(1) Talk Me Down: An All Time Low Fanfiction Romance

Chapter 43: Gossip

        "Oh, I talked to Sue earlier, and I switched my shift so I'm working with you tomorrow," Rian said, remembering suddenly as we stood by my back door. He'd been over for only an hour, but his parents wanted him home for dinner, and he wasn't supposed to be over when my parents weren't home anyway. Even though my parents liked Rian, they wouldn't be happy if they knew he was here when they weren't.

        "Great," I beamed. Tomorrow our school had an early dismissal for parent-teacher conferences and Sue had me working as soon as I got out until closing with Maria, the middle-aged woman who worked there occasionally. I hadn't been too excited about spending my after-school hours with her.

        "Do you need a ride?" he asked, leaning against the glass. I shook my head, disappointed.

        "Veronica's bringing me. I can't back out on her," I said, frowning slightly. Rian nodded, understanding.

        "I'll just see you there, then," He said, smiling warmly. I started to speak but I didn't get a sound out because someone rang the doorbell, causing me to jump. I wasn't expecting anybody, but I knew who it was.

        I turned quickly, and saw two figures through the misty glass on either side of the door and grabbed Rian's hand, pulling him down behind the couches in the living room. "What the hell," RIan cursed, landing on the ground beside me.

        "Sorry," I said quickly, and then started laughing, leaning against the couch. Rian looked at me like I was crazy, and I did my best to talk between breaths.

        "It's just a reaction. I don't know," I breathed, still laughing. Rian shook his head, chuckling at me. "I didn't want them to see you."

        I'd seen Charlotte's red hair through the window, and through the other I saw Ava's blonde hair. I knew Veronica, Sophia and Jay were there, hidden by the door.

        My phone went off in my pocket and I pulled it out, opening the message Charlotte had just sent me.

        Ronnie wants you over...now. We didn't see you, but she knows you're home.

        I looked around the edge of the couch and then stood up, looping my finger in my belt loop to pull my pants up.

        "I have to go to Veronica's," I muttered, yanking the sliding door open. Rian stood next to me and I reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck to hug him tightly. His own arms wrapped around my back, holding me to him.

        "See you tomorrow," I said softly. He pulled his head back and kissed me for a long moment. When he stepped away, we were both smiling. I watched him leave my house and disappear from my yard before I shut the door and ran to my room.

        I grabbed a sweatshirt, texted Charlotte and then rushed downstairs. I pulled on shoes, pinching my fingers between the back and my heel and practically sprinted to Veronica's house.

        I knocked on the door, hoping for a moment to catch my breath, but Veronica opened the door almost immediately. She didn't smile when she saw me, but she didn't look mad or annoyed either. She just stepped back and let me inside.

      The rest of the girls were at the table, along with a pizza and two salads, one belonging to Ava and the other to Veronica.

        "Uh, what's up?" I asked, taking a seat next to Charlotte. I didn't look at her, though, because I'm sure she knew why I didn't open the door.

        "You've been MIA lately, and we've just been wondering where you've been," Veronica said, opening her salad.  

        "I've just been swamped with homework and working," I said, trying to keep my heart rate steady. It was a believable lie, but I felt like I was about to get interrogated.

        "Why didn't you answer the door?" Sophia asked.

        "I was in the bathroom," I lied easily, and if anybody believed me or not they didn't show it. When I looked at Veronica she shrugged, pushing her salad around with her fork.

        "So, guess what I heard the other day," she said, and everybody's eyes turned to her for the gossip. She always had gossip. She always knew everyhing that went on in school, and in the years that I'd known her, she'd neer had false information.

        "You know Katie Holland..." she paused, waiting for encouragement to continue. A few of the girls nodded, and I tried to look interested. I didn't particularly care to listen to the way Veronica talks abot people, but there was nothing I could do.

        "I heard she slept with Gaskarth's friend. One ofthe ones that works with you, Kara," Veronica said, and a million different things started happening at once as I listened to her describe the boy she was talking about.

        I forced myself to keep my expression neutral; a little surprised maybe; with my lips pressed together so they wouldn't be wide open in shock. My head was racing with a thousand different thoughts and I felt like my heart had stopped and started again.

        Charlotte shifted beside me, her arm brushing mine as a gesture that I knew she meant to be comforting. She did know my secret, after all.

        "It happened a few nights ago. I heard her bragging about it inbetween classes," Veronica's eyes were shining, and her lips turned into a satisfied smirk. "He's just like Gaskarth, they're all like him."

        I listened to the other girls' questions to her, still trying to look like I was paying attention, but I was finding it a hundred times harder to focus.

        I'd believed Zack when he told me Rian had only slept with one, maybe two other girls that he'd had serious relationships with. I'd believed that Rian was different than Alex. Was I wrong?