Toe the Line

Chapter Twenty-Four

Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading, I appreciate all of you!!! I know this chapter is a little short, but there is more coming really soon I promise :) Let me know any feedback you have! xx

A knock on the door of English class halts Mrs. White's lecture the next day.

One of the office ladies comes into the room and says my name, breaking me out of a Adrian-filled reverie.

I look up. "Yes?"

"Someone is here for you and has signed you out of classes for the rest of the day," she states politely.

'Oh...okay," I grab my bags and stand up, whispering a goodbye to Liza sitting beside me.

I follow the woman's clicking heels down the hall, wondering if my parents are surprising me or something.

I get to the office and hear a familiar, high voice talking a mile a minute.

"Hailey!" I almost jump on her, I'm so happy to see her. "What are you doing here?!"

"I felt so bad about yesterday and telling Mom and the whole fiasco with you-know-who." I smile at her refusal to use Jimmy's name. "I just wanted to come and distract you for a little. Maybe beg for forgiveness for calling Mom?" She pokes me with a big smile on her face.

"Fine, all is forgiven," I roll my eyes and grab her hand, pulling her out into the hall. "I'm so happy to see you! I missed you so much." I pull her into a big hug and she squeezes me back. Big downside of boarding school: never getting to see your family.

"I missed you more." She squeezes my hand and her big, blue eyes look sentimental.

"So what should we do?" I ask.

"I was thinking we could go shopping in town and then a nice dinner? What's a good restaurant around here?"

"Hmm, let's do Basilico. I think they have drink specials during week nights too."

"Now you're talking." She smiles. "Now fill me in on everything. How are you feeling? Have you talked to the teacher? Catch me up!"

We get into her car and the familiar scent of strawberries hits me. "How have you never changed the type of air freshener you buy in all these years?"

She shrugs and pokes me for information again. I fill her in on the rest of my night, and I tell her everything about my night with Adrian. By the time I'm finished recounting the night, my body is warm from the memory of his touch and her mouth is hanging wide open.

"Oh my god, Luce. This is like legit. Like he likes you, he doesn't just want to get in your pants like some creepy teachers."

"You think?" I ask, hopeful that she's right and I'm not an idiot for having feelings for my teacher.

"Um, he asked you to come over on the night of his dad's death and had you on speaker when talking to his family. He cried in front of you, for God's sake. He's in his feels."

I laugh at her tone of voice. "I don't know. He's so back and forth, I'm trying not to read into anything."

"You guys haven't slept together, right? Like there's not something you're not telling me?" She looks over at me suspiciously from across the car.

"No, no, I swear we're not." She eyes me suspiciously. "Hailey! I swear, you would be able to tell, okay? You knew immediately when I lost my virginity just by my face." I start laughing thinking about that day.

"Oh, my God." She breaks out in hysterical laughter. "Your face was bright pink and you were walking like you were wearing a diaper." She's laughing so hard she can't get her words out. "That was the funniest day of my life."

"Yeah, okay! So you would be able to tell if Adrian and I had..." I let that sentence wander off, not wanting to verbalize that possibility.

We reminisce about old stories for another hour as we shop, laughing hysterically the entire time. One shop owner even asked us to leave after we knocked over a rack in a fit of laughter.

After buying a deep V dress and a new pair of workout leggings, Hailey and I call it a day and head back to my dorm.

"You're wearing that to dinner," she says, eyeing the new dress.

"Um...with something under it, maybe," I respond, looking questionably at the plunging neckline. "I could see people from school."

"You're so lame," she rolls her eyes.

"What, cause I don't want my chest falling out of my shirt?"

"I mean, if I had your chest, I'd have those bad boys out on display all day everyday. Such a waste of good genetics." She looks down at her A cups with fake sadness.

"You're ridiculous," I say.

"And you're wearing the busty dress," she replies with a winning smile.

"Fine," I groan and give in. I did just buy it, so I might as well put it to good use.

I let Hailey do my hair and makeup, and after what feels like hours of pampering, we barely make it to our reservation on time.

"Oh, this place is nice!" she says, looking around. "I spy cute boys at the bar." She shoots me a look.

"Italian food and cute boys, Hailey's heaven," I respond.

"Well, actually I've been meaning to tell you." She draws out her words as the waiter seats us at a table. "I've actually been seeing someone. His name is Chris." She looks up at me expectantly.

"Oh, my God, Hailey Agard settling down! What world is this?"

She swats my arm. "Shut up! It's not that serious, okay? We've just been dating for a couple months."

"Months?? Hailey! I don't even know you anymore. When was the last time you saw a boy more than once, let alone for a month." She's blushing furiously while simultaneously trying to fight off a smile.

"Never," she answers pointedly. "I'm new at this, okay?"

"Hey, I'm proud of you," I reply, grabbing her hand. "You had your fun, now there's nothing wrong with actually being with a stable and dependable guy. No more bartenders or method actors or other New York riff raff that you pick up," I joke. "So what does Chris do?"

She goes on to gush about Chris, how he's an investment banker and has his own apartment with no roommates, a house in Montauk, how he's a little boring but is very sweet and dependable.

I'm smiling at her enthusiasm when two figures walking to the entrance of the bar catch my eye.

"Holy shit," I say aloud. A pit is forming in my stomach.