ARCANE

009

Jamie is huffing when he slams his body down on the table across from Cara. He waits for her to flick her long brown eyelashes up, waits for her to recognize the panic draining the warmth from his cheeks, waits for her to take one of his shaking hands and squeeze it. God, Jamie isn't used to approaching pretty girls, let alone with crazy ideas.

"Cara," he finally huffs out, the softness of her name leaving his face warm. Geez, he wishes that there was anyone in his league.

"Hmm," she mumbles, her fingers delicately tracing the corner of her notebook. Though she responds, she doesn't really hear Jamie. Her eyes and ears and everything are dedicated to the words in front of her.

Jamie's face falters, the twitch of a smile dissipating across his face. Gathering courage, he puts a hand over her page.

Her long eyelashes blink repeatedly before she finally looks up at him. She leans backwards, staring him down. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"You told me you went to Barnaby, and I just figured you would be in the library," he bites his bottom lip, choosing not to reveal that first, he walked by every coffee shop in town searching for her, dipping out in the middle of his shift. Nor that he gave up, went to bed, and began his search all over again. "You know, you seemed pretty studious and you mentioned you were in medical sciences, so I just figured if there was anywhere that I would find you, it was a library. And something crazy happened."

Cara shakes her head back and forth, finally finding the strength to close her textbook. She wishes that she had not heeded her Baba's advice – doing something adventurous and exciting was perhaps the worst decisions she's made ever. However, she hopes Jamie is okay.

"I know they found Thea," Cara tells him. "It'll be okay."

Jamie leans back in his chair, the jitters in his body simmering into a heavy fog. Cara's face is straight, and her eyes are like an abyss he is lost in. "What do you mean, found?"

Cara reaches across the table and takes his hand. Even though she imagines the two are about the same age, he reminds her of her younger brother. He is so soft and so scared. His skin is smooth, abrasion-free. At least none of the bruises from the other night are left, she assures herself. At least whatever hurts is internal.

Cara reminds herself that people die from internal bleeding all the time. Hurt isn't always observable or measurable, and there are things that, despite her best efforts, she will never understand.

"I don't know," Cara tells him, choosing not to bring up the police. She will let Jamie have his grief. "I don't know if she is alive or not, but she isn't able to answer their questions."

Now, Jamie decides, is not the time to try and convince Cara that his body has magically healed himself. His whole body aches for a girl he never knew. He pulls himself away from the table. Cara tries to hold his hand tighter, but Jamie slips away.

Though it makes her heart grow heavy, Cara decides that his departure is for the best. While she is under police scrutiny, she can't be the helpful friend.

~~~

Unfortunately, Wesley's new skateboard is a piece of shit. That's putting it lightly, actually. This plank of wood can barely be called a skateboard. The wheels are too soft, and Wesley has to keep pushing away from the ground to get any speed. Normally, he can zip over to the skate park in minutes. Now it is a challenge.