The Keeper

Is Someone Writing You Love Letters?

Martha felt a cold chill run down her spine. She folded the note in her hands and looked up to gather her thoughts. He couldn't be doing this. She deserved him. He deserved her. She'd just pushed him too quickly.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

She frowned and blinked away a tear. She unfolded the note again to see if she had missed something between the lines.

"Is someone writing you love letters?"

Amy was beside her, peering over her shoulder. Martha quickly folded the note and stashed it at the bottom of her backpack. Her cheeks were impossibly hot. She laughed. "No, it's a joke. Something from one of the boys on the bus." He was breaking it. He was breaking their perfect world.

"Let me read it."

"No, it's silly. Hey what are you doing here, anyway? I've never seen you in the library before." Damn him. Why did he get to decide what was best for her? She knew what was best in her heart. She deserved him.

"Yeah, well, I figured that's where you were hiding all this time, with your secret notes and all..."

Martha picked up her backpack to leave. "I'm not hiding. If I was hiding, you wouldn't have found me." How could he do this to her?

"Hey, why are you so upset? We never do stuff together. And I was just trying to find you to invite you to a party on Saturday. Misha's parents are going to be away and she's got a pool!"

"It's March." Martha had to get him out of her mind.

"It's heated."

"I don't know. I've got lots of stuff on." He was destroying her.

"Like what? You don't do anything anymore. You never come out. And I need you to stay over at mine, so Mum and Dad will let me go to the party. They think you're a good influence."

"They have a point." He's pushing me away. He wants me to be a teenager. Fine.

"So you'll come?" Amy was nodding her head like crazy.

"All right. But I don't want to be out super late."

"Okay, no problem."

"And I don't want to have to hold your hair back as you vomit."

"No hair holding." Martha gave her a hard stare. "And no vomiting."

"Okay."

"Great. I'll pick you up from your place at six and we can get ready at mine together. We are going to have so much fun."

Martha couldn't see that happening, but it was probably better than being home alone.