Sealed with a Kiss ✔

Chapter Eighteen | Sealed with a Kiss

Even from sitting all the way across the Sixth Form Common Room I'm able to clearly see the fact Imogen and Oliver are talking about me. They have their heads bent low and are shuffled close together, visibly having a murmured conversation that's full of little glances they send in my direction every five minutes. I'm sitting here with a bunch of textbooks, trying to get some revision done but failing due to their weird behaviour.

Their whispered conversation suddenly comes to an end, with Imogen straightening and abruptly appearing very determined. She then pivots on her heel and begins marching toward me, looking as though there's nothing to stand in her way. I stare at her as she comes striding towards me, not knowing whether to make a run for it or to put my hands up in surrender.

"So," Imogen says as she comes to a stop before me. "Still reading that textbook are we?"

I gawk back at her. "Er, yeah-"

"Ruby," she interrupts me. "All you've been doing lately is revision and looking miserable, and I'm tired of it. I want the old Ruby back, the one that isn't such a stressed out killjoy."

Her statement is the definition of blunt and it takes me a little time to respond to it. Miserable? Killjoy? When have I have been any of those things? Sure, for the past few weeks things have been a little gloomy and a little work-heavy, but I sure hadn't noticed anything that different. Well, not really different.

"I'm the same 'Ruby'," I say, flicking to a new page in my textbook, though at the back of my mind a tiny part of me knows I'm lying. "I'm just studying hard, that's all." I hear Imogen scoff loudly above me as I start reading a passage on France's tourism industry for Geography.

"Please," she says, and from the whoosh of air I feel I can tell she's waving her arms about dramatically. "You're deluded! You need a break and you're getting one today. Oliver and I agreed and there's no question about it."

I finally look up from my work. Imogen now has her hands firmly planted on her lips as she looks defiantly at me with her eyebrows raised and her mouth pursed, putting on such a fierce expression it'd make me crazy to question her.

A defeated sigh escapes my mouth.

She doesn't even know why I've been drowning myself in work. Reading textbooks and focusing on exams is a whole lot easier than other things that've been going on, maddening stuff that I need to forget, or rather- a maddening person.

But now all the work is taking its toll, there's something newly tiring about each day and I can't help but think that a movie with Oliver and Imogen sounds a lot more appealing than sitting at my desk, poring over revision notes.

"Alright," I say, somewhat reluctantly. "We'll do something."

Imogen loses her frightening appearance and squeals, clapping her hands together. "I've got just the thing planned! Be at mine at five, alright?" I barely have time before she rushes off, out of the room.

I narrow my eyes as I stare after her, thinking how that was far too a bubbly response from Imogen.

Oliver saunters over, attempting to look clueless. "So, er, got any plans today Rubes?"

I roll my eyes. "You know I have."

* * *

The first thing I notice about Imogen's house, every time I go there, is the Christmas wreath hung on her front door. It's there all year-round, come rain or shine. Her mum claims she never has the effort to take it down but it's been there for so long it's become part of their home, seeing it is as common as seeing windows. If it were to suddenly disappear, it'd be like someone had taken the doorknob of the door- it just wouldn't work.