Our Little Deadly Secret

A New Chapter, A New Me

I walked into school, bouncing up and down in delight, for the first time in forever. The night before. With Ryan? Even though we barely knew each other before that day, by midnight, we knew each other as if we had grown up together.

I walked up to my locker, humming along to a soft tune that I had been singing since I woke up this morning. I had awaken on the only bed in the house to no one, but a letter of gratitude from Ryan was more than enough to make up for his absence. And in the note left was pure happiness that stuck not only in my head but my heart.

"Hey! What's up with you?" Elisa asked as she and Maria walked up behind me in shock.

"Your mother called us last night asking if you were with us. We told her no, but apparently she was worried that you weren't okay. What happened?" Maria chimed in.

I told them all about the whole therapist coming in and how I told them to buzz off and how I decided to crash at the house. But I didn't tell them about Ryan coming over. Only because I wanted that to be my little secret for a little bit longer. But that was kinda shattered when I heard a familiar voice shout for me.

"Hey Sel! Glad you made it!" Ryan smirked as he was followed by Will and Danny. Apparently, by the way they were walking together, the boys got really close while I was M.I.A. And right at that point, Ryan looped me into his arms and kissed my forehead.

Not only did I feel myself blush from his touch, but I could also tell EVERYONE saw what had happened. I tried hiding my embarrassment by burying my head into Ryan's arm, but it only made him laugh.

"Someone blushing? How come?" He asked quietly in my ear before adding, "Oh, and I left a surprise in your locker. I had to ask Kass for your combo. She should be here soon after she gets her stuff out of the Spanish room."

Immediately I shot up. He did... what? A special something for me?

"Where?" I asked as I opened my locker, looking for the surprise. And sure enough, right in front of me, hanging from the coat hangers, was what I called my spirit animal: a tiny stuffed sloth.

I turned around to wrap my arms around his neck before pecking a little kiss on his lips. Only to then realise they're watching still.

I quickly let go, closing my locked before thanking him quietly.

"OKAY!" Maria shouted. "STORY TIME RIGHT NOW! WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?"

Everyone looked at him and I and before I could say anything, Rylan replied for me:

"We hung out at the house you guys had told me about. And we talked. And kinda became a couple..."

It was at that exact moment that Maria and Elisa squealed as they both gave me a big hug. The boys high-fives each other. And at that moment was when I heard Kass chime in:

"What in tarnation is going on over here?"

"Selena and Ryan are dating now," Elisa replied.

"What? I though you two hated each other!"

"It's a long story... I mean," I replied, lost for words.

"What do you mean? It's as clear as day," Ryan responded kinda shocked at what I had said.

"Can I talk to you... alone?" I then said to him. He took my hand and pulled me over to the side where there was no one listening.

"What's wrong?" He asked me.

"You can't just go around saying you're dating someone if you never even asked them out."

"Why not? We've been literally acting like we are for the past 12+ hours. So why not just say we are officially and call it a day?"

I mean... he did have a point. Since last night, we have been close enough to be a couple. But we still have yet to actually have a label for it. And I was damn determined to get that label.

"Fine... I'll consider us a couple as you have.... ONLY if you properly ask me to be your girlfriend. At some point today."

"Deal."

We shook hands before he pulled me close to him, wrapping his arms around my waist, he pecked my nose with a kiss, making me laugh before I just shook my head and gently kissed his cheek before running off back to the girls.

The bell rung, signalling the start to home room. I shut my locker and walked off with Elisa and Maria into Maac's room, the boys following behind.

*************************************

As soon as the bell rang for lunch for our block, we all ran for the hills. So far today, I got yelled at by Maac after home room during passing time for disappearing on my mother and giving the therapist some smack (of course, my mother was the one who ratted me out), and Ryan had yet to ask me out. The principal also called me down for a wellness check since my mother called the school to also to let them know I had ran off last night. And they wanted to know my location.

I didn't tell them a thing about last night with Ryan. I mean... it's really none of their business where I am and whom I'm with based on the fact that I'm almost the legal age to hang with whomever I want... even though I'm 16. It's my own personal business. No one else's. And if I feel like it is, then I'll let them know on my own accord.

So, as I'm walking down towards the lunch room from the farthest back room on the second floor, I see people whispering to each other while looking at me. And of course my first thought was they knew about the break-in. But then I thought about it. And then it clicked.

They know about me running off on my mother.

Just the last thing I needed. More rumours about me spreading.

I walked down the stairs closest to the lunch room and turned the corner to find every single kid from the lunch period before and at our lunch period standing around the sides of the room. I stopped dead in my tracks a third of the way into the lunch room when I saw Ryan standing atop the middle table in the lunchroom, bouquet in one hand, a small stuffed animal in another. It just so happened to be a black cat, too.

Feeling the shock come into me, I couldn't help but let out a couple tears as Kass held onto me and led me to the table when Ryan had then decided to jump off.

"Selena," he said loudly where everyone could hear him. "As promised, I am here, today, to ask you one simple question that I hope you will say yes to."

He went down on both knees, arms out wide with the flowers and stuffed animal in hand, looking me right in my eyes.

"Will you do me the honour of being my girl and only my girl?"

I nodded my head as I let out a shy but somewhat loud "yes", causing the whole cafeteria to bury into cheers. Except one person.

I knew exactly who, but not exactly why.