I emphasised that Noah and I weren’t dating because I was worried she was jealous about that. She doesn’t have a crush on Noah or wants a boyfriend, as far as I know. But if I were in her position and she was in mine, I would feel jealous, even if I don’t know why. Maybe the popularity? The attention? The excitement?
At the mention of the Agatha Christie movie Oliver and I saw, I focus back on the conversation.
“It has your favourite actor in it,” Oliver is saying.
“Hmm. Maybe I’ll try it, but I don’t think it’s playing in the cinemas anymore,” Ruby answers. “When did you see it, anyway?”
I freeze, but neither of them notices me.
“A few weeks ago,” Oliver answers.
“You should have made me go!” Ruby says. “Who’d you go with?”
“John and Richard,” Oliver answers. He’s terrible at lying — his eyes flicking to mine, instead of Ruby’s, the pause before he spoke. But Ruby doesn’t notice, instead of focusing on me.
My jaw is hanging and I clamp my mouth close.
“Have you seen it, Eve? Maybe we should watch it when it comes out on a streaming service,” says Ruby.
My eyes slide to Oliver. What am I supposed to do? Say,yeah, I have seen it. With your brother, even though he lied and said he saw it with his friends.
Why would he lie? Because he’s embarrassed about going to the movies with me? I cringe when I think of how that night ended.
“Eve?” Oliver asks because I still haven’t answered the question.
“Yeah,” I manage. “We should watch it together when it comes out.”
Ruby gives me a look that means: why are you acting crazy? Then she flicks her hair and talks about how cinemas will die out one day. Oliver argues against that. I keep my mouth shut.
What the hell?
When I arrive at my History classroom, Oliver’s the only one there, sitting a couple of rows behind my usual spot. That day he sat with me when Noah cheated on my test appears to be a fluke because he’s never sat with me again after that. I don’t understand him at all.
After dumping my books in the front row, I walk up to him.
“I need to talk to you,” I say, standing beside him.
He turns in his chair, eyes wandering up until they meet mine. “Okay.”
I glance at the closed door. Through the glass, students pass, but no one enters the room.
“Why did you say you saw the movie with John and Richard?”
He blinks.
“Why did you lie?” My voice is impatient.
“Ruby didn’t know anything about how I saw the movie,” he answers. “That means you didn’t tell her either.”
“But I didn’tlie,” I snap.
The corners of his lips tug down. “A lie of omission is still a lie.”
“No, it isn’t.” The secrets I’m keeping from Ruby, from the rest of my year level about the Jealousy Pact — they’re not actually lies. “Tell me, why did you say it?”
“The same reason you didn’t tell her. Ruby would be furious if she knew I asked you to go with me, and she would be even angrier because it happened weeks ago and we didn’t tell her.”
“Why would it upset her if you asked me to see the movie?” I ask.
