The Trouble with Friendship

🧵 Twenty: Shatter Every Lie Till It's All Blown Away

"Right? The cover and summary don't prepare you for what's coming."

He nodded. "I liked the heroine more than I thought I would. At first, I was put off by her whole wallflower type of personality, but the more I got into the story, the more badass she became."

"I know!" She snapped her fingers and pointed at him. "Character development at it's finest."

Ravi let out a low chuckle. "I don't think I've ever seen you this passionate about a book before."

"Because there was nothing to get passionate about. I wish we could read stuff like this in class. I'd have it finished in a week."

"Now who's the one who needs to be more openminded?"

"You know what?" Alex asked, crossing her legs. "I'm okay with that." Because it's not like she could outrun classical books. She still had two more years of reading them.

Ravi stretched his arms out on the table. His reach was so long; his fingertips nearly touched hers. "What chapter are you on in Lord of the Flies?"

She grabbed it from her backpack and flipped to the bookmark. "Um, chapter two. The boys have just established order on the island and are now racing up the hill to start a fire, hoping planes or ships will see and come rescue them."

"It gets pretty dark after that."

"I don't mind dark. I think my problem is that we have to analyze it. Analyzing the themes and motifs and all that other stuff takes the fun out of reading." She eyed the multitude of tabs he placed in her favorite book and sighed. She bet it was covered in highlighter and pen. "Although you seem to do that regardless."

Ravi dropped his chin, rolling the gold bead on his bracelet between his fingers. "I can't seem to turn it off," he mumbled.

His embarrassment made her want to smile. "Just like I can't turn off thinking about fabric or re-designing someone's outfit."

His head jerked up. "You do that?"

She turned to the inside flap of Lord of the Flies and handed it to him. "See?" she said, pointing to her doodle of Mrs. Trentworth's outfit. Instead of the horrendous drop-shift dress she favored that made her look ten times heavier, Alex had drawn an A-line skirt with a pretty blouse and a belt cinching in her waist to accentuate her figure.

Ravi regarded the drawing with a keen eye. "Just like I thought," he whispered under his breath.

"What?" she asked.

"You're talented," he told her, his finger tracing the lines. "But you know drawing in a book is practically sacrilegious."

"Versus highlighting and scribbling in the margins?" she asked, motioning to the monstrosity sitting on the table. "Besides, who's going to know?"

"I'll know."

"You don't count."

He sniffed, drumming his fingers on the table. "You're really good for my ego, Canterbury."

"It's a tough job, but someone's gotta keep that ass in line."

He chuckled. "My aunt will be thrilled. I'm pretty sure she believes she did something horrible in a previous life and I'm the karma inflicted on her."

"That's awful," Alex exclaimed. How could he joke about that? "You weren't exaggerating when you said you and your aunt don't get along."

"And she was on her best behavior that night you came over."

Alex shook her head in wonder. "I see why you'd rather wander outside then go home."

"That's not home," Ravi insisted. "That's a place to sleep and shower."