Back at the house, it was awkward and quiet. Paul was hovering over the stove, cooking up the spaghetti we’d bought, and my parents were seated at the table, watching him like a hawk. I sat at the table too, fiddling with my thumbs.

            “So are we going to talk about this now?” my dad spoke up. My mom hadn’t let him cause in a scene in the grocery store, bless her soul.

            “Not much to talk about—”

            “You can’t lie to me, Allie Cat,” my dad interjected, shaking his head.

            I shrunk in my seat a little. Dang.

            “Are you guys dating?” my mom asked, sounding a little more gentle than my dad.

            As soon as I opened my mouth to deny it, Paul sent my parents a bold look. “Yes, we are.”

            I hoped the betrayal was written across my face when I whipped my head around to Paul. How could he tell my parents! I’d thought we’d talked about this. What if my dad flipped out at him and I had to move home. “Dad, it’s not what you think—” I stopped talking when I saw my dad’s expression. He didn’t seem angry at all.

            “I want to be mad, but I can’t,” he admitted begrudgingly.

            My mom patted his shoulder. “I kind of figured you two had something going on last time at the Winter Wonder.”

            I could’ve hugged her. She must’ve eased my dad into it. I love you mom, I said in my mind, hoping to telepathically convey it to her.

            “Still, it’s a little hard to let you two live together after knowing this,” my dad continued, his eyes on Paul.

            Paul nodded empathetically. “That’s reasonable. I’d understand if you want Allie to move home.”

            My eyes widened. “No—”

            “But understand that although we are dating, we aren’t having any type of physical relationship,” Paul finished. “We didn’t mean to hide this from you either.”

            “Yeah, that was all me,” I added quickly. “I’m the one that was scared to tell you.”

            My mom seemed a little offended. “Did you think we’d be mad?”

            “We’ll he’s kinda sorta my teacher…”

            My dad snorted. “You’re talking to the wrong people.”

            “Wait, what?” I almost gasped. “Wait, was everything you guys been telling me the truth? Dad was really your teacher, Mom?”

            “Yeah, he was a bit of a jerk back then,” my mom said wistfully.

            My dad puffed out his chest. “I was handsome.”

            “Yeah, you were handsome…”

            “Hey!”

            “I thought you were lying about all of that!” I interjected, actually in shock. My dad joked around with me so much it was hard to know whether he was telling the truth or not. “You were just lying about the gang thing then?”

            “That happened!” my dad snapped at me.

            I held my head up a little higher, ignoring him. “So you can’t be mad at me for dating Paul!”

            “Don’t ignore me Allie! I was in a gang! I have tons of stories I could tell you! Ask your mom!”

            “He’s delusional,” my mom said when I turned to her.

            My dad shot her a dirty look. “Such betrayal from my wife.”

            “Don’t try to distract me from the point that you dated your student,” I cut in, suddenly feeling smug. “You did it and so can I. Or well, I can date my teacher. Substitute teacher.”

            “We went through a lot though, honey, are you sure you want to do the same?” my mom said, looking a little worried.

            Paul came to stand behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. “We aren’t going around telling the world, so there shouldn’t be a problem. There hasn’t been so far.”

            “So far?” my dad echoed. “How long have you two been dating?”

            Paul and I glanced at each other. There was no point in lying now. “Couple of months,” I responded vaguely.

            “Do your parents know about this?” my dad asked Paul.

            He shook his head. “Not yet, but I plan to tell them.”

            “It must run in the family,” my dad said to my mom and she grinned.

            “I can’t wait to tell your grandma,” my mom said brightly.

            I relaxed, leaning back in my seat a little. Here I thought I was going to be in for a scolding of a lifetime and forced out of Paul’s house, but no, turns out my parents had been in the same boat as me before. What a small world.

            “Still though, I don’t know about you two living together,” my dad stated, crossing his arms over his chest.

            “We aren’t doing anything,” I protested.

            “Yeah, but it doesn’t feel right letting you live here when I know you’re dating now.”

            “I bet when you and mom started dating you slept over each other’s places all the time,” I said defensively.

            My mom nodded. “That’s true.”

            “Holly, you keep making her case easier.”

            My mom shrugged. “She’s old enough to make her own decisions.”

            Grumbling under my breath, my dad turned to Paul. “Fine. She can stay. But you break her heart and I’ll break you.”

            “Dad!” I cried the same time my mom cried, “Chris!”

            Paul scratched the back of his head. “No need to threaten me, Chris. I don’t plan to.”

            I felt embarrassment settle into my bones. My dad would threaten Paul. My dad pressed his lips together and I had to smile a bit. He didn’t really like showing his emotions but I figured out that when he pressed his lips together, he was feeling a little sentimental. Maybe because he was realizing I was growing up.

            “Paul’s a good guy,” I said. “No need to worry.”

            “We know he is Allie,” my mom responded with a smile. “You’re just our little girl.”

            “I’m almost eighteen, Mom.”

            She suddenly looked a little sad. “That’s right.”

            My dad sent me a cut-it-out look and I quickly decided to change topics. “S-so I decided on a piece for Nationals.”

            “What’s that?” my mom asked.

            “Hungarian Rhapsody,” I responded happily. I felt confident with my choice now.

            My dad and mom ohh-ed and nodded their heads.

            I rolled my eyes. “Just say you don’t know what it is if you don’t.”

            “I know what it is,” my dad said.

            “Sure you do.”

            He narrowed his eyes at me. “I just don’t understand why you don’t believe a word I say.”

            “Because you used to lie to me to scare me!” I accused. “Like monsters under my bed, or monsters who’d eat me if I didn’t eat dinner! And imaginary gangs that would kidnap me if I stayed out past curfew!”

            “It. Was. Real.”

            “Do they always squabble like this?” Paul asked my mom, looking half-amused and half-concerned.

            She nodded. “Unfortunately.”

            “Well, if you’d just tell her everything that happened was real, we wouldn’t have this problem,” my dad said to her, crossing his arms.

            “I’ll look up the song later,” my mom promised me, disregarding my dad.

            I nodded. “It’s kind of tough, and I only gave myself two months to learn it, but I think I can do it. Kinda.”

            “I know she can do it,” Paul spoke up. “She’s really great.”

            “You don’t have to tell me that,” my mom said, laughing. “I know she was meant for great things. Especially with you helping her.”

            My dad suddenly furrowed his eyebrows. “If you win Nationals Allie, you should probably move out of Paul’s apartment.”

            “What? Why? I thought we just went over this, it’s fine—”

            “Not because you two are in a relationship,” he cut in. “But Paul is part of the prize isn’t he? To make a duo with him? You’ll get a lot of attention if you win— and I’m sure if someone finds out you two live together it might look bad on both your parts.”

            I glanced at Paul, who obviously hadn’t thought of that either. If someone found out we lived together, it would seem like I had an unfair advantage. Paul was technically a part of the judging panel, even if he didn’t get a say in the final decision. Someone could say he cajoled the judges into choosing me or gave me special attention. But well, he was giving me special attention. Which was probably a little unfair, but I was sure everyone had a coach anyway.

            “I didn’t think of that,” Paul said quietly.

            “It’s a big what if, but there’s still a chance it could affect something,” my dad continued, shrugging.

            I frowned at Paul.

            “We’ll worry about it later,” he said. “For now, we practice. We’ll keep it in mind though.”

            “Maybe not too much PDA?” my mom suggested.

            I felt myself blush a little bit and I’m pretty sure Paul went a little red as well. “On it,” we chorused.

            My dad gestured to the stove, where the water for the pasta was boiling over. “Is that done yet? I’m hungry. Get me some bread and butter too.”

            My mom and I rolled our eyes as Paul hastened to empty the water out of the pot.

            “Don’t let him boss you around,” I told Paul. “He’s just a bully. You see what he does to Jeremy…”

            “Jeremy deserves it,” my dad commented off-handedly.

            “He does not,” both my mom and me responded simultaneously.

            “I miss that big goofball,” I said with a sigh. “It’s been too long.”

            “Not long enough,” my dad muttered.

            My mom slapped his shoulder. “He’s your best friend!”

            Paul laughed. “Maybe I’ll invite him and Casey over for a big dinner after Allie wins Nationals.”

            “So much confidence in me…”

            “I know you’ll win. Even if I do have to coax the judges.”

            “Paul!”

            He winked at me. “Just kidding.”

            My dad caught the action and pursed his lips. I gave him a pointed look. It was nice knowing he couldn’t say anything for once. I was worried about telling my parents about my relationship with Paul for nothing! Now there was nothing about my relationship with Paul to keep in check.

            “Don’t flirt in front of me, you two,” my dad demanded.

            I grimaced. Well, almost.

___________________________

            Sorry for the shortness of this chapter ): I had a little bit of free time after work today, so I wanted to whip something up quick!!! There's only going to be a few more chapters in this story though. It's already so long!! It was only meant to be twenty-five chapters LOL. Oops. It'll probably end up being 35 or so.

            If you didn't know already- Believe Me, I'm Lying (you know, the book where Elliot comes from???) has come out in ebook!! It's all new and different and there's a new ending and an epilogue!!!! And if sales do well I'm thinking about a sequel :D