Ignite

Chapter 10

That afternoon, I walk home after detention with Aleisha. She has a lesson with Aunt Sylvia at 4 and Jake is still ignoring me, so I appreciate the company.

"How's Ave Maria going?" I ask. "Sylvia told us you were having trouble hitting the high F."

Aleisha shrugs.

"It's going alright. I can reach E now. So, I'm close. If anyone's going to get me there, it'll be Sylvia."

I scoff, because I know exactly what Aleisha means.

Sylvia is the kind of person who could convince a fish they'd survive being dropped into the middle of a desert. If she believes something is possible, it's hard not to believe it too, even when no one else does.

"Do you sing?" Aleisha asks.

"No. Absolutely not."

Aleisha smiles. "That's a shame. Your aunt has such a beautiful voice."

That could be because she's not actually my aunt.

For a moment, I'm tempted to say it aloud. To tell someone here the truth. But I keep my mouth shut.

If I blabbed, Muhammad would find out. And if Muhammad finds out, Jake and I will have to move again.

So instead, I stay quiet, and Aleisha and I talk about banal, simple things the rest of the way home.

When we get there, Aleisha lets me listen to her lesson for half an hour before Sylvia scolds me for being lazy and I'm forced upstairs to do homework.

I end up hovering outside my room for a couple of minutes before I decide it's time to try talking to Jake again.

I knock on his door and when I hear a grunt in response, I creak it open, poking my head in.

"Hey, Jake, how was—"

I stop short when I realise Jake isn't the only person in the room. Instead, there's someone else clad in the Randwick Boys' uniform sitting beside him. They both have Xbox controllers in hand and as Jake pauses Mario Super Smash Bros and they turn to look at me, I nearly fall over.

Because the person sitting next to Jake is none other than Lewis fricken Kozak.

For a moment, I just stare as they shoot me identical looks of innocent curiosity. Both their faces are painted with bruises and violence, and I'm wondering whether the hits they've taken to the head resulted in some serious memory loss.

"What do you want?" Jake asks.

"I..."

I'm still trying to decide whether I've started hallucinating when Jake frowns and I realise I must look like a complete idiot. I blink at them, just to confirm Lewis is really there.

"Nothing. Never mind. We'll talk later."

Jake is still frowning as I retreat and close the door behind me.

It's only when I hear murmuring and Mario Smash Bros starting up again that I force myself to move.

I walk downstairs and put the kettle on, listening to Aleisha's voice and trying to ignore the storm in my mind.

What was Jake doing with Lewis Kozak? Why would he even consider bringing him to our house? Why would Lewis Kozak even want to come to our house?

My thoughts are still whirling when I hear feet on the stairs and Lewis appears in the kitchen.

I freeze, immediately self-conscious of the way I'm biting my nails, the way I've tied my hair up into a deformed bun and the way a rogue splash of tomato sauce from lunch is splattered across my shirt.

"Are you making tea?" Lewis asks.

I stare at him, and then I push away from the counter.

"Yeah."

"Can I have some?"

I glance at the kettle, hoping I'd only put enough water in for one cup so I could have the satisfaction of saying no to him, but sadly, there's a litre in there.

"Yeah, okay," I say, and I grab another mug from the cupboard and put it on the counter next to mine.

Lewis gives me an uncertain smile, and then he pulls out one of the dining chairs and sits down.

"I can bring it up to you," I offer, praying that he'll leave.

"Don't worry. I don't mind waiting."

I almost want to scream at him then, because I'm certain he's trying to run me out of the kitchen. But this is my house, and if anyone should feel uncomfortable, it's him. Not me.

So, instead of squirming away, I study him. He looks oddly proportioned here: way too big and way too content, like this house isn't occupied by two people who've punched him recently.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

My question derails my plan to remain cool, calm and collected, but the kettle is taking too long to boil, and I find myself wanting to rattle him.

"I felt bad about what happened with your brother," he says, "so I talked to him during detention. He's a cool guy."

"And you just invited yourself over?"

"No, he did."

My eyes narrow, but the kettle dings and I turn and pour the water into the cups.

"Well, from what I recall we made a promise that you'd stay away from him," I say. "And coming to our house after school isn't very—"

I cut off when I turn, hand reaching out to give Lewis his mug, only to find him standing right behind me.

I jerk back in surprise, slopping some tea onto the counter, and he smiles at me, taking the cup from my hand.

"Thanks for the tea, Claudia," he says, and turns and makes his way back up the stairs.

I stand there as Jake's bedroom door opens and closes once again, and the hum of their voices starts back up, soft and insignificant against the drone of the cars outside and the trill of Aleisha's voice from the front room.

Before anyone else can surprise me, I jump up the stairs, two at a time, and lock myself in my room, settling down to my homework with a dedication that I never have before.

...

Jake and Lewis have become friends? Whatt? 

Did anyone else see that coming? Do you think Claude is happy about this development?

Next chapter will be coming out next Monday :)

- Skylar xx