Change in Heart

Chapter 17- Understanding

Chapter 17

Will

As I became conscious I felt the thumping in my head. That would be the alcohol I'd drunk last night. I rolled over to see if Libby was in her bed. I was surprised to see it empty and made. It looked untouched. I threw my head back onto the pillow and shut my eyes. 

I heard a knock on the door and called to let themselves in.  

It was Alex.

"Hey man." I said getting up and punching his shoulder. "Have you seen Libby?"

"Do you remember anything from last night?" I stared at him blankly and he tried again. "Do you remember anything you said to Libby?"

"Oh no. Was it bad?" I was embarrassed that I had gotten so drunk I couldn't remember.

"Yep." Alex said, popping the 'p'.

"Well tell me then!" I said impatiently, sitting back onto the bed.

"Well... you called her a slut, a slapper, a bitch, went on about a letter she wrote you, a guy called George, you slapped her and forced yourself on her."

I didn't know what to say. Had I actually done that? To Libby? She was going to hate me... 

Alex left the room and I followed shortly after, into my parents room. I stood in the doorway watching her stare absentmindedly at the ceiling. I cleared my throat making her look in my direction.

"I'm so sorry Libby."

She shrugged.

"I can't be live I called you all of those things. I didn't mean it I swear. I would never have done any of that if I knew what I was doing.

"I know," she nodded.

"Its just..."

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"The letter."

She sighed.

"So its true then?" I asked her.

"Its complicated." was all she said.

"Don't you think I need to know?" I prompted her.

"I wrote that letter the night of our first date. I didn't want to lead you on anymore. I had it in my pocket that week at school but I couldn't give it to you because I knew I had feelings for you..." she explained. I smiled at her.

"So it wasn't from anytime recently?"

"No. I told you I loved you and I meant it!" Libby cried.

"Good." I grinned and kissed her cheek.

"Please forgive me Libby for being such an idiot, I'm beyond sorry." Our eyes interlocked and she she I wasn't lying.

"OK, I forgive you."

I climbed into the empty space next to her and hugged her tightly.

"Glad to see you two have made up." Alex interrupted.

"Yeah." Will said.

"I'll just shut the door then..." Alex said laughing.

I pulled Libby closer to me. She was freezing! I held her hand to try to warm them up and watched her shiver under the duvet.

"Looking forward to school tomorrow?" I asked when her teeth had finally stopped chattering.

"Kind of." she shrugged.

"You've always been a strange one haven't you." I nudged her lightly smirking. "Did you fall on your head when you were a baby?"  

she hit my head as we burst into fits of laughter. I squeezed her waist and locked her in my arms not letting her move. She screamed and even louder when I finally found her pressure point. Squirming in my arms like a child as she begged for mercy exhausted from shouting. When she finally relaxed we lay on our backs for hours, simply staring into each others eyes.

"Hurry up Libby, were going to be late!" I shouted, knocking on the bathroom door.

"Nearly done!" Libby responded.

Shortly afterwards, the door was opened and Libby departed carrying her dirty washing and make up bag. Flicking her hair behind her shoulder, she tossed her washing in the laundry and picked up her school bag, slipping on her ballet pumps.

I gripped her hand and pulled her down the stairs at full speed. We flew out the front door, slamming it behind us and ran down the road giggling like children and dodging random pedestrians.

When we finally flew through the doors, pink faced from running. We both sighed dumping our bags in our lockers and grabbing everything we needed for our first lesson.  

we sat in our usual seats in registration by the window. I watched intently as Libby stared absentmindedly through the glass, like she usually did. When she saw me studying her, she immediately looked away as if she was ashamed.  

I squeezed her hand under the desk.

"I don't expect you to just forget about him. Nobody would." I reassured her.

"But..." she stuttered.

"I know you better than you think babe." I smiled through my teeth.

Libby bowed her head searching for something to say. "I don't love him anymore. I just miss him, he was a good friend."

I nodded. "I understand."

"Thanks. I just don't want you thinking I don't love you, because I do. More than anything."

"You know I love you too."

Once registration had been done we walked in silence to our next lesson. Everybody in our class had already taken their seats in the art room, leaving us two seats right at the front. We had several head turns but I ignored them...as usual.  

Libby immediately got to work on her project, tilting her head in every angle making sure everything was perfect. She held the paintbrush with her teeth studying the work in front of her, making me laugh. Libby hit my arm and rolled her eyes, immediately removing it. 

Fleur strutted over to our table, both eyes on me.

"Hey!" she said, being much to friendly for my liking.  

She carried on flirting whilst I continued to give nothing back. Libby's eyes darted to mine for the fifth time, I wasn't the only one who'd had enough. Libby loudly pushed back her chair and stood up sharply. She placed her paintbrush in the water pot and put her hands on her hips. 

Fleur snorted loudly in amusement, receiving two glowers from Libby and I.

"Look Fleur," she spat sourly. "He's NOT Interested in any girl who wears her skirt up her arse and has her boobs hanging out of her shirt. I know your jealous that I've got him and you never will, but he's mine. understand? So back off else I might break one of your nails or something. I know that would be mortifying for you."  

I Smiled, extremely proud of Libby's speech. Fleur shuffled away in silence, with nothing to say back like she usually did. I hugged Libby's waist from behind and whispered into her ear, "that's my girl."

"Well.." She smiled, batting her eye lashes and flicking her hair.

I laughed and she joined in. "The funny thing is any normal person doing that would look ridiculous but somehow ... you seem to pull it off!"

She laughed even louder this time attending back to her painting that looked like a piece of Monet compared to my shameful work.