Second Lanark

Hesitations - Part 28

Two days later as I was trying to study for my exam, I heard Lark's girlish laugh float between the two rooms and I contemplated going to the study rooms. One thing I could say about having Cal here was that Lark was in a constant, non-stop good mood. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, no one would have ever convinced me it was possible. It didn't seem to matter what Jill or Tom threw at her in words or actions, she was rock solid happy.

Secretly, I was starting to wonder if she was like a volcano, bubbling under the surface, just waiting to erupt when Cal left in a few days. Thankfully, Lark flew out only a day or two behind him once the last exam was done.

"Oh, Cal." Lark moaned.

Couldn't she at least play some music? I rolled my eyes and slammed my books shut, gathering them up to head to the study room. Tricia and Rob were writing exams right now and I knew if I didn't get my studying done while they were gone, not much studying would be done. I also had to make it to swim practice tonight; I really needed to book some time to speak to Coach Burton, too.

I pulled open the door to the study room and noticed Karen and Rachel in the cubicles. I hesitated at the entrance, weighing the lesser of two evils. I could either listen to Lark have sex with Cal over and over again or I could sit here in awkward silence with these two. Neither was appealing, but at least silence might guarantee that I got some studying done.

I nodded to both of them as I took a cubicle furthest from them. They both gave me pained half smiles – maybe listening to Lark moaning was a better plan. I slid into a seat and opened my books, eager to get down to business.

I heard them whispering behind me, but I tried to tune them out. If they were whispering about me I didn't care, and if they were whispering about an exam they had, I doubly didn't care. When the whispering escalated to the point where I could tell they were arguing, I sighed and turned in my seat.

"Are you two okay? I really need to study," I said, trying to mask my irritation in an overly helpful voice.

"Just leave it alone," Rachel said, pulling on Karen's sleeve.

Ah, I recognized that well. That looked like me and Tricia. I took a deep breath, not sure I even wanted to start this conversation, but I plunged in anyway.

"Did you have something you wanted to say to me, Karen?" I asked, trying to maintain my even tone.

"So, you and Rob are dating?" she asked, twirling her pencil and avoiding Rachel's pleading gaze.

"We are." I frowned, wondering where this was going.

"Did he tell you that he and Rachel had been spending a lot of time together?" Karen asked.

"I'm not dumb; I saw them spending a lot of time together," I said and then realized that might have sounded kind of bitchy. I leveled out my voice for the next sentence; I didn't want to come across as the jerk here. "He told me that you, Rachel and he were just friends."

No girl ever started a conversation like this without some information they thought the other girl didn't know. I wondered what was about to be dropped on me. I sat up straighter, eyeing her wary.

"It wasn't just a friendship. They were dating." Karen's eyes were blazing with anger.

"That's not what he told me." I looked at Rachel. "Did he ever say you were dating or was it just you saying that?" I asked, keeping my voice controlled so I didn't come off as a completely unsympathetic. It was pretty obvious she was still upset about it all.

"He told me he didn't want to start something he couldn't ever finish," Rachel said, meeting my gaze with pained brown eyes.

I hesitated, not sure where to go with this now. None of this was a revelation so far. "Did something happen between you two that made you think something was starting?" Her eyes slid away from mine and I continued, "I'm sorry, Rachel, I'm just trying to understand why you're so upset."