Finding Lena | ✔️

Chapter Ten

When we finish eating, our laughter finally diminishing into quiet chuckles, Caleb's eyes start wandering across the cafeteria.

He freezes in place when he notices someone in a nearby booth. I follow his gaze until my eyes fall on Mr Belk, sitting with a cheerful-looking woman with dimples.

"Is that..."

"Mr Belk?"

"Mr Belk, the teacher whose lesson we ditched?"

I nod, while both of us slowly move out of the booth, Caleb leaving twenty dollars on the table and not waiting for change.

As to not attract his attention, we gradually step out of the diner, and run to the car.

When we get inside, Caleb turning up the heater, I turn to him, gaping. "So, on the day that Belk isn't at school, we aren't either?"

Caleb shrugs it off. "The world works in mysterious ways."

"No kidding."

"Where to next, ma'am?" he asks, a smile hinting at his lips.

"Your house?"

The smile diminishes and he looks away. He deliberates it, carefully, but then he remembers something, and turns back to me. "Okay."

The drive to his house is short, short enough that we don't need to speak. When we get there, the car making its way down the long drive, my jaw drops.

His house it huge. And beautiful. But then the odd feeling I felt this morning returns, making me feel slightly dizzy.

Probably just the milkshake and fries I had ten minutes ago.

"It's beautiful," I murmur, but he doesn't say anything in response. He parks inside the garage, and as we jump out the car and walk out the garage, the large door closes behind us.

I follow him to the front door at the top of the steps. It's oddly dark inside, and I notice how most of, if not all of, the drapes are drawn.

He notices my puzzled gaze, and explains, "Michael likes the dark."

He doesn't say any more.

I shadow him up the staircase, and across the dim landing. He makes it to a door that looks a lot like the rest, but when he opens it, I'm blinded by light.

We advance, and I realise that this must be Caleb's room. The drapes are pulled open, letting bright natural light flood through.

His large bed is in the centre of the back wall, with white sheets and pillows. His walls are a gentle navy colour, and he has a desk underneath the wide window. There is a closet near the bed, and another door beside that must lead to the bathroom. Above his bed are posters of bands and artists- Tame Impala, Bombay Bicycle Club, EDEN, The War On Drugs...

"I like your room," I say, looking around me.

He grins and plonks himself onto the end of his bed. There is a bedside table beside it, which holds a music speaker.

He notices my stare, and motions towards it. "Put something on, if you want."

I walk over to it, scanning through the list of songs on the control screen. Seeing one that I recognise out of the thousands of songs there, I click it.