Imagine Us

Chapter 13: Where's The Grim Reaper?

Four forty-five PM.

I sat on the couch with a blanket over me. I was reading Pride and Prejudice for the billionth time. It was so invigorating to turn and feel the pages. I've missed it so much, especially this book.

"Not once have you looked up in the past twenty minutes." I was so startled that I let out a little scream. I looked up. There, was Caiden, sitting at the dining table, eating lunch. "You're so jumpy." He scoffs.

"How long have you been there?" I asked in annoyance. 

"Twenty minutes."

"Creep." I continued reading.

"Don't recall us having any books around here."

I kept my eyes to the pages. "I found it under some wooden piles in the junk. For your information, I even asked Noah if it belonged to someone and he said no. Why, were you gonna punish me for finding something decent to do with the remainder of my life?"

Through a mouthful of food, he says, "You think we're so predictable, huh?"

"No, just you."

"If you're a good girl and you follow the rules, we'll be...decent to you. Why do you think I'll let you out of your room from ten AM to six PM?"

I looked up. His eyes were fixed on me from across the room.

"Because deep down you fear and pity a dangerously hormonal girl."

"Is that why you threw tantrums?"

"Can you please shhh? I'm trying to read Pride and Prejudice." I was getting annoyed. I just wanted to read this amazing book in peace. I looked back down at my book. "How are you not done eating anyway? It's been twenty minutes."

"How do you know cereal isn't the only thing I've eaten?"

I looked back up at him slowly.

He kept his eyes fixated on mine. He held a deadly stare for a good four seconds. He then suddenly looked down at his food with a subtle smirk on his face.

I sighed deeply and kept reading, mentally shaking my head.

My heart began to pace for some weird reason, some really weird reason. I put my book closer to my face in front of me. I took a quick peak back at Caiden who was already looking at me. I quickly looked back down a my book and didn't dare look back up again. Ugh. Snap out of it, Alexa. He's just trying to be really annoying. Weirdo.

I then hear Caiden get up from his table and wash his dishes. 

I look up slowly and scan the room. He disappeared. I let out a deep, relieving sigh. Thank goodness for that. 

After reading two more pages, I found myself losing concentration. I never lose concentration. Oh, forget it. I mark the page which was already a quarter through the book. I then go to my room to take a nap. I doubt I'll be getting dinner.

***************

A week passed of the same old same old. Sleep, eat, read, repeat. Sometimes I'd get dinner, sometimes I wouldn't. I'd cry myself to seep a few times because of how everything is going in general.

I then wake up to the sound of banging in the bathroom. A loud bang shot me up. I then cautiously walked over to my door, opened it and peeped into the bathroom to see what all the commotion was about.

I stood at the door of the bathroom, sort of peaking.

It was Riley. 

He turns around and smiles at me. "Hey, sorry if I disturbed you or anything. I'm trying to find a toilet plunger."