I remembered what Ace said to me In the car, how he really was going to try, I just didn't believe that he had actually meant them.
The morning passed by and it was fairly quiet, except the occasional questions here and there. Then Lunch time came and that is when the news really started buzzing, I sat at my table trying to eat my lunch but questions from some of my other friends kept interrupting me. Then Jonny Mathews came over to our table and everything went silent.
I had been tutoring Jonny since football season, and truth be told, he liked me and everyone knew it. But the feelings he had toward me were most defiantly not reciprocated. Now Ace may be a bad boy, but at least he admitted to it. Jonny, well Jonny was another story entirely
Jonny was everything a parent could want for there daughters. HE was tall with dark eyes and dark hair, and on the surface he could be sweet and caring, with a smile that could charm the pants off anyone, and did. It wasn't a well known fact but it was Jonny who had caused three girls, to have to go to a special school, that's what it was called back then. I knew it was true cause one of the girls he knocked up had been my friend. Her name was Abby, and she told me what had happened, that Jonny had forced himself on her and then tossed her away like yesterdays garbage. She ended up putting the baby up for adoption and went to live with her Aunt in Texas, I haven't heard from her since. The worse thing about Jonny was that he had the whole town fooled, well except me.
Then why was I tutoring him? It was simple he paid me to, my family is not well off and with my want to go to college I need to find a job that wouldn't interfere with my studies. Tutoring Jonny, when i wasn't working at the library did just that.
"Hey, Baby, we still on for tonight" I hated the way he said my name, it made me feel so dirty.
"yeah, be at the library at 5," I said offering him as much of a smile I could fake.
"Great, see you there." He said walking away.
For some reason the moment Jonny walked away my thoughts turned to Ace, and my stomach started to tie in knots.
"Aren't you gonna eat?" Mary asked looking at my sandwich with only one bite taken out of it.
"Not hungry," I said laying my head down on the table.
It was the last class of the day, and I couldn't take my eyes off the clock. As 3 started to approach my palms started sweating ad I was sure I was going to vomit. Then the bell rang and I felt like I was walking to my death.
"You ok?" Mary asked picking up the note book I had forgotten \.
"Each man's death diminishes me, For I am involved in mankind. Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee." It the only reply I offered.
"John Donne, wow you sure are optimistic about this" She answered not bothering ot hide her sarcasm.
"I'm scared Mary," I whisper as I pulled on my coat.
"What time is he picking you up?"
"I don't know, maybe he wont be there," I said hopefully as we walked out the door and into the school year. Where there is no sign of Ace.
"Are you going to tell him about…" She stopped short, and I could feel eyes upon me, and the smell of cigarettes, something that always announced his arrival assaulted my nose, causing me to turn sharply.
"Mary Ann," he said nodding in her direction, "now what's this you need to tell me Baby?" he asked looking down at me.
"Just that I have to be to work at the library at 5" I stammered, it wasn't a lie but it wasn't exactly the whole truth either.
"Well, then lets get going," he nodded again at Mary Ann then grabbed my hand and pulled me in the direction of his car.
" Get it," he said opening the door for me, I knew from the tone of his voice that he didn't buy my excuse and that he was mad.
I waited in the car my heart drumming in my ears as I heard him walk around the car. He slammed the door shut once he was in. He didn't say anything to me, he didn't look at me, and I found this more frightening then staring down a whole pack of wolves. He started the car and gunned the engine peeling out of the parking lot. We were half way down the street when he finally spoke.
"I don't like being lied to Baby," he said his eyes never leaving the road.
"I wasn't lying Ace I have to work today," I said my voice raising in distress.
"Baby, I'm not stupid I know that's not what your friend was going to say, now was it?" he paused and drew in a breath, "This isn't going to work if you lie to me baby," he said glancing over at me.
"I have to tutor Jonny Mathews at 5, I didn't want you to know, because I didn't know how you would react." I said hanging my head.
" you thought I would fly off the handle, forbid you to go… Baby, this may surprise you but I can be reasonable." He said reaching for my hand. " I trust you baby, you've never given me a reason not to, but no more lies. Can you promise me that?" he asked showing that strange soft side of him that I saw last night.
"And what about you?" I asked feeling somewhat brave
"What about me?" he asked and I saw the corner of his mouth quirk.
"You know what I mean," I said shaking my head.
"Tell you what, you don't lie to me and I wont lie to you?" he answered looking at me for a brief moment
" agreed," I answered, and he raised the back of my hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to it. Strangely it didn't feel as bad as it had the night before.
"you hungry?" he asked
'Starved, I didn't eat lunch," I told him
"Why not?" he asked and I bit my lip "Baby," he said much like my father would when I was In trouble.
"I was nervous about this afternoon, I didn't know how you would react and I guess I made myself sick," I confessed
" so you got yourself all worked up over nothing, Look all I am going to say is be careful around him, I heard about what he did to that Jonson chick," he said as if he really cared about me.
"That's why the only place I'll meet him is in the library, Miss Andrews wont even let us side by each other." I smiled nervously, uneasy because I was almost enjoying Aces company.
The afternoon really wasn't that bad, I even kind of had fun with him, when he wasn't being a Jerk to people, he was actually very nice and surprisingly we seemed to bond over a discussion on History, which is one of my favorite things.
"I don't think of it so much as the study of what was but I think it's the study of the whole concept of what the reasons behind it were." I said before taking a bite of my burger.
"such as?" he questioned raising an eyebrow.
"I don't know, how bout west ward expansion, more people in the country, more room was needed, and so.."
" we find ourselves here in Castel Rock Oregon, All thanks to the pionears" Ace smiled
"you know your right, its all because of west ward expansion that we are here… I hate west ward expansion." I pouted which caused Ace to laugh.
"I like History cause; you can see the mistakes and try to avoid remaking them." He said and my burger fell from my hands and onto my plate.
"That's very poetic, I guess I never really looked at it that way," I said looking at him as if I was seeing him for the first time.
"Stick with me kid, and I'll have you looking at everything in a brand new way," he smiled and reached across the table and caressed my face.
At five exactly Ace dropped me off at the library, for my tutoring session with Jonny, it started off well then Jonny started hitting on me.
"So Baby, Ace Merrill, I really didn't peg you for going after guys like him." He said with a smile.
"He and I have an understanding, but we are not here to discuss my relationship." I said and pushed his book back in front of him.
"Come on Baby, we both know that we are not here to study math eather." He said standing up and moving behind me placing his hands on my shoulders.
"Jonny stop it," I said firmly.
"Baby, you know I've been watching you since last spring, god you beautiful." He said running his fingers through my hair.
"Stop it,"
"What are you going to do tell your boyfriend, he lays one hand on me Baby, and I'll make sure he goes to jail. Everyone In this town will be happy to see him go too." Jonny whispered in my ear.
I didn't say anything I was scared I knew what Jonny was capital of but I never though he would do it In the library,
" When you come to your senses baby, you'll know where to find me." He said placing a kiss on my neck before grabbing his jacket and walking away.
I never thought I would be so happy to see 9 roll around, more shocking I never thought that I would be so happy to see Ace. But sadly for as good a mood he was in earlier he sure wasn't happy now.
We didn't say a word the entire way home, but I knew that his anger wan not directed towards me, because shortly after starting the car, he reached over and grabbed my hand putting a kiss on the back of it like he always did.
" This isn't about you Baby, don't worry about it." He said with a half smile, that clearly told me that I shouldn't ask about it.
I had survived my first day as Ace's girlfriend, and surprisingly aside from the whole Jonny thing it really wasn't that bad.