In the Shadows

Chapter 16

(Author's Note: If you would wish to listen to Chapter 16 parts 1 and 2 on audio, please click the videos. Thank you and please enjoy!)

  I have to make conversation. This kissing and mushy shit is grossing me out. "What made you decide to move to Boston?" I curiously ask and James glares at me.

  "I needed a change, you know," he informs me with a soft smile.

  I know exactly what he means. I want to get away from here just like him, but he moved to Boston, and with me, I want to move to New York. There are two opposite cities, but we both want the same thing... change.

  The redhead returns with their two ice-cold beers and takes everyone's food order. I order chicken pasta, I think it's called chicken Florentine, and everyone else orders other different kinds of pasta- which I have no clue what they are. I dislike pasta, it's not one of my favorite dishes, but I don't want to be rude and say I want to go somewhere else. If I had a choice, I would have picked a different restaurant, preferably a restaurant that serves a different variety of food, like Golden Corral or even Applebee's; that way everybody can choose what they want to eat. But the only thing they serve here is pasta, so either go with the pasta or nothing at all. I could have ordered the salad, but the redhead told me they're not very filling, and he recommended the chicken pasta, so I went with that.

   I reach for the sugar next to Chris's tea when Chris holds up a packet of sugar between his middle and index finger.

  "Thanks. How did you know that I only like one sugar?" I ask- shock is clear in my voice.

  How did he know?

  "I saw you put one sugar in your coffee, I figured you would like just one sugar in your tea too."

  "You remember?" I whisper when I pour the sugar into my tea.

  "Yeah. It's not a big deal," he shrugs.

    I bring my straw to my lips and sip the tea to hide my smile. I didn't expect him to notice or even remember something like that. It's sweet if you think about it.

   "Well, this is nice-" Camille looks back and forth between Chris and me. "We are having lunch together. Like this is a double date." Camille says as she puts the cup to her lips to hide her evil smirk.

 I spit the tea back into the straw and Chris starts to choke again. Odd, because he was not drinking his tea, might have been him choking on his own saliva.

 "Camille, I told you, we're just friends," I snarl. Camille's lips curl into a smile. Oh no, Camille! Don't do this to me. Don't start with I like him, he likes me, bullshit. Not today, he doesn't like me, so stop looking wide-eyed at me. If she says anything, I will be so embarrassed. Hell, I'm embarrassed now. Oh, why? Oh, why? Do you like to make me feel embarrassed Camille every time around Chris?

  "Oh, that's right, you're just friends... I forgot," she mumbles as she puts her lips to the glass of her beer.

  I know damn well that she did not forget that we are friends. She just wants me to admit that I like Chris, but there is no chance in hell I'm going to tell anyone, especially Chris. So, she might as well drop it. I'm scowling at her to stop-with-this-now-before-I'll-slap-you-across-this-table! We both know I won't actually do it, but I give her a look to stop this nonsense. Eventually, she rolls her eyes and shuts her mouth, for the time being.