Unveiling Love

Chapter Three

Ten minutes later, I pulled up to the library and saw a girl, much shorter than myself, with large, black-rimmed glasses and curly hair that bordered on frizzy. My best friend's blue eyes narrowed when I ran up the steps to where she was sitting. I almost gagged when I saw her tomato and mayonnaise sandwich.

"Gosh, Mais. That hurling feeling I get every time you eat that isn't going to be something I miss."

She glanced down at her sandwich and pushed her glasses up her nose. "It's delicious. Spike says he might eat one tomorrow."

"Spike has been saying he was going to try your nasty sandwich since the day you met him. It's the very reason he started up a conversation with you." I laughed, remembering the day we were sitting in Graham's shop. Maisie had her hair in two messy buns on top of her head, and she was eating her concoction. Spike, as he's know to all of humanity, cringed so hard I snorted when I laughed.

"What kind of sick junk is that, sweetheart?" He'd asked, and Maisie blushed so hard that I thought she had stopped breathing.

"He means it this time. He promised." She smiled.

"That I did." Came a voice from behind me. I turned to see a 6'5", tattooed man with dyed, jet black hair that hung past his shoulders. He pushed his hair behind his ears, revealing not only the largest gages I'd witnessed in person but the tattoos he had on his neck and ears. The permanent scowl etched on his face was in a constant battle with a smile whenever he was around his girlfriend.

"Hey, Spikey," I said. He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" He asked, voice dropping an octave and sending chills down my spine. I may know him, but that voice could probably even scare the worst villain.

"Fletcher," Maisie used his real name, pulling his attention away from me. "Don't be mean to my friend."

"Yeah, Fletch." I laughed.

Maisie sighed. "You guys are so annoying."

"How am I annoying?" he asked, clearly exasperated. "I came to see you on your lunch because I love you. I didn't know I'd have to see her." He pointed in my direction, and I covered my heart with both my hands, plastering a massive grin on my face.

"Awe, Spikey, are you going to miss me?" I asked.

He narrowed his eyes, but I saw the small twitch in his lips. "Not at all." He said with no real conviction.

My shoulders sagged as it sunk in that I was leaving them. I moved to hug Mais and took a deep breath before I stepped away to look at Spike.

"I have to do it," I said, giving him a warning.

"I will kill you." He stiffened when he saw my smile and turned to run away, but I was already throwing myself at him. I wrapped my arms around him, caging his arms to his side, and I squeezed.

"I'm going to miss you, bro," I said. He hated hugs. Oh my goodness, he hated hugs. I'd only ever seen him hug Maisie twice, and it was on his terms when he wanted to hug her.

He'd stopped trying to get away and stood still, letting me hold on to him until I finished. I stepped back before he got too uncomfortable, though. He looked at me and smiled before ruffling my hair.

"See ya later, kid." He said. He walked over to Maisie and sat down beside her, cringing when he watched her take the last bite of her sandwich.

Without another word, I turned and walked to my car. I was refusing to say goodbye to them.

I pushed my key into the ignition and cranked a mix CD my brother-in-law, Talon, made for my drive. I slid my sunglasses on and cracked open a can of soda before pulling out into traffic.

I was ready.