Some Things You Can't Control

10: That's Rich, Coming From You

Chapter 10

That's Rich, Coming From You

- EDEN GARCIA -

The following day, Lewis picks me up for school, later than I usually would have left. I don't mind, though; my heart is beating like crazy. The fact that he's pulling up along my front curb entirely overshadows everything else.

Because he actually cares.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," he says as I slide into the passengers seat and he begins to drive off again without a second to spare.

"It's cool, don't worry about it," I assure him.

"My mum made me help her find her car keys," he elaborates, "so I was running around the house like a lunatic so I wouldn't be late, until she realised her keys were in her fucking pocket."

This makes me laugh. "You're mum is great."

"That's one side to the story," he mumbles, running a hand through his hair. Lewis releases a sigh, before glancing over at me with a smile. "How are you?"

"Tired," I admit, "shouldn't have stayed up watching The Walking Dead last night. You?"

He smirks at my troubles before replying, "Yeah, I'm pretty stuffed as well- had to pick Camden up from his friend's house around midnight. He's such a little shit, honestly."

"Camden's a good kid," I defend Lewis' younger brother, "... he's just not a very well-behaved one."

"Yeah, you can say that again."

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I don't see Lewis again until fourth period French. He takes a seat next to me as usual, a smile on his face.

"Hey."

"Hey," I respond.

Lewis begins getting his stuff out of his bag, whilst I try my best not to fidget too much. As soon as this class ends, it'll be lunch.

And lunch means giving our friends the impression that something is actually going down between us.

I am so nervous, and I don't even know why. I guess its still so foreign to think that Lewis and I are where we are now- he's always just been one of my best friends, always around, always supportive.

If there's anything different in the way we're acting, our friends don't notice. They chat away at the desks to our right; a stark contrast to Lewis and myself.

During the car ride this morning I had felt so at-ease in his presence, and I can't help marvelling at how different things feel now, with the knowledge of what is to come at lunch. I'm as excited as I am nervous, leaving me unable to distinguish between the two conflicting emotions.

Lewis and I remain in silence. A silence that seems to grow heavier and heavier by the minute. What am I supposed to say to him? I rack my mind, but come up empty. We already know everything about each other, and its not like something noteworthy has happened in my life since I last spoke to him.

There is literally nothing to say.

The silence between us reaches the point where it begins to feel awkward; a concept that's foreign in itself. Things are never awkward between Lewis and myself.

Its just beginning to reach the point of becoming extremely uncomfortable when, thankfully, Drew speaks up from the desk across the aisle to mine.

"We're thinking of chucking a bonfire down at the lake spot sometime in the next couple weeks or whatever. What'd you guys reckon?"

"I'm in," I say without hesitation. "As long as its on the island."