Broken Wings

Chapter 11

For three days, Jane did not hear from Blake. Although she was somewhat relieved, she was also a little worried. What was he up to? She hoped he wasn't getting into trouble.

On Wednesday afternoon, there was a knock at the door. Jenna wasn't home, so Jane got up from her desk and went to the door. Although she had not thought of him at all that day, she wasn't surprised to see Blake since she figured he would turn up sooner or later. He stood on the doorstep with his hands in his pockets, looking restless.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she replied. She didn't really like the idea of letting him in when she was home alone, but he didn't seem hostile today and she was in a pretty good mood, so she nodded for him to come in. She had agreed to this, she reminded herself.

Blake took off his shoes, and wordlessly collapsed onto the girls' cream-colored overstuffed sofa. Jane shrugged to herself. Sure, make yourself right at home, she thought.

"I was just finishing up some lesson plans," she called to him from her bedroom, as she scooped up her papers and brought them out to the living room. Blake said nothing, choosing just to watch her with his strange stare. Jane scribbled a few more things down that she was working on, and then she looked up at him.

"So, what's up?" she asked cheerfully. Blake shrugged. "Nothing," he said listlessly. He really didn't feel like making conversation.

Jane set her things aside for a moment, wondering why he had come over. She felt the awkwardness from their last encounter returning to her, but she brushed it aside. She really didn't feel like being brought down by anything today.

"What have you been up to the last few days?" She prodded.

"What does it matter?" Blake responded defensively.

Jane frowned. "I was just wondering. I was kind of expecting to see you sooner."

"Why, did you miss me?" he asked bitterly, smirking at her. He had felt irritated ever since Jane left his house two nights ago, and although he tried to suppress his attitude when he walked in her door, he felt like he couldn't hold it back anymore. She had probably been happy not to see him for three days, while he had spent them feeling lonely and malcontented. Coming to see her today had only been giving in to temptation.

Jane was somewhat taken aback. She was quiet for a moment, thinking that Blake's behavior was not much different from the 7th graders she was a student teacher for. Luckily, she was feeling very patient today or else she would have been really annoyed at him.

"Are you hungry at all?" she asked.

Blake shrugged again, still looking restless and irritable. "I don't know. I guess so," he said.

"Alright, come in the kitchen and I'll make us something."

He followed her into the tiny white kitchen and sat down on a stool by the counter, and looked around with some interest. He'd never been to this side of the apartment before. Blake watched as Jane opened the fridge and took out some hamburger meat, and then got a pan out from under the stove. She made them some tacos, and they ate in amicable silence at the counter.

Jane's cooking was good, and since Blake wasn't much of a cook he never usually ate anything that didn't come out of a box. He felt considerably more relaxed now that he was full. In fact, he was happy that he had come here after all. Just being around Jane had put him at ease, and he wondered why he didn't just give in and come to see her sooner. Still, he knew the dependency he was developing on her was a bad thing.

"Thanks," Blake said, looking somewhat sheepish, "for the food, I mean." He felt a little foolish for the way he had acted earlier since Jane was being so nice to him.