Spider

Spider...Chapter Eight

It was now Thursday, and Cameron had risen early to take yet another morning shower, despite the freezing weather outside.  After she had bathed and dressed herself, she walked downstairs to grab a plum to eat for breakfast.  Cameron tossed the plum up in the air a few times before she took a bite out of it.  Jack came through the door, then, and smiled at Cameron.

"Hey," he recited with much jubilance.

"Yeah," she replied sourly.

"Damn.  Are you mad at me or something?"

"No," she answered, the puckered look still on her face, "this plum is sour."

"Oh," he laughed, and then approached Cameron.  She walked away from him, keeping her bubble un-occupied by anyone else. Her cheeks were tomato red, seeing as she had remembered the encounter they had two nights ago. She climbed the stairs once more, not wanting to keep Jack waiting, seeing as he would probably search the house again.  She snatched up her book bag and paced down the stairs and out of the house, Jack right behind her.  Cameron walked to the passenger seat, realizing that Jack hadn't brought anyone else along with him this morning.

"Where are you little boyfriends at?"  Cameron tested him.  He just chuckled and backed fluidly and quickly out of the driveway.  As he drove, he probed Cameron for information.

"Have you read any of your book?"

"Yes."  Cameron shifted uncomfortably in her seat, not wanting him to bring up the other night, but not knowing whether or not to talk about it.

"Cool.  How is it?" Luckily, he didn’t seem to want to bring it up, either.

"Pretty good, so far."

"How far into it are you?"

"Almost halfway done."

"Good.  You normally read fast?"

"...I guess..."

"Uh-huh...."

"...what the hell is up with you today?"

"Nothing."  He rapidly changed the subject, "How do you feel about parties?"

"...I tend not to go to parties.  They're too--"

"Crowded.  Yeah, I figured you'd say that.  What if the party wasn't crowded, would you go?"

"I don't know...it depends..."

"On what?"

"I don't know!  Why does it matter?"

"Because, Tomorrow is my birthday---and, naturally---I'm having a party tomorrow night.  Wanna come?"

"..I don't know...I don't like parties, and I have a feeling that your party is going to be very crowded---" She felt uneasy at the thought of a Jack party.

"It won't be, I promise.  Just come," he pleaded.

"...why?  Is it really necessary for me to be there?"  He eyed Cameron, but didn't say anything.  The conversation went dead, the two of them not saying a word until they reached the school.  Then the begging came again.

"If I give you a ride to and from my house, and I make sure that there is a minimum capacity, will you come?"

She sighed, "I guess.  What time do I need to be ready?"

"If you want, we can go straight there after school."

"That works, I suppose." Cameron really didn't want to go, but she figured that she would be nice, considering everything he did for her recently.