Instead of saying anything, James put on his turn signal and took an exit that I was all too familiar with. It was the same exit I'd take if I was going home. I thought we'd be staying on I-95 until we got to the Philly airport.
"Aren't we going to the airport?" I asked. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach.
"We are. I just wanted to make a quick stop first."
Oh God. Not my house!"I don't know. I haven't decided if I want to make that speech on Friday yet. So we can't go anywhere that far I guess. And I forgot that I really should be studying for my Stat test. You know what? Let's just turn around. Let's spend the day in your apartment. Don't we have to get stuff ready for your brother anyway?"
"Ellen will get everything ready for Rob's visit."
"I forgot, I think I have a psychology test tomorrow too. Oh geez, we better get back."
"You chose dare, Penny. Who backs down from a dare?" He drove down Concord Pike and put his turn signal on again.
No, no, no!"You know what? I actually think I've been around here before. There's this cute little diner right down the street. I'm starving. Do you want to stop and eat?"
He lowered his eyebrows slightly. "Penny, you're a terrible liar."
"What? Psh. Professor Hunter..."
"You really should stop calling me that." He turned into Windy Park.
My neighborhood.I took a deep breath. "How do you know where I live?"
"Oh, is this your neighborhood?" He looked over at me and raised his left eyebrow.
"James, pull over."
He continued to drive down the street and stopped at the stop sign before turning onto Smith Lane.
"James!"
He turned the corner and pulled to a stop at the bottom of my street.
"Penny, you'll be lucky if your parents don't already know. It'll be better if they hear it from you. You said you'd call them..."
"And I will call them. I can't do this in person."
"You can."
"James, I can't." I dropped my head back on the headrest.
"We need to do this. Today."
The way he said we made me feel slightly better. But not better enough to tell him to drive up the street to my house.
"You don't have to do it alone. I'm going to be with you. I'll even do most of the talking if you want."
"I feel like that'll make it worse. I need some air." I opened up the car door and stepped out into the sunshine. It only took a second before he was standing beside me. He didn't say anything. He just leaned against the car and stared at the manicured lawn in front of us.
I sighed and leaned against the car too. "Who uses a dare to make their girlfriend disclose their illicit affair to her parents? You're super lame. How about you dare me to give you head at that diner I told you about a minute ago? Or maybe we can join the mile high club on an airplane?"
He pressed his lips together.
"Please don't tell me that you're already part of the mile high club."
"Stop trying to change the subject." James put his arm around my shoulders. "I'm not going to force you to tell them. If you really don't want to, that's your decision. It would make me feel a lot better about everything though."
"Unless my dad punches you in the face."
