Before You Leave

11. Yes, Advanced, Asshole

        I actually went to school today. It was fine, but staying home was better. But the fact that I kept my mind off my mother helped a lot.

Ms. Werrington gave me a hard time, but I managed.

And now I was doing my homework, trying to catch up for all my other classes.

Gideon was with me, looking at his own books. "You have to make good grades," he says, taking my math book. "So for advanced calculus—" he says, reading the title, but then stops and stares up. "You're in advanced calculus?!"

I snatch the book back, narrowing my eyes at him. "Yes, advanced, asshole."

"But you get terrible grades—"

"On purpose, dumbass," I say, hitting him softly in the side of the face with the book. He glares. "I'm actually good at math. And English."

He raises his eyebrows. "I didn't think—"

"Yeah, well you don't think, Gideon, that's your problem. Did it ever occur to you that I could be smart?" I ask, exasperated. "Because I am. And not even you, Gideon Andrews, is going to make me think different about myself because I know my worth."

He smiles at me a bit. "I'm sorry, just I don't get why anyone would want to fail on purpose."

"Maybe because I don't want to be a stuck up bitch that cares about my grades like you."

"Hostile much?" He says, eyebrows raising again.

"Naive much?" I shoot back, glaring at him.

He sighs.

"Ah, that makes me remember! How did you like A Court of Thorns And Roses?!" I ask excitedly. It was the semi-dirty book I gave them that had a little bit of every genre in it.

He shrugs. "I'm not that far in it," he admits. But Tamlin— kind've a territorial asshole." I grin at his use of language and he shoots me a dirty look. "I'm not even half way through, but I like this dark haired guy. I just got to that celebration part where Tamlin has to bed a girl every year. I liked the guy Feyre met."

"He's beautiful," I moan, frowning at the fact I will never have a Rhysand. "I like Azriel. You'll meet him in the second book."

I think I just had a type of silent, brooding hot guys with terrible pasts.

He rolls his eyes. "Let's just get back to work?"

••••••••

That night, I got a knock on the door. Gideon and I were in the kitchen, me getting a drink, and him cooking something.

We exchanged a glance. It was almost ten. Who the hell could it be?

I opened the door slowly, looking out the hallway.

And into the brown eyes of Samuel.

"Hey, lava girl," he says, smiling at me.

I snorted at the nickname, opening the door all the way. "What do you need, Samuel?"

"We're going to have a party in the woods in a bit. Usually the teachers go to bed in like thirty minutes. See you there?"

"How will I know where to go?" I ask.

"Gideon will know."

"Gideon doesn't go to those parties," I say, rolling my eyes.

He smirks. "Everyone knows where these ones are. Even Gideon, even if he doesn't go to them. The ass won't come, but he can give you directions."

"I'll be there," I tell him, shitting the door.

"Who was that?" Gideon asks, coming into the living room with a plate in hand.

"Samuel Li just invited us to a party," I say, wiggling my eyebrows.

He glared. "You're kidding, right?" He shakes his head. "Remember the last party we went to?"

"Which sucked ass because you got drunk," I remind him. "We can stay sober this time."

He groans. "No."

I put out my bottom lip. "Please? I really need this."

He sighs heavily. "Fine. But we absolutely cannot get drunk. We have detention tomorrow."

Right. Ms. Werrington was told to move it so that I could cope with my mother's death. But, she didn't move it too far away.

I beamed at him. "Thank you!"

•••••

The dress was white and flowy, jogging almost all of my best assets.

I adjusted the dress in the mirror, frowning.

I rarely felt insecure, but now was one of those moments where I did.

"Are you ready yet?" Gideon asks, opening the cracked door to my room. He stops short as he sees me, blinking. He smiles a little and I look away from him, adjusting it again. "Wow— uhm," he cleared his throat. "You look really—"

"Beautiful," a different voice finished.

I twirled back around and Gideon's head snap to the side to see Samuel in my bedroom doorway.

I raise an eyebrow. "I'm almost certain we didn't let you in," I tease.

"It was unlocked," he says with a shrug, putting his hands in his jean pockets and leaning against the doorframe. His hair was out, it flowing to his mid-waist. It was longer than mine. "I figured maybe you couldn't find you're way. Well— actually Aria convinced me to walk you there." He looks quickly to Gideon, who in return is staring at him, too. "JJ, I mean," he tells him, making sure that it wasn't an invitation for Gideon. Maybe earlier he only invited me.

"Well, Gideon's coming," I tell Samuel.

Gideon's eyes fly to me in surprise, but my eyes don't leave Samuels.

"He wasn't invited," is all Samuel says.

I shrug. "Good thing I invited him then, right?" I say, giving Gideon a half grin.

"I'm not escorting him."

"Then I guess you're not escorting me," I tell him, walking a step or two before putting my elbow up and on Gideon's shoulder, smiling sweetly at Samuel.

Samuel sets his jaw, and I don't miss the tinge of redness in Gideon's cheek and his small, smug smile, but it's gone so quickly I think I must have imagined it.

Samuel stares at Gideon for a second, before sighing heavily, closing his eyes, and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine. Let's go."

I shot a glare to Gideon before mouthing, You're welcome.

He rolled his eyes and snorted silently as we stride out of the apartment, Samuel in the middle of us.

"So how old are you?" He asks me, looking down to meet my eyes. He wasn't very tall for a guy, but still taller than me. But he was much shorter than Gideon.

"I'm seventeen," I answer, putting my hands behind my back. "Eighteen on April 17th."

"I'm sixteen," he says, rubbing his neck. "A junior."

I raise my eyebrows. "You look older," I tell him as we walk across the quad. "I think it's all the hair." Which, by the way, was totally hot. By looks, Samuel is who I would usually go for. I'd probably have sex with him and leave him. He wasn't the type of guy I'd try to go out with in the long run. Muscular, manly, long hair. But, I've never found anyone with the right personality for me. And there's been a lot of opportunities—but I've never been in a relationship. I've had flings, but I've never liked anyone's personality.

He laughs a bit. "I get that a lot," he admits, giving me a half smile.

We were silent the rest of the way to the fire, but when we heard the music, Samuel instantly ran towards that directions.

I look over at Gideon, raising an eyebrow before running after Samuel. After a moment, I heard him do the same.