Only Once

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Food Court

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Food Court

Erika watched Spencer’s eyebrows elegantly fold together as he processed the newly gained information. He reached up and ran his fingers through his shaggy hair, all the while looking both confused and taken back.

“What is it?” she asked cocking her head to the side; Spencer’s reaction wasn’t at all what she had been expecting.

“Are you sure they broke up?” he finally asked, his dark eyes searched Erika’s face in uncertainty. “Like positive?”

“Well…” Erika pursed her lips, thinking about it. She reflected on how Jenna had suddenly texted her in the middle of the night, informing her that Chade and Abbey had broken up and how she’d heard the news from Chade himself. According to Jenna, he had seemed somewhat sad and had mentioned something about it not working out.  

“Well, yeah.” She finally settled on saying. “Jenna told me that she’d heard from Chade himself that they’d broken up. So yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s true. I mean, he wouldn’t be lying about something like that.”

“Oh.” Spencer muttered and sighed, shaking his head.

“What is it, Spencer?” Erika found herself asking the same question again when he failed to say anything else and instead looked contemplative. This time, however, her voice showed a hint of annoyance.

“Hmm?” he looked up at her questionably, proving that he really was in another world, and she gritted her teeth in frustration.

“Just spit it out!” she seethed. “What are you thinking? Why are you so shocked?”

Spencer let out a reluctant sigh and finally provided her with a small, sheepish smile.       

“I’m sorry.” He apologized. “It’s just…Chade and Abbey…they…”

His voice trailed off in a mumble of pathetic and incoherent words and slurs.

“They what?” Erika bit her bottom lip, waiting for him to continue. She watched the bitter expression on his face as he turned to look at her.

“They were never really dating.” He explained, his voice sounding as monotone as ever. “He was paying her to pretend to go out with him so that you would know he was over you.”

Erika stared at him in shock. She couldn’t seem to form any words. Instead his words rang in her head over and over again. Especially the “they were never really dating” part.

“It’s stupid, I know.” Spencer continued. “I don’t know why anyone would do something that stupid. But that’s Chade, for you. And Abbey, too.”

Erika still said nothing and for some strange reason, Spencer felt the need to prevent it from becoming completely silent between them. He’s also taken silence as some sort of an omen.

“I’m surprised they broke up, though.” He offered. “I thought they would have lasted. Those two…deserve each other.” 

At last, Spencer couldn’t think of anything else to say and ran out of words. Instead, he nervously stared at the raven-haired girl sitting before him, wondering what her next reaction was going to be. He could imagine her yelling about how angry she was or letting out quiet murmurs of disbelief. He could even picture her crying.

That thought alone, the visualization of her crying, made Spencer want to get up and run away as fast as he could. He imagined himself to simply bid her adieu and then depart without a second glance back. That was most definitely what he found himself actually wanting to do.