Chapter Eight

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My mind was a jumbled mess. I had no idea what to think of this. I knew it was stupid, but my thoughts kept going back to that accursed Key and my dream. I didn't want to be like this, doubting my own sanity. With much effort, I eventually almost forgot about it by the time I got up to my house. But it all came back again, once I reached my room. UGH! I tried to immerse myself in a book, but I couldn't concentrate. I felt awfully grateful when Mom entered my room for our first class of the day.

• • •

After all of our classes had finished, by 4 p.m. I was free again. The doubts had miraculously left my mind by then. I decided to spend my evening with Pam again, before it came crashing back. We could go to our usual hangout place, the library. Yes, we liked to read books, but that wasn't the only reason we went there regularly. It was also the place where Simon went regularly.

I smiled, blushing at the thought. I changed out of my usual hoodie-and-jeans outfit into a bit more impressive one. I put on blue corduroy pants and a deep green t-shirt that said "green screen" in red letters— I don't know, I just liked it. I also pulled on some maroon sneakers that kind of matched.

I left my house to get Pam again. Unsurprisingly, Cal opened the door once more.

"Hello Ma'am, how can I help you?" He said.

"May I see Miss Pamela Clawford, please?" I played along.

"Sure Ma'am. Oh, Miss Pamela!" He jokingly shouted.

"Yes?!" Came Pam's muffled reply from somewhere upstairs.

"Could you manage to come down here please? That would be lovely."

There were a series of footsteps, and soon Pam emerged through the doorway.

"Wanna go to the library?" I asked as my cheeks got a tint of pink.

"Oh, of course!" She said with a sparkle in her eyes.

Cal just looked confused, and a little suspicious. Then an expression of dawning entered his face, and he grimaced with a scowl to mach. Pam laughed, and I stared at her irritatedly. I grabbed her arm and dragged her with me on the way to our destination. I couldn't believe it.

"You told him?!" I asked indignantly as we got farther from her brother's earshot.

"Sorry, but I just had to see the look on his face." She said cheekily.

"You know he likes me! And yet you had to ruin everything." I huffed.

She just giggled. "That's siblings for you."

I rolled my eyes. She protested that she hadn't gotten a chance to get ready, but I was hearing none of it. She deserved it. She had betrayed me! I pulled her along straight ahead— arm-in-arm— for a while until we reached the library.

We entered through the wooden double doors into the huge chamber, filled with rows and rows of bookshelves. Each shelf was piled with books of all genres, for all readers. We went over to our preferred aisle— the mystery section. We took a seat each other in the comfy beanbags placed near the tall windows. We began reading in the early evening sunlight filtered by the dusty, aged, ochre coloured window panes.

We had been reading for about half an hour, when Pam suddenly elbowed me in my arm. I glared at her in protest, but soon followed her gaze to see who had just entered. Simon. I gaped at him for a few seconds before regaining my senses. He saw us, and walked over to say hi.

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