The Love Box

Chapter 12

Courtney and I entered the library and we sat down in our regular chairs; I looked around the room, and Courtney stared at the floor.

I glanced at her, and then I looked back at the other side; the boys I had played with the day before were in the library running around. They made me think of Kai, and I remembered that I missed him.

No, I couldn’t think of him; I looked back at Courtney. She still stared at the ground; I wanted to know what was wrong with her, so I asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Courtney told me without looking up.

“I know your lying,” I told her.

She looked up at me, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Ok,” I told her, “But if you ever do, I’m here.” Then I watched the other side again; I knew Courtney needed her space for whatever it was.

I watched the boys run around and chase each other, and I remembered the fun I had when I played with them. The other side wasn’t as wondrous as I thought it would’ve been; it was like our side, but the other side contained boys.

I remembered the outfit I wore the day I visited the other side, and how I had left it in the box; the box. A place I once visited as a way to escape everything, but I never wanted to go there again; all it held was bad memories that I didn’t want to remember.

My mind focused on the box until I erased it from my thoughts; I didn’t want to think of the box or Kai. I didn’t want to think of anything except what was happening at the moment.

Sadie and Lizzy skipped into the library and joined us at our chairs; they talked as Courtney stared at the floor and I watched the boys. I was glad no one told me not to look at the other side; there was nothing better to do anyways.

“Let’s play,” Lizzy said as she grabbed the deck of cards and took them out of the box; Courtney was always the one that engaged the game, but Courtney didn’t seem interested at all by the thought of playing a game.

She seemed perfectly content with staring at the floor, but I knew she would play if we asked her to. Sadie passed out seven cards to each of us and said, “Order.”

All of us picked our cards up; even Courtney grabbed hers. I knew she would; she just needed a little nudge.

“I’ll go first,” Lizzy said as she laid a three down on top of the already flipped number two card.

Courtney played a four, and I followed with a five.

Sadie played a six.

Lizzy played a seven, and Courtney played an eight.

I played a nine, and Sadie drew. Then she said, “Skip.”

Lizzy drew and said, “Skip.”

Courtney played a nine; I played a ten.

Sadie played a jack, and Lizzy played a queen; Courtney played a king.

I played an ace.

Sadie played a king, and Lizzy played an ace.

Courtney played a one, and I played a two. Sadie played a three, and Lizzy drew; then she played a four.

Courtney played a five; I played a six, and Sadie played a seven.

Lizzy played a six, and Courtney played a five; she had one card left. I played a six; I too had one card left.

Sadie played a seven; Lizzy played an eight, and Courtney threw a nine to finish the game.