ROT WITH ME

v - tragic

CHAPTER FIVE

       Henry greeted Solana, eyes lingering on the red splotch of skin as if he were an artist admiring his work. Solana pulled the collar of her shirt in an attempt to hide the scar. The soft ambience of people flipping through books and papers along with some whispering surrounded them.

        June fidgeted with her fingers, nodding at something Camilla had said while keeping a close eye on the other duet of old acquaintances.

       He sank down in a chair beside her, directing his physique closer to brush unpinned curls from Solana's face behind her ear. Solana's shoulders caved in, a faint color of ruby filling the hollows of her cheek. A mutter of gratitude gushing out of her mouth.

       June's eyes burned holes through his skull which resulted in him turning his head a bit to catch her gaze with his own. Throwing her a seemingly authentic smile over his shoulder, the image made her stomach churn. Waving her and Camilla over with a tick of his head as he flipped open his laptop. In turn, Solana took out a mound of papers from her floral backpack along with rubber pens.

        Camilla gave them a small smile. "Come on, June," she murmured, looping June's arm with her own and dragging her to the table.

        June's mouth was dry, in need of an oasis. She had a bad feeling about this.

***

        June clicked her pen on and off. Humming a slow tune in her head, making sure to match the clicks to the rhythm of the ballad as Henry excused himself. She watched him go silently before directing her attention to Solana who didn't take her eyes off of his vanishing silhouette.

        June looked back down at her paper.

        "Have you spoken to Rafe?" asked Camilla in a low voice. Interrupting the cloud that had embraced her, her fingers went still. June shook her head, biting the inside of her cheek.

        Not tearing away her cerulean stare from her screen. She skimmed through her notes on her laptop, picking out and scribbling down the information she thought was relevant to her part of the assignment.

        "Oliver said he's been talking about you."

        June's eyes flicked up, making a face of disbelief at Camilla. "First Alara and Theo now you and-"

       "It's not like that," Camilla cut her short with an impolite tone.

       "Whatever you say." She raised her hands in sarcastic defeat as Camilla huffed, crossing her arms over her torso as a gravelly voice sliced across the room. Henry, briskly back from wherever he had gone.

       "The vending machine isn't working," he informed them before sitting back down.

       "How unfortunate," remarked Camilla blankly. Henry glared at her jestingly as they grinned at one another. Sharing a moment. June grimaced, Camilla was friends with everyone. Solana viewed the interaction as something to envy.

       This sudden ripple of pity pulsed through June's bloodstream. After a couple of more minutes of her researching the topic, gentle fingers brushed against the knuckles of her right hand while she was jotting something down. She glanced up, her sapphire eyes burning into silver ones.

         He smiled. "Can I borrow a pen? Mine ran out."

        The question was strange to June but before the realization on why that was so could dawn on her, she nodded and began to rummage through her bag for an extra pen. Feeling around a bit before finally recognizing the feeling of rubber from the writing utensil.