Last Stop

Chapter nine

I arrive at school the next day exhausted as is most of the student body. The teaches seem to also be recovering from the day and let us use most lessons to study for the up coming tests and projects. I plug my earphones in and disappear for hours till lunch comes around and I approach my usual table. Everyone is there except Spencer and somehow I know where to find him. Most probably because I over heard him telling Jessica that he will be there. I spin around before anyone from our table spots me and head down the corridor. Walking through the double doors of the library I smile at the librarian. Mrs Hodge is always so friendly and willing to help whenever I need assistance with catching up on readings etc. 

I find him at the back of the library, surrounded by a whole lot of books on buildings. His eyebrows are furrowed as he runs his fingers over the building from all around history. He glances up as my shadow falls on him. I am surprised by his reaction. When he doesn't frown or scowl instead he looks like his eyes are about to fill up with tears. I lower myself down and pass over the bag of nuts I brought from home. I do not know why I seek him out, a mystery to solve another time. 

"Thanks." He mutters and I say nothing, opening a book that is lying next to me. It is all about ancient buildings in South America and I look upon it with interest.

"That is Santa Maria de lereto, Iglesia de Achao. The -"

"-Church of Achao," I say running my hands over the pictures "Did you know that no nails-"

"-were used." Spencer smiles despite his dislike for me or whatever sadness seems to have been plaguing him recently. "Yeah, an amazing piece of architecture." I nod continuing to shift through the book, letting him tell me interesting facts about each page that catches my eye. I grin at him when he gets the name of something wrong and he rolls his eyes, lifting his hands up in surrender. I laugh, a laugh that seems to shock both of us. I do not laugh, ever. 

Glancing down I turn the page. "Have you seen Audrey?" He asks and I glance up at him, only to see him looking down with red cheeks."

"No, I think she  decided to stay home today." I say and he nods "Why?" He shrugs and says he was just wondering but I know he has other motives. I was not born yesterday.

"Anna told me you went home early." I tell him even through Anna told me no such thing, I just want to see his reaction.

"Yeah," His eyes are downcast as his cheeks are red "I was tired." I nod, letting him have his lie he is  obviously not ready to talk about it. "So did you like any of the girls Anna introduced you to yesterday?" He asks and I shrug, picking up another book and opening it on a random page. The Taj mahala greets me. 

"They were ala pretty nice." I say reading a little bit about the building even though I know it all.

"You know winter formal is coming up soon and everyone is buzzing with who you will take." I shrug at his statement wondering what his point is. 

"I probably won't go." I say, knowing that the minute Anna hears about this she will be on my case. 

"But you could take Audrey." I raise my eyebrows at his insistence and he shrugs, trying to brush it off as mere excitement on the topic of a dance. I am not fooled.

"Audrey can do so much better than me." Is all I say but that doesn't seem to satisfy him and he frowns.

"What if she wants you." I sigh closing the book and pushing it to the side, fixing him with a glare "Then she will have to get over it."

He frowns but then bits out in a tone that resembles resentment "You were right, she deserves someone better." I choose not to rise to the bait and instead ask him the question of who he will be taking and he shrugs saying he will most probably take his girlfriend. To which I raise my eyebrows. Finding out then that he is dating someone in our grade. Her name is Savanah. I raise my eyes again at the fact that I have never heard about her before. He shrugs it off and I try ignore the slight pain at the idea of him having a girlfriend. It doesn't sit well with me.

"Are you working this evening?" He asks and I nod to which he turns back to his books until the bell rings and he stands up. Not saying anything as I follow him out the library. 

"Cameron!" I spin around, my shoulder bumping into Spencer's and he pauses as we spot  Anna heading towards us, I grin as they walk with us to class. Talking about the upcoming dance and I do not fail to notice the subtle looks I get from all people in the group. Another reason I will not be going.

I arrive at work early like usual and start heading for the barn where my last project is still left half done. I waste no time getting stuck in the task, not noticing when someone comes up behind me and I curse when he speaks. 

"You are coming along well." I spin around falling flat on my arse from my crouched position, David is standing there chuckling at the fact that he managed to give me a scare. I get on pretty well with Speck's brothers in the past few weeks, much to Spencer's dismay. David is by far the nicest, with huge blue eyes and spiky blonde hair. He is a cheesy goofball. The other two brothers are twins, Adam and Aaron. They are mostly fun to be around but are majorly protective of Spencer and seem to watch me with narrowed eyes whenever I am around at the same time as Spencer. When he isn't around they are cool.

"Thanks." I say rolling my eyes as I place the paintbrush down in the tray. Standing up to shake his hand.

"So I came to ask if you know what got Specks Panties in a knot?" I raise my eyebrows at the boy who shrugs "Hey ever since you have arrived he is a moody little shit, besides he doesn't even write in his diary anymore. How else am I supposed to know what he is feeling?"

I narrow my eyes at him "Ask him."

"Nah, he would just lie," He says with another eye roll "Besides I thought you would know because apparently you spent lunch break with him this afternoon, Anna told me." He says with a shrug and I smirk. He really goes to extra lengths for Spencer. 

"Maybe you should ask his girlfriend?" I ask leaning down to pick up the brush, I am mostly done the sides of the barn by now. "He seemed pissed about that topic, something about the dance."

I catch David's frown from my peripheral vision as he scratches his head. 

"Girlfriend? Speck doesn't have a girlfriend." I raise my eyebrows forgetting the painting as I turn to him, now also confused. Why would he lie to me about that?

"He told me he does." I say confusion evident in my voice despite the relief I feel cursing through my body. "Savanah or something." David's eyes light up and he runs out the barn with a grin. Leaving me confused but apparently that is the feelings the Rue men seem to give out. So I continue with my job, trying to forget the fact that Spencer lied to me and  then accuses me of shit I didn't do.