Bookish London

Chapter 6 - Kyle

I turn around to look after her, I don’t know why…I just feel bad for earlier, I was just worried about her…that’s funny…me worried about someone who, repeatedly, yelled at me to shut up and leave her alone…Just my type, as they say.
Most people think my type is someone like Cailyn Thompson, rich, spoiled, gossiping, lying brat…nope, not my type.
I like girls that have a brain, so to speak…in other words, those which society thinks are weird.
She is weird, it’s true, but we do have something in common…books.
And our hatred for each other, that’s another one.
It is more like a competition against each other, I do not even remember when or why it started…I only know I’m starting to bear seeing her face in school…It’s been ten years, and I only start now...good grace. I am one weird-ass person.
In that same moment, I walk into the café where Elizabeth and Kayla were having breakfast. I sit down at a table near the big window looking out onto the square from which I ran here.
As I sit down, I see a little purple notebook on the table, with a string as fastening…no, not a string. Wait, it’s one of Elizabeth’s old bracelets! She left her notebook behind…She must’ve forgotten it here.
I have never seen her without it since middle school. She would never leave it unguarded. She loves the dear thing.
The waiter must’ve noticed me staring at it when I sat down at the table, where she must’ve sat just moments before, because he said: “I just found it sitting there on the table…must’ve been left behind by one of the girls who were sitting there earlier.
You may know them, they wore the same uniform as you…the small, dark-haired one called the tall one Elizabeth, Lizzie, Liz…does it ring any bells?”
“Oh yes, I know the girl who lost it. The dark-haired one must have been her best friend. I can give the notebook back to her.” I tell the waiter, undoubtedly without my brain’s thought checking process active.
The waiter thanks me repeatedly, he gives me the notebook and my order, and goes back to his work.
I walk out and try to figure out the two best friends’ usual route. Yes, I have seen them trace this track more than once in these last months.
I walk along the riverbank and spot the two of them not too far away from me, sitting on a bench. I walk towards her, wishing I did not look this pathetic... I look like a puppy in search of his master, dumb. I reach up to her and say: “Cuthbert...you forgot this.”
“Carter what-?” She mumbles angrily, while turning towards me. How in hell did she recognise my voice- maybe because you are the only one who calls her by her last-name. Ugh, that could be why.
I hand her the notebook nonchalantly, like I had not run the last 10 metres just to give her the darn notebook she loves so much. I feel stupid right now, after forming that thought into words.
“My notebook!” She yells, both happy and mad at me...I have stressed her enough for today, I suppose...I did chase her outside the tube station earlier, not cool by me. 
“Where did you find it?! I’ve been looking for it everywhere!” She adds, standing up from the bench abruptly and lunging at me to get her book.
I obviously take back my hand just a moment before she could reach it.
“Give. It. Back” she declares, furiously.
“Not until you tell me why you hate me so much.” The words run out of my mouth before I can try to stop them. My mouth’s right though, I want to know why.
Before she answers, I happen to look around for her best friend, but Kayla left us alone. Thanks, Weston. Nice.
“So?” I demand her, not having heard a word from her. 
“This is not the time nor the point of this conversation.” She declares.
“Give me back my book. Now.” She mutters angrily under her breath. 
“Only if you stop being such a brag…it was only made for laugh. Chill a little.” I say, if not because I meant it, because the air was too tense.
“Ok fine. Now give me my book.” As she says this, she moves her hands towards her precious notebook, which I still tightly kept in my hand.
I took back my hand just before she could reach it, just to see that mad gaze in her eyes. wow, she’s so cute when she’s angry…ok no, remove that thought, remove it, brain! Ha-ha, sorry but that’s a no-go from me, man. It was time you opened your eyes- I don’t have to open my eyes for nothing, Brain. Shut it. Ok, ok fine…you’re still blind to your fe- I said shut it, Brain. Ok, alright. 
She turns around to leave, but then she remembers that I still have her notebook, so she turns back around and tries to snatch her notebook back from me…na-ah, sweetie, I’m not letting your book go that easy. Nope. 
I grab her lunging arm and stop her, locking my eyes with her furious gaze. 
“Just give it back already. I need it.” You can feel the frustration in her voice.
“For what? Is it your secret diary, that you want it back so bad?” I mock her.
“Oh yeah, that’s my private diary, Carter. Right. Now give it back.” I must’ve touched a raw nerve, probably. Better to stop this silly game.
“Ok fine, here you go.” I say, and I give the notebook back to her.
“Thank you. Was all that necessary?” She asks, putting away the book in her bag and starting to walk towards our school right afterwards.
“No, but it was fun. Admit it. It was fun.” I tease her.
“Hm…no.” 
“Come on, admit it. It was.” I say again. 
“I said no. I didn’t like it, sorry.” 
“You did like it, Cuthbert. I can see it in your eyes.” I say, happily teasing her now that the tension’s gone.
“Ok fine…I did like it…a little.” After hearing this, I make a gesture of victory, which causes Elizabeth to laugh.
“Stop that dance of victory, you fool. You’re making a scene.” And surely enough, a couple of onlookers had started to gesture to each other about my weird behaviour.
I compose myself, amidst her laughter. 
“Sorry to embarrass you, Ms Keep-A-Low-Profile-While-Being-A-Complete-Nerd Cuthbert. I didn’t want to tarnish your social status.” I blurt out ironically.
At that, she friendly punches me in the arm.
“Stop it, you idiot. If I’m a nerd, and I might as well be, does it affect your life?” She asks ironically.
“It does not, but…” I say, but she stops my thought halfway through my speech.
“But nothing, Carter. Now let’s get to class.” As she said that, we walked into our school’s entrance and the bell rang painfully strong in our ears this early in the morning.