The Quadrants

Chapter 10

Rohan was woken mid-morning the next day, to the sound of tapping at his window. The room was already hot and Rohan flung back the sheet covering him with his foot. He sat on the edge of the bed in his underwear and leaned forwards rubbing his eyes and yawning. It had taken him a long time to find sleep the night before, with all he had learned at the Blackwell house swarming in his head.

The tapping started again. Rohan got to his feet and walked around the bed to the window. He pulled back the curtains and saw Eve standing there. She smiled up at him and he smiled back. At least she wouldn't be here to tell him preposterous stories and try to convince him that he was being hunted by a secret cult of magicians. Even if he was adopted, Rohan thought it was ridiculous to jump immediately to the conclusion that he was the demidium everyone was after, the Ashgroves' kid.

After unlocking the window, he pulled it up for her to climb in. They had been doing this since they were six-years-old—Eve never used the door. Rohan went across to his chest of drawers. He pulled one out, fished around in it for a pair of shorts and began putting them on while he watched Eve lower her feet to the ground.

"Hi," she said, straightening up. "Wow, still working out I see." Eve raised her eyebrows as she stared at Rohan's excessively well-defined abdomen.

He did up the button of his shorts and pulled up the zip. "Yeah," he said dismissively, then slid open another draw to find a t-shirt. After putting it on—it was tight across his chest, at least two sizes too small—Rohan lay back down on the bed and Eve took up a place at the other end of it.

"How great is this?" Eve said, grinning. "First day of summer vacation, with all those weeks ahead of us, sun, swimming, freedom..."

"Yeah, I know."

"Plus, you're rid of the meathead, finally."

Rohan hesitated before replying. "He's not that bad, Eve," he said, looking away.

"Not that bad? Are we talking about the same person here? The one who's been using you as a punching bag for months? The one who beat you up only two weeks ago?" She waited for him to respond.

Another tapping came from the window just then and Rohan and Eve both turned to see what it was. Titus's head popped in through the gap, his black hair flopping across his face. Without being invited, he began climbing in and awkwardly manoeuvred his gigantic torso and massive legs through the narrow space. He stood to his full height beside the bed, looking down at Eve.

"What are you doing here, Lawson?" he said smirking at her, running his fingers through his hair to push it out of his eyes.

"I could ask you the same question," she snapped.

"Come to make out with your boyfriend?"

"No... did you come to make out with your boyfriend?"

"Hey!" said Rohan. "Stop it! I'm no one's boyfriend. I really don't need this right now, so if you two can't control yourselves, you can both leave. There's the window." He stuck out his arm, pointing to it.

Eve tucked a stray piece of white hair behind her ear as she glared up at Titus for a few moments. Abruptly, he turned his eyes away and moved across to sit on the edge of the bed, making sure to face his back towards her.

"Julius wants you to tell your parents you're coming away on a camping trip with me and my family," said Titus all at once. Rohan looked at him quizzically. This wasn't what he had expected him to say.

"Remember?" Titus said, indicating with his eyes for Rohan to go along with it. "I'll tell you the details later."

"What camping trip?" Eve spoke up, frowning at Rohan. "You never told me you were going on any camping trip—with him."

"Yeah... w-we've been um, planning it... for a while," Rohan stuttered.

It was embarrassingly obvious that he was lying.

"Come on, we shouldn't take too long," said Titus. "We need to organise some stuff before we go. You know... tent poles, and camping chairs, and all that shit. The others are getting ready now. Get your stuff."

Rohan frowned. He wondered why the discovery of one man spying on them had turned into such a drama, and he thought leaving town because of it was a little excessive. If they thought he was actually going to go with them, they had another thing coming, but for now he would play along.

Rohan slowly rose from the bed, sighing. He crossed the room but paused at the door before going out. "So, ah, how long are we going for, again?" he asked turning back to Titus.

"Three weeks."

"Three weeks!" Rohan said, neglecting to hide his surprise. He definitely wasn't going if it was for three weeks.

"Yeah. At least. Maybe four."

"Where are you going camping for four weeks?" said Eve, almost choking on the words. "Geeze, you guys must really love camping. Surely a few days is enough. Four weeks is ridiculous...and... Rohan doesn't even like camping, or didn't you..."

"Shut it, Lawson! This doesn't involve you," growled Titus, turning on her.

"Excuse me!" she said, sitting up and putting her hands on her hips. "I was here first. You can't just come in here and insult me." She turned to her friend. "Rohan?" She was obviously expecting him to defend her, but he just stared back, helplessly, saying nothing. There was no way he could even begin to explain.

Eve turned her eyes back to Titus. "Why would you think he wants to go anywhere with you, anyway?" Eve continued, getting more worked up. "Why don't you take one of your idiot-friends with you instead, and just leave us alone. Rohan just feels sorry for you, that's all, and he's too nice, or scared, to say no. And as for..."

"Eve... Eve! It's ok," interjected Rohan finally. "It's fine. I know what I'm doing, trust me. I can't explain it to you right now, but, I think it's a good idea if you went home."

Eve remained sitting there, looking taken aback. Titus gazed at her and smirked—she looked like she wanted to slap him in the face. Eve stood up slowly from the bed, indignantly, and walked around to the window, but before climbing out, she turned to address Rohan, carefully avoiding looking at Titus.

"So... I'll see you when you come back then, will I?" she asked quietly. "If you come back, and if you're allowed to see me."

"Of course I will..." Rohan didn't know what else to say. He felt bad, for the hundredth time that month.

"Bye, then," she said, looking dejected, before turning away.

"Wait," called Rohan. He went across the room and bent to hug her. He could feel her small body tense in his arms, but after a few moments she began to relax. She sighed. "I'm sorry, Eve," he whispered into her ear.

"Oh, come on... get a room," said Titus, grinning, as he lay sprawled out across Rohan's bed.

The pair broke apart and Eve glared at the big lug, clenching her teeth, clearly restraining herself from being provoked into another argument. Then, without another word, she turned in a huff and climbed out of the window.