Ignite

Chapter 41

Jake and Lewis avoid me for the next few days.

Every time I go to Jake's room, he slams the door in my face, and whenever I wait outside their school, neither of them come out the gates.

I'm becoming increasingly frustrated by my inability to corner either of them when, on the third day of my punishment, I spot Lewis emerging from the building with Harper.

It's lunchtime and I'm sitting on the oval with Emmy and my head snaps to him so fast that I almost get whiplash. Emmy starts and follows my gaze.

"Ah," she says when she realises who I'm staring at. "Still having a lovers' quarrel, are we?"

"It's not a lovers' quarrel," I grumble. "But yes. Jake's still ignoring me too."

"Don't worry," she says. "You'll figure it out."

And then, she looses interest and starts chattering away about the plans for the dance next month.

I'm only half paying attention though, watching as Lewis joins in on the daily lunchtime football game.

"We might be able to sneak alcohol in," Emmy is saying. "My friend has these flasks that fit into your bra. They're bendy, so we could wear them and then take them out in the bathroom. Harper said he could sneak some in for us too. Now that he's my date, it makes sense to utilise him."

I blink and turn back to her, trying to retrace what she'd been saying that resulted in utilising Harper. It doesn't work.

"Wait, what?"

"I'm going to the dance with Harper," Emmy says. "I've told you this already."

"No, you haven't."

"Yes, I did! In maths. We've been hanging out since the party."

I shoot her an incredulous glare. "Telling me you've been hanging out doesn't mean dating."

Emmy shrugs and pulls out a few grass tufts.

"It kinda does. But he also asked me out officially the other day. And I figured I should try, you know?"

Emmy cuts off, and I can see her trying to figure out the right way to explain.

"It would just be so much easier to date him."

There's yearning in her words, a desperate wish, and I don't have the heart to point out emotions don't work that way.

"Okay," I say instead. "If that's what you want."

She sighs, and I know I've said the correct thing, that this is the support she needs right now.

"Anyway," she says, launching back into ball talk. "We need to figure out how we're getting there. Ideally, we'd have a car with the six of us, but I don't know how Aleisha and Jake would feel about that, so I propose we split into two groups: You, Lewis and Jake, and then me, Harper and Aleisha. Now, I know—"

Emmy cuts off as my gaze drifts over to Lewis again.

"Claude! Are you even listening to me?"

I jump. "Sorry, yes, I'm listening."

Emmy eyes me. "You know, you could just apologise and then you won't have to act like such a stalker."

"I've tried. They're avoiding me."

"Well, stalk better. You live with Jake, and Lewis can't avoid you forever. Besides, he looks over here every time you face away."

"Really?"

My expression brightens and Emmy rolls her eyes.

"Yes," she says. "Now stop thinking about them and listen to me, please."

Feeling sufficiently scolded, I turn so my back is facing the boys, and I smile at her.

"Okay," I say, "please continue. You're gonna have to back up to the Harper thing though, cause I wasn't paying attention until then."

...

That afternoon, instead of catching the bus home, I walk to Lewis's house, my heart pounding the entire way. This is the first time I've visited his house, and while I wait for someone to answer my knock, I eye it.

It's a quaint little shack, run down and sandwiched between two towering apartment blocks. Vines creep up the walls and rust peppers the screen door and the metal table and chairs sitting on the porch.

I hear someone moving around inside, footsteps coming closer, and then the door swings open. A tall, dark-skinned woman stands before me, and I can see Lewis in her face — in the shape of her nose and the tilt of her frame.

She looks me up and down, frowning. "Can I help you?"

"Um... Mrs Kozak?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"My name is Claudia Cairns. I was wondering if Lewis was home?"

Something flickers in Mrs Kozak's eyes, but her expression doesn't change.

"You're Jake's sister."

"Yeah."

"You're the one who broke my boy's nose."

I blanch, face growing pale. "Um... I... well, yes. I'm very sorry about that... I shouldn't have... that was wrong of me..."

My stammering cuts short when Mrs Kozak steps back, opening the door wider for me.

"Lewis isn't home yet, but you may as well come in."

I hover on the doorstep, suddenly wishing I'd never come, but the only thing worse than going inside now would be to leave, so I give her a grateful smile and step inside.

...

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- Skylar xx