16. silent library

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Tuesday October 7th

"What are you thinking about?"

It's Cade's question that brings me out of my trance. "Hmm?"

A chuckle escapes his lips and he relaxes, resting his arms on the table between us, folding his hands. "You've been staring at the space next to my head for about three minutes now, and it's really starting to freak me out."

And he was right. My eyes had been burning into the old red booth that he was sitting on. We were supposed to be drying and stacking dishes, but the task was done and no customers had come in.

"Just thinking." I shrugged, blowing off the fact that I was in fact thinking about him.

Well not about him, but about the whole Leah situation. The only two people who knew everything that was said in the conversation are me and Leah. And considering I haven't told Cade anything about it, and I highly doubt that Leah has, he doesn't know about what was said. But he obviously knew something was up with it. Maybe it was the fact that everyone soon found out that Leah and I talked, and that caused everyone to shut up about anything having to do with Cesse, but everyone was just acting weird.

Colin, who usually blabbers on about Cade while adding in his hopes for my future relationship with him, hadn't said his name once since. Neither has Shan, or Harper, or Brax. Literally no one.

Even in Practical Law, Mr. Dixon didn't call on anyone from our side of the classroom, let alone look at our table. The football players mouths were shut, and Ryan didn't make eye contact.

"Could that thinking happen to be about your conversation with Leah?" Maybe she had told him.

"What?"

He leaned over the table, putting his weight on his arms. "Well Leah didn't even tell me you guys talked, I heard from Nate. And you haven't said anything. Not to mention how everyone is acting." He paused, meeting my eyes. "So what's going on?"

This probably shouldn't be what I'm thinking about. But I just can't help but notice that he calls Leah Leah. The first time I met the bubbly girl she always told everyone to call her Lee. She said that Leah was too formal sounding and angsty middle school Leah thought that Lee sounded much cooler.

It had stuck since then. Everyone used the nickname. Well except myself and my group of friends, but that was our own little way of insulting her. But Cade wasn't using it.

"Yeah I talked to her, but if she wants to tell you about it she will, it's really not my place to say anything."

He was not having that. At all. "You were part of the conversation.... so doesn't that make it your place?"

His eyes were pleading. "Why don't you call her Lee?"

That wasn't supposed to be said. And he could probably tell by the way my eyes widened a little. But after all, I was really just learning more about the relationship that Leah felt like was slipping from her grasp.

"Wha-what do you mean?"

Now it was my turn to be cocky, and lean over the table.

"What I mean is, Leah has been called Lee for at least four years. It's just weird that you don't called her that too."

He broke eye contact. It wasn't a big deal, but somehow the action told me that his walls were going up.

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