Flaws

Chapter 13- Awkward meals and flirtations

Chapter 13-Awkward meals and Flirtations 

Walking into school after the weekend was strange: Lana hadn't spoken to me since the night we went out and Spencer hadn't been round mine since either. When I text him, he hadn't replied for a couple of hours and when he did, the reply was short and unlike himself. His absence caused me no distress, but I was surprised to realise that it didn't go unnoticed.

I didn't expect him to come to my house and collect me, and yet he had.

"Been up to much then?" I asked, faking cheeriness. I wanted to put this weekend behind us, but was having more trouble putting the image of Lana and him together out of my mind than I thought I would.

He shrugged. "Not really. Once you left I had to sneak Lana out of the house through my window. Not exactly ideal" He said casually.

I burst out laughing. "You didn't!" I cried, voice filled with suppressed mirth.

"I can't believe you left me there with her" He moaned.

I shot him a disbelievingly look. "Well you seemed fine when I left you with her Friday night" I quipped.

He pouted. "Fine. Well played" He conceded.

"Was it your Dad that arrived?" I asked quietly, knowing I was pushing it.

"Yeah" He said offhandedly, not giving anything more away.

"You're not worming your way out of telling me by the way" Spencer added, abruptly changing the subject. Something he did, I had noticed, when he was uncomfortable with the current subject.

"I don't really know where to start" I said uncertainly.

"Just begin" He tutted impatiently.

"We haven't got all day you know" He added and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Well I don't remember when it started" I said, feeling worse at having to confess it to him. It sounds pathetic in retrospect. You start to question every decision you made when you have to justify them to someone who matters.

"I don't even know why you want me to tell you: it's pretty obvious anyway" I said uncertainly.

Spencer scowled and gave me a pointed look. I sighed, touching my hair self consciously.

"I grew up with Chris and me and his sister Ali were good friends. He was the nice guy who talked to everyone and I..." I broke off. It hurt me to say it. He must understand that. I watched his face closely before preparing to say the words.

"I worshiped the ground he walked on. Everyone knew, but he was with Lisa even then and he never said anything to me about it, and I never knew for sure if he knew" He nodded for me to go on.

"Lisa hated it because Chris never discouraged me and even though I was clearly no threat to her, she made my life hell just to make sure" I relayed.

"So what changed?" Spencer asked abruptly.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"What happened to make you stop talking to him?" He said.

"I invited him and Ali to my birthday, but he brought Lisa with him as well. She waited until Lana wasn't around and I was carrying the cake in. She tripped me and I got covered in it. She took a photo of me and I was close to crying in front of everyone. Chris just stood there and said nothing" I explained.

"So that was it: I'd had enough of it all. I was sick of liking someone who didn't care, who barely even noticed me. So I stopped talking to him, and to everyone else that reminded me of it, Ali included" I concluded.