“We’re only trying to get to know him,” Mimi adds. “He’s the rude one, giving us one-word answers.”
“Yeah, well…maybe his relationship with his mum isn’t the best.” I look around the table at my friends, and when my gaze falls on Lily, I remember that day, months ago now, when we studied together at the cafe. “Remember when we saw him and his mum at the mall?”
Lily nods.
“They were having a fight,” I say to the rest of the table. “And yeah, everyone fights with their parents, but…maybe something’s going on that we don’t know about. So drop it, alright?”
They nod, though Mimi looks exasperated about it. Ricky does a mock salute.
Jude returns, and when Ricky starts talking about homework, a boring but safe topic, I’m so relieved I could kiss him. While they talk, I finish the final slice of hot and spicy pizza left.
“Aaron.” Jude’s voice is soft but cuts through the rest of the table’s conversation like a blade.
“Huh?”
“You’ve got some.” He touches the side of his mouth.
“Oh.” I stick my tongue out to try and lick it up, whatever it is. How embarrassing, looking like a messy toddler when I’m eighteen years old.
“No, it’s a bit…” Jude touches his own face again.
“Just get it for him,” Ethan says.
Jude picks up a napkin and leans over. It happens so fast, I don’t have any time to be surprised, and then he’s wiping the corner of my mouth. He’s close enough that I can see the ring of golden brown in his hazel eyes.
“Well. That was romantic,” Mimi says after Jude pulls away from me.
“Shut up, Mimi,” I say it without thinking.
“Woah. I was just saying.”
But now Jude looks uncomfortable again as he folds up the napkin and places it on the table. Ethan watching Jude with the intensity of an eagle looking at prey.
“So, Jude. You dating anyone?”
“No,” Jude says.
“You’ve been at our school for, what, half a year now? Got a crush on anyone?”
“No,” Jude says.
“Okay, but surely you thinksomeone’shot. C’mon, tell us. We can keep a secret.”
“He doesn’t want to talk about it,” I say.
Jude glares at me. “I don’t need you to speak for me,” he says icily.
“He’s just trying to help you out,” Lily says with a peace-making smile.
“And at least we’re not talking about Ms Seymour anymore,” Ricky says. “You can thank Aaron for that.”
“What?” Jude says.
“He told us that things are tense between you and your mum and got us to back off,” Ricky supplies. “I don’t know how you do it. I couldnotgo to a school where my mum’s the principal.” Then Ricky grins, and my heart breaks a bit because I know when Ricky’s purposely being a dick, and this is not one of those times. He thinks he’s being kind.
Jude’s eyes snap to mine, and I automatically sink back. “I could see that you didn’t want to talk about your mum, and…I told them about how I saw you at the mall with your mum ages ago. When you had that…disagreement. And, not to make assumptions or anything, but I thought it might’ve been a sensitive topic, so I told them so they’d be easier on you.”
Jude’s eyes flare. “I don’t need anyone to be easy on me,” he snaps. “And one disagreement between my mother and I hardly constitutes a tense relationship, so I’d appreciate it if you could get your noses out of my family business.”
