Summer Camp Sweethearts

Chapter 25

Those words are easier said than done.

After homeroom, I had one subject and then an off period. I don't know why I chose history as a subject because that class was brutal. I know I missed a few weeks of school because of my accident, but it seemed like I missed more than a year at the pace that class learned things. Our history teacher, Miss Davidson, decided that it would be the perfect time to hand out end-of-year assignments to the class today.

That's why I am sitting here in the school library on my off period, trying to get ahead on the assignment and catch up on the work I lost when I was not in school. I have my books spread out in front of me on the round table, enjoying the peace and quiet the library gives. There are not a lot of students here this period, but enough just to fill the room with their hushed voices.

The soft pull of a chair on the carpet distracts me. I look up and see someone taking the seat across from me at the table. I peek at the guy and stare at him for a few seconds. Why does he look so familiar? All I can do is give him a small smile when he looks my way, and I get back to my work.

It's not even two minutes when he starts tapping his pen on the table. That's the most annoying thing one can do in a library. I look up to him, slowly this time to indicate that I am getting annoyed. This time I see him staring at me.

"Are you Melissa Anderson?" he asks after I give him an eyebrow to indicate he needs to say what's on his mind. Gosh. I do not need this. I already had so many people in my history class ask me the exact same question that the teacher had to stop the class multiple times just to tell them to shut their mouths.

"Yes, I am," I answer slowly. "And you are?"

"I knew you looked familiar. I usually never forget my patients. I work at the hospital," I look at him, shaking my head, still unsure what he is referring to. He looks a bit young to be working as a doctor. Besides, he is still a student. "I am a patient transporter. I wheeled you down the hospital hallways in your wheelchair." he states.

"Oh, that's right." I nod, remembering that he also lives across the street from me. "Jayden, right?" He nods in approval. I have not left my house much in the last few weeks, so I haven't seen him. I give him a small smile and continue to work.

"You know, that guy over there has not stopped staring at you," Jayden comments after working in silence for a while. I look at him and then in the direction he is looking, just a few tables over to the left.

Blake apparently also has an off period and is staring in my direction, just like Jayden said. I cock an eyebrow in his direction. He puts his reading glasses back on, looks back down, and continues with whatever he was busy with.

"Do you know him?" Jayden asks in a hushed tone as if someone will overhear us.

"In a way. It's complicated." I answer. I peek back in Blake's direction and find that he is not there anymore. The table is empty, and no trace of him is left there. I frantically swing my head around in all directions to see if I can spot him leaving the library. I suddenly spot his figure just a few feet away and rush over to catch up with him. I am not sure what I am doing or what I am planning to say to him when I finally reach him, but my instinct is just telling me to go to him.

"Blake!" I shout quietly as I get closer to him. I know he can hear me as we are close enough, but he is ignoring me as if he was not the one checking me out.

"Blake!" I try again, a little louder this time.

"What?" he says, turning around and saying those words in the same tone.

"Don't you 'what' me. You were the one staring and checking me out over there."

"I wasn't checking you out. I was just looking at you." He says, still not making eye contact with me.

"Bullshit! You were checking me out, and now you're trying to deny it?" I say, getting angry now.

"I didn't check you out," he repeats, his voice growing louder as he speaks.

"What were you doing then?" I ask, breathing heavily. A minor pain starts picking up in my leg, and I need to lean on the bookshelf to keep steady. With all this going on, I forgot that I am still injured and can get pain if I run without caution.

"Okay," Blake sighs, running his hand through his hair and looking around the library. "I just wanted to talk."

Oh.

I must look stunned because he starts nodding his head and walking toward me. The closer he's getting, the more I walk backward, but I find myself already pressed against the bookshelves.

"Uhm, what do you want to talk about?" I ask. Blake stops mere inches from me and looks me up and down as if inspecting me.

"Are you okay?" he asks with sympathy in his voice.

"I'm fine," I lie, trying not to show how uncomfortable this situation makes me.

"You sure? You look in pain." I take a deep breath and ignore the pain in my leg. "It's just a little cramp."

"Let me see," he says, reaching for my hand. I pull it back quickly, feeling like an idiot.

"I know about the accident, Melissa. You need to tell me if you are okay," he says. He knows about the accident? Well, it's not as if it was not in the news. I just thought that he didn't read it.

"Yeah, I'm fine. My leg is just a bit sore one in a while." I inform him. He nods in understanding but does not say anything else. He just continues to study me. It feels weird being in this close proximity to him again. All feelings I had for him are coming back to me.

"You have the necklace?" he asks.

"What?" I furrow my brows in confusion.

"I saw you wearing it in homeroom. I'm glad you received it." Blake quickly looks down at my breasts and then flicks his eyes back to mine.

I suck in a breath without even knowing doing it. This is all becoming a little too much. I need to get out of here. I thought confronting him would be a good idea. But all it did was mess everything up a little more. I know that we talked after I left summer camp, and everything was good between us, but with everything that happened to me, a lot has changed in my life, and I feel like we have drifted apart.

"I need to go. I need to meet someone at lunch." so much has happened that I forgot about the time. The lunch bell should ring soon.

I give Blake one last lookand duck out from under his stare, which has me pressed against the bookshelfbehind me. I make my way back to the table where my books are still laid out.Jayden is no longer there. I gather my things and make my way out of the quietlibrary.