Ignite

Chapter 32

The the next week breaks into two segments for me: the time I spend with Lewis and the time I spend waiting to spend time with Lewis.

I become focused on him in a way that is, quite frankly, disturbing. When I'm asleep, I dream of him, when I'm at school, I look out the window hoping to glimpse him, and when it's approaching three o'clock, and I know he's waiting by the gates for me, I become so irritable and impatient I get yelled at several times and almost chucked in detention once.

But then, three o'clock hits and I dash outside and spot him; and I'm breathing easier.

As the week progresses, and he continues to show up every afternoon, our pace grows slower, the hour and a half walk home extending out to two hours, then three — comfortable and calm.

And yet, every time we reach my house, there's a moment when that tranquility shatters, when he looks at me as if he's waiting for something.

What he's waiting for exactly, I'm not sure, but I want him to find it. Because in those looks, the ones that drag and pull and promise, I see fireworks.

When the bell rings at 3pm on Friday, I'm out of the classroom fast, racing past Emmy and Aleisha and calling out quick goodbyes that only earn me eye rolls in return.

But when I reach the gates, and spot who's standing there, my heart drops. Because Lewis isn't there today, but Jake is.

He sees me as I do him, and before I can go back inside, he gestures me over.

I walk up, noting the unruffled chaos that is his hair, the red marks of exhaustion rimming his eyes, and, instantly, I feel guilty.

"Why've you been ignoring me all week?" he asks, voice rough.

I look at my feet, kicking at the gravel, and I see his internet searches printed there, spelled out amongst the dirt. It gets my stomach rolling again.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you haven't talked to me for days. You've barely even looked at me."

I huff out a laugh, one that sounds fake even to my ears. "That's a bit dramatic. We live together. I talk to you all the time."

Jake is silent and I can tell he's stressed, wracking his brains to figure out why I'm being so cold.

"Claude, what's going—"

"Hey! Sorry I'm late."

Jake cuts short when Lewis appears, jogging up and coming to a stop beside the two of us, feet skidding in the gravel.

Jake looks at him, brow furrowed.

"Late for what?"

Neither Lewis nor I reply, and Jake glances at me, and then back at the boy who's become one of his closest friends, and suspicion dawns, darkening his features and pulling his mouth taut.

His expression is one I've seen before, one that only appears when Jake is at his worst, feeling insecure and unwanted, and before I know it, I'm speaking.

"Nothing. Lewis borrowed one of my pens this morning and I asked him to return it."

Jake's eyes narrow further, and I turn to Lewis.

"Do you still have it?"

There's a weighted silence, one where Lewis studies me, his eyes unreadable. But then he paws at his bag and hands a random pen to me. His fingers brush mine and then disappear, pulling away quick.

I want to say something then. I want to grab his hand and pull him back to me, but I don't know how with Jake here.

"I'll see you guys on Monday," he says as he turns, shoulders tense, and walks off — back toward his house, not mine.

I'm still for a moment, frozen and burning at the same time.

"Are you okay?" Jake asks.

"Yeah. Of course."

He blinks at the wobble in my voice, and I'm hit with another stab of guilt.

"Sorry. I just... I've had a long day. I'll see you at home, okay?"

Jake hovers, watching me.

"You're not catching the bus again?"

The computer screen flashes before me once more:

Legal defence to arson.

Amending the record of a criminal procedure.

And I step back.

"Nah. I just need to be alone for a bit."

Jake swallows and before he can say anything else, I turn, moving away.

Jake's eyes follow me, and I take measured steps in the opposite direction Lewis has gone, praying Jake will think I'm going home, that I'm going to enjoy a solitary walk that won't be interrupted by any deviations away from our house and in pursuit of Lewis Kozak.

But the moment I round the corner of the street and disappear from Jake's view, I run; doubling back and sprinting around the block, Lewis's expression seared on the back of my eyelids. 

...

Next chapter out in a week :)

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- Skylar xx