Bookshop Encounters (Chris Kendall/Crabstickz) Bk 1: FF Series

Chapter Eleven: Lifts and Betrayal

Chapter Eleven: Lifts and Betrayal

RACHEL

Chris has been acting really strange these last couple of days, Dan and Phil assured me that he was just stressed because he was working with BBC Three on a new comedy sketch show but I knew there was something under the surface that was bothering him. But why couldn't he tell me, I was his girlfriend. If either of us had a problem, we decided to share it with the other and hopefully come up with a joint way to solve it.

PJ had invited all of us to come down to Brighton for a weekend of video making and board games and I decided that it might be good to get Chris out of London. Amber had been keeping her distance from us, well me at least which was odd. She was also acting really nice, I bumped into her when collecting my mail and we actually had a civil conversation. Maybe she was trying to make amends; I was just stuck in my ways that she's hurt my boys so therefore I couldn't give her friendship a chance.

Phil and PJ tried to deter me from hanging out with her; they were convinced that her being nice to me was her way of getting back into their lives. I tried to reason with them and said that I needed to hang out with some girls. But they insisted on me getting to know other youtubers include Carrie Fletcher, Cherry Wallis and Emma Blackery. I got along with the girls really well and forgot about Amber.

I'd just wrapped up a gaming video with Cherry, we had played Minecraft on her gaming channel and then on her normal channel we did truth and dare. On my channel we did a baking video where we made rainbow cupcakes. It was an odd combination of videos but it worked.

I left her place and headed towards the underground where I was going to catch the tube back to the flat, before packing for the weekend and then leaving to meet Dan and Phil at Euston station with Chris in tow. PJ wasn't expecting us until the evening so I had some time to kill.

The tube was pretty empty; I thought I was alone right up until the second to last stop. A girl cleared their throat and I looked up from my phone, my eyes widened as I took in a grinning Amber. I jumped in my seat and she laughed before taking the seat opposite me.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you Rachel, looks like we'll be getting this train together often. Also why have you been ignoring me?"

My mouth opened but I quickly closed it, I didn't want to tell her that the guys said she was only playing nice with me to worm her way back in. I shifted in my seat and tried to find something else to look at so I wasn't trapped in Amber's green glaring gaze.

"Err, I don't know. I've been busy at the bookshop I work at and YouTube things."

Yeah, that seemed to slightly satisfy her. I prayed that the train sped up so I could be back in my flat away from this girl.

"No problem, maybe we can grab a coffee when you get back from your little Brighton trip with the guys."

I quirked an eyebrow and locked eyes with her how did Amber know about the trip? The guys hadn't said anything on social media and neither had I? She smirked at me an twirled some hair around her finger.

"You're asking yourself how I know; did you know Chris keeps post it notes around the flat? I read it on the fridge when he got the milk to make me a cup of tea."

I clenched my hands, why was Chris making this girl tea? Why the hell was she in our flat? How come he was allowed to socialise and mingle with her but I had to stay away? Did Amber know something I didn't? I shook my head; Chris was probably just being a friendly neighbour and nothing more.

"That's nice of him; oh I think this is our stop."

I stood up and gathered my bag and made my way towards the train door. I heard Amber get up behind me. The train jolted to a halt and I nearly lost my footing but Amber's hand darted out and grabbed my elbow to keep me upright.