Impavid

The Kiss

     Luke ended up going home about an hour later. My parents had just called to say they were going to be home in another 20 minutes, which forced Luke and I to decide what to do next. Multiple ideas were thrown out there, including him sleeping on the couch in the basement. We decided against that, however, since my father, occasionally and without warning, worked out down there early some mornings. 

     I watched through the kitchen window as he walked quickly up to the front door. He kept his face down. The door closed really slowly, which I presumed was him attempting to keep it quiet. I'd learned no matter how quiet you tried to shut my front door, it was going to slam closed. It was just weird like that. After a few seconds, the light in what I had learned to be his room was turned on. He appeared in the window, making eye contact as he pulled the drapes closed. I had gone upstairs to read a little before bed about that time. What happened next, I couldn't be sure. 

     Much to my annoyance, Luke went back to ignoring me both at school and around the neighborhood. I had just seen him going inside his house, and I had tried again, raising a hand as I checked the mail. He ignored me, and I swore to myself that I would never help him again. I grunted, although I doubt he could hear as he vanished behind the closing garage door, and I moved back up to my room to get my homework done. I had just finished reading the last few pages of the assigned chapter when my phone vibrated on my bed. I turned in the chair, wheeling it over to my bed. I was annoyed to see Luke's name on my screen.

    I answered with an unhappy hello, only earning two words before I could hear someone shush him in the background:  You're late. I blinked as I heard him disconnect the phone call. Was it already Thursday? I looked back to the clock on the wall above my desk. I felt a ping of guilt. Despite his unfriendliness to me the past few days, I was thankful that he was at least taking tutoring seriously. I felt bad that I had forgotten. 

     When I walked into the library, his books were spread out on a table near the door. I recognized his backpack and the workbook pages we had been assigned. There was no sign of Luke, however. I set my backpack on the floor near the chair I was planning on sitting in. I glanced around the room, assuming he had just gone to the bathroom. As my mind scanned over the doors against the wall, I noticed the bathroom door was open just enough to know that no one was in there. I decided against sitting, and I began wandering down each aisle. 

     Neatly lined and organized books lined each row. I didn't stop to look at any of the books. Instead, I just roamed from aisle to aisle. I approached my fifth aisle. That's when I heard it.

     There was a giggle which was quickly hushed. I narrowed my eyes in confusion. I looked both to my left and right, skipping the sixth aisle and moving straight for the seventh. Luke was standing in front of a brunette with pretty hair who was leaning against a row of books. I couldn't tell if I knew her from my angle: Luke's body obstructed her face.  As he leaned forward to kiss her, a book tumbled over, turning both of their attentions in my direction. I blushed, but clearly I was not as embarrassed as the two of them.

     "Carson," Luke started to speak, but he stopped after saying my name. I moved my eyes from him to Aly. I did know her, and I also knew she had a boyfriend of two or three years, Brent. I had just seen them kissing in the hallway that morning. Obviously, they hadn't broken up. 

     Suddenly the black eye made sense. Brent must have found out he was interested in Aly. 

     "I should go study," Luke said to Aly, although his eyes didn't leave me at first. When she held his face in her hands and pressed her lips on his, I didn't say anything, instead just turning around and moving back toward the table I should have just waited at. Now, I knew too much.

     Luke jogged to catch up to me. "Carson, I can explain," He was talking way too fast. It was almost as though I was his girlfriend who had just caught him cheating. I sat down at the table, holding up my hand. I laughed a little. "It's none of my business," I shook my head, "Now, come on. Let's just work."