Champions

13. Brontë

Julie

As Eric pulled me into a kiss, I did not resist this time. You know why?

Because I did not think about it. I realised that too much thinking could give one stress and all.

But I played hard to get now and then to stop him from accidentally touching my baby bump.

We were stashed away at the back of the library where no soul ever lurked. At least that is what I thought.

"How very protective of you,I feel safe already,"

I tried my best to be very sarcastic.

"Why,thank you,Jules. I have to say it's quite thoughtful of you to notice,"

He teased and I could not help, but flush.

"Argh!!Eric?,stop that,will you?"

I said and he grabbed a book.

"I have always wanted to read this book, you know," he pulled a book from the shelves. A huge maroon book, it was hard on the outside and had written in Golden italic letters.

"Great expectations,"I read and he nodded.

As he clutched the book in his hands, we heard a loud thud in the shelf besides us. He looked at me, wide eyed.

"What was that?"I said and he placed his finger on his lips.

After a while, we decided to go and check out who it was. No one was there, but there was only a novel laying down on the floor.

I scrutinized its outsides.

"Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights," Eric said and I looked around. There was only one person who would come into the library, someone who would reach this far to get this book only.

Cassidy Bundchen.

Why would she spy on Eric and I?

"Are you okay?"Eric asked and I nodded.

"I've never been better," I smiled at him.

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We had out usual academic lessons and during break, I suddenly had the urge to talk to Cassidy. Maybe she was the one spying on us during break time.

I thought and looked in the library. I headed to the shelves at the back and no one was there so I looked for her in the girls' restrooms. I found her there. She had just come out of a cubicle.

"We need to talk,"I said and I think that I might have intimidated her a little because she gasped.

"About what?"she spat and I pretended to shrug.

"Oh, I don't know. About how my best friend in the whole wide Wolrd would spy on me and my boyfriend in the library,"she kept quiet. I saw it all over her face. The guilt. It was her. She was in the library.

"How did you know?"she asked while folding her hands across her chest.

"Who else goes into the library in the morning to read an Emily Brontë book,"I rolled my eyes and she shrugged.

"Why were you spying on me?"I added and she shrugged again.

"I wasn't. I was there and I heard your voices, but it's not fair,Julie,"she said.

"What do you mean?"The tension was gone. It was as if we were besties again. Sharing our thoughts and giving each other advice.

"Eric genuinely likes you"-"I like him too,"I defended myself. "I know you do,but do you think he'll still feel the same way if he knew you were pregnant,right now he loves a fake version of you. He likes who you're pretending to be. You are no longer yourself and he does not know the real you. He knows what you want him to know. That is not fair and you know Secrets always have a way of coming out no matter how bad you want them to stay in the dark or how bad you want to hide them,"she said and I felt a pang hit my chest. She was right.