“We’re having an assembly, something to do with the internship and school-to-work programs as well as leaving the campus during the day,” he explained pulling her along with him. “You okay?”
“He found her.”
“What?” he said stopping suddenly almost getting them ran over. “This fast?”
“He has money Tate, apparently it can find things pretty quickly.”
“So where is she?”
“In jail at least until the lawyer gets out there and has her sign the papers so I can marry Jordan and then she gets released and fifty thousand dollars.”
“What?!” he shouted as they reached the door of the auditorium and she cringed when half the room turned to stare at them.
“Jesus Tate, why don’t you draw a bit more attention to us?” she said pushing him up the side towards the back of the room. They slid into a couple empty seats in the middle of the back row and waited for the others to stop staring.
“Sorry but come on Mel, I saw you two. You can’t tell me you’re going into this as just friends.”
“Fine, I like him, more than like him, but he doesn’t feel that way about me.”
“Bull, he likes you more than a friend. He told me himself the day we met up at the dress shop.”
“Speaking of dresses, how would you like to come wedding dress shopping with me this afternoon? Oh don’t give me that look, you know I can forge your dad’s signature like a pro.”
“Alright, just make up the note in case we need it; I’m pretty sure ditching class after this assembly isn’t going to put me in good standings.”
Mel grinned taking out a piece of paper and scribbling down the note. She folded it until it would fit into Tate’s shirt pocket and then slid it into it making it look as though they were getting close before the assembly started.
“Well,” Tate said, referring to the new rules regarding the school-to-work program as he carried their bags down the hallway afterwards, “if he didn’t already know he soon would.”
“Yeah, come on, let’s grab lunch in town. We can go have a steak at that place by the river.”
“Hmm, let’s see, steak or cafeteria food? Yeah that’s a real tough one there Mel,” he laughed. Her note was a success, and she assured the office staff that she’d have her paperwork filled out for both this year as well as next and into them by Friday before they left the premises.
They dropped off his bike at her place and took the Jeep into the city, calming her enough to not start freaking out about what was really happening. Lunch was great and they made their way towards the dress shop on a good note.
∞∞∞
“Jordan, please tell me this is a joke,” Nicole said as she adjusted his tie Friday afternoon. “When you called and said you were getting married, I figured you meant to Mel but this…”
“Nicole, lay off okay?”
“No, you’re marrying aseventeen-year-old, do you know how incredibly crazy that is? Not to mention the fact that she’s been lying to everyone for years.”
“I want to help her, and this is the best way for that to happen.”
“So you’re not mad that she lied?”
“I was furious, you commented on it even the night of Alana’s engagement party, but after hearing her out…she’s more amazing than I ever imagined.”
“Because she managed to lie for two and a half years?”
“Because she did something no one should ever have to, Nic. She took care of herself from the minute she was fifteen. She had one person to rely on, none of us would have been able to last a week let alone two years.”
“You’re more in love with her now than you were,” Nicole said as a smile slipped onto her face. “So tell me little brother, finding out she’s only seventeen does that deter your admiration for her?”
“If you’re asking if I’ve slept with her the answer is no and I don’t plan on it anytime soon.”
“Because she’s seventeen?”
