Worst Impressions

Chapter Eleven

I leaned back against the trunk of the tree and strummed gently on the strings of my guitar. It had been difficult to focus while Jenny was in the hospital. I knew that she was in the best possible place and receiving all the care that she needed, but it didn't make me worry any less. I knew that had our positions been reversed, she'd have been just the same. Fretting at every waking moment, unable to focus on her studies, and finding everything about the school infinitely more boring without the company.

'God, I'm bored,' I complained quietly.

Not that I wanted anyone else's company quite as much as I'd wanted Jenny's.

Regrettably, the other girls were all a little bit too silly to take her place. Chrissy and Lisa always got overexcited about whatever we were discussing, Meg drifted off into her own head and lost track, and Georgia had too many additional classes to make a lot of time for me. I mean, she was an amazing friend, but it was difficult to find the time to chat around her packed schedule.

Still, being alone was better than being with Chantelle.

Which was why I groaned when she found me.

'All alone again, Bennett?' she sneered at me. 'Don't you have your other little friends around? I thought the girls in your dorm room all stuck together like a pack.'

'Weirdly, I am capable of enjoying my own company. I guess that's not something you're used to having to do.'

'True, I always have people -'

'I meant because there's nothing about your company to enjoy, actually,' I said. 'What do you want? If you're here to annoy me, can you put it off until later? I need a break from your kind of arrogance now and again.'

She bristled at first, then took a deep, calming breath. I didn't think I'd ever seen Chantelle try to retain her composure around me when it was just the two of us. It was kind of amusing to watch. Well, I'd assumed it was just us. That was when William and Charlie strode over. William didn't wave, but Charlie threw his whole arm into the gesture.

Would five minutes to myself be too much to ask?

'Hi, Beth.' Charlie dropped his jacket and sat cross-legged on it. Since the deluge of rain on the night Jenny had been outside, it had been relatively dry. I assumed the jacked was just because he wanted to avoid grass stains on his uniform. He nodded at the guitar. 'Are you a musician?'

'I'm a dabbler,' I said evasively. 'Are you here to ask about Jenny? I don't know anything more...'

'No.' He smiled. 'I've been visiting more frequently. Her mother said it was okay for me to do that. Actually, I thought it would be good if we spent more time together. I mean, we're all Jenny's friends, so we should get along.'

I almost snorted with laughter.

I did like Charlie and I would have been happy to get along with him. He was like a puppy and I couldn't imagine that anyone would hate him. It was just completely impossible for me to ever think of William or Chantelle kindly. When Jenny wasn't there, I had no reason to be nice to either of them.

'You can't really object to our company, can you?' Chantelle asked, knowing very well that I would if it was an option. 'You hardly even know William.'

'I know enough.'

Oh, I hadn't meant to say that aloud.

'Do you know he has a sister? She's musical, too,' Charlie said.

'Except she's not a dabbler, as you called yourself,' William commented. 'She takes it seriously.'

'I can well imagine. I mean,' I smirked, 'if she's related to you, she probably takes everything seriously.'