Across the Bridge

Across the Bridge - Chapter 8

Chapter EIGHT

The first week of school was almost over and I'd survived just fine. Lydia and her friend, Sam, were trying hard to get me to open up, let them in. Lex, Matt and Caleb were also part of my new entourage. Somehow I'd went from one friend to five, just like that. Matt and Sam both had lunch period three, so we became lunch buddies. I felt comfortable enough sitting with them, without having he desire to give up much information about myself. Matt already knew too much.

   Luckily, Camilla didn't really know who I was. I heard her talking to Lydia and another girl, Tina, in homeroom about her boyfriend's new car, and I couldn't get Duke's face out of my head. I hadn't done anything wrong, I knew that. And maybe he and I could be friends. Secret friends? It was all too new and strange and I didn't know what to think.

   I planned to walk to the library after school on Friday, but Lex convinced me to get in the car with him and Matt.

   "It's lame that you have to work again," Matt said plainly, pulling up to the library a few minutes later. "We are totally doing shots and playing board games tonight."

   Lex smiled at me, then stuck out his tongue. "Have fun at work."

   Doing shots and playing board games actually sounded fun, but I wasn't like them. I had to work, pay my own cell phone bill, take care of myself. I didn't have anything handed to me. I didn't even have a mother who cared about me.

   "Thanks," I smiled back. "You guys have a good night."

   "We will," Matt laughed, then added, "hang out tomorrow?"

   Lex looked at him and then to me. I didn't know what to say so I nodded and then got out of the car.

   Two hours into my shift, Mrs. Walsh told me she had to leave early and asked if I was okay to close on my own. There was only an hour left and I knew what I needed to get done for closing, so I agreed. She thanked me and hurried out, saying she had a personal emergency.

   No one came in the entire hour and I finished all my tasks - cleaning, restocking random books, signing out of the computer system - fifteen minutes early. Five minutes before I could leave, I heard the loud bang of the door opening and closing. I'd already closed down the system so I knew I'd have to tell whoever it was to come back tomorrow.

   Except I didn't have to, because it was Duke. I really didn't think he would show up again, especially since he didn't even know when I would be there.

   "Wow... it's so quiet in here. More so  than usual," he said right away. No hello.

   "We're closed, actually," I answered, not fully looking at him.

   "The door was open." He has this cocky way about him that excited me and irritated me at the same time.

   "Yeah, I know. I'm just finishing up here -"

   "Oh, so you're done work?" Now he was intrigued.

   And I completely freaked out, internally. I clicked the computer into sleep mode, then fumbled with some things under the desk for a minute.

   "If you're off now, can we hang out?" he asked, cocking his head to the side a bit.

   "Why do you... I mean... I thought your life was so busy?" I stumbled on the words.

   He grinned. "There's like four parties tonight I could be at. My own brother is having one. Camilla wanted me to go hang out with her... I have work to do for my Dad..."