A Surreptitious Relationship

:A Surreptitious Relationship: Chapter Nineteen

“So I’m just going to drop Casey off and then swing by my house to pick up the present before heading over to Chris’s, okay?”

            I nodded my head, keeping my eyes on the ground as I swept up the empty, plastic cups the lazy students had dropped on the ground instead of throwing into a trashcan. Chris was on the other side of the room helping James take down some streamers, but I didn’t want any chance of him over hearing us. Jeremy sauntered away, pretending like he hadn’t just murmured that question to me.

            “Are you and Jeremy planning something?

            My eyes shot up, landing on Casey’s face. “Er… Maybe.”

            She smirked. “Is it about his birthday present?”

            “Yeah,” I admitted quietly, quickly glancing at Chris, who was standing on his tiptoes on a stepladder to reach a long, blue streamer. “I’ll tell you how it went tomorrow.”

            “I want to know now,” she complained, pouting.

            I rolled my eyes at her. “Too bad. Help me pick up these cups.”

            She grumbled, bending over to scoop up an armful of them. “Gross! It’s sticky and wet!”

            “That’s what she said!” Jeremy shouted from across the gym, causing all the girls in the vicinity to giggle and a couple of the boys to smirk.

            Casey’s head snapped in the direction of his voice and she stuck her tongue out at him childishly. “How did you even hear that?”

            “He’s Batman,” I told her seriously. She laughed. “And you’re Jane,” I added with a wink.

            “Holly… That’s Tarzan.”

            I furrowed my eyebrows. “It is?”

            “I believe it is Peter Pan and Superman too,” a new voice commented thoughtfully from behind us.

            Casey turned her head, grinning sheepishly at the person behind me. My head whipped to the other side of the gym, where Chris was James a few minutes before— now it was just James. Looking over my shoulder, I noticed he was now behind me. “How’d you get over here so fast?”

            He grinned. “If Jeremy’s Batman, then I’m Superman.”

            “Does Superman have super speed?” Casey wondered out loud.

            “I think he does,” Chris responded, his grin faltering. “Does he? I never really paid attention to the comics.”

            “Really? I pinned your younger self as a nerd,” I deadpanned, causing Casey to laugh again.

            Chris rolled his eyes. “I was a bad ass player when I was younger, Ms. Evers.”

            “Mr. Heywood!” a scolding voice cried. Moments later Ms. Elliot appeared, giving him a disapproving look. “Language!”

            He sent her an alluring look. “Of course, Rebecca,” he responded suavely.

            She gawked at him for a few moments before closing her mouth and walking away with a light blush on her cheeks. I pretended to gag, sticking a finger into my mouth. Chris flicked my forehead before moving away to help a couple of girls lift one of the food tables.