The Story So Far

21. Downpour Bushfire

I pushed the glass double door of the library, walking towards to Brittaney who was sitting cross legged on the couch, her nose buried in a book.

"Hey," I jumped down on to sit next to her, the couch wobbling under my weight a little, "where's Aims?"

She pointed over the opposit side of the library, her eyes still trained on her book. Amy was perched on Cameron's lap, her arms around his neck and his arms frim around her waist. Their lips were bashed against each other, as if their lives depended on it. The other clinging on the other like it was their last time they will ever get to hold each other.

I looked away from the couple, staring at the book splayed across the table infront of Brittaney. I picked out Catcher in the Rye and started flipping through the pages. Today was just the day after our little detour around the lake. Everybody bid their goodbyes and headed back home once we decided that we should all attend school the next day. Yes, originally, we weren't supposed to be going but I thought, My mom is so going to kill me when I don't show up at school. So here I am, in the school library with Brittaney and Amy eating away Cameron's handsome face.

"Wow," Brittaney exclaimed, her nose finally out of the book's leaves, "that is one shiny thing." She picked my hand from the back of the book, examining the silver band, "since when is this?"

"When we returned from our shopping trip yesterday," I answered.

She eyed the material, envy etched into her eyes, "So you're engaged?"

"Who?" Brittaney and I looked up as the sing song voice errupted in the air. 

"I see you have finally stopped eating away at Cameron's face," Brittaney all but smirked.

Amy sat down on the couch opposite us, a blush on her cheeks, "So who's engaged?"

I took my hands away from Brittaney, "No one."

Amy got out of her seat, hurridly crossing over to us and sitting on the coffee table, "Is that a ring?!"

The librarian gave us warning looks, her lips pressed into a thin line. She placed her index finger on her lips before jerking her thumb to the glass doors which meant Shut up or get the hell out.

I slapped Amy's thighs, "Keep you voice down."

"You're getting married?" Amy looked me up and down, "but you're so young."

"I'm not," I oggled at the band around my ring finger, "it's just...a little promise ring."

Brittaney cocked her head to the side, "Promise ring, huh."

We pushed the door to the cafeteria, grabbing our food from the counter and sitting down at our usual place.

"You haven't told us what was going on in your house when you got home," Amy said, taking a sip of her smoothie.

I stiffened, dropping the fork on the plate.

Brittaney nodded, swallowing her food, "You weren't answering our calls," she looked at me, "what happened?"

I searched for the answers in the ceiling, taking a deep breath before facing them, "My dad came home drunk again."

Their faces fell, their expressions turned from inquisitive to sympathetic. "Did he do anything to you again, Allie?"

I shook my head, "He didn't do anything to me or to Lincent. He just came home stinking of alcohol and he started shouting at Mom." 

"He didn't take Lincent with him, did he?" Brittaney whispered, her arms pulling me to her chest.