The Kings of Kentworth

106.

It was eight-thirty now.

Caleb had just dropped off Tessa and Keith at their homes and was left with Stephanie in his passenger seat.

As he drove, he noticed how quiet she had been. Her eyes were trained on the windscreen, but even he could tell she was far away. Ever since they left Blinley’s, it was like she counted every word she spoke; as if being careful not to use up all the words on her mind or something. She was excited about their victory earlier in the day, but the speed with which that excitement had died down was weird and confusing to Caleb.

“You okay?” The question flew out of his mouth before he could even think.

Stephanie spun to face him as if he had just appeared out of thin air. “Huh?”

Caleb chuckled as he looked at the road and looked back at her again. “Okay. Something is definitely wrong. What is it?”

Stephanie exhaled.

She sank into her seat and looked out her window at the houses blurring by. “Nothing. Just tired.”

“Well…,” Caleb replied. “Don’t worry. You’ll be home soon.”

Stephanie still kept her eyes outside the window; her thoughts running wild. The sight of Lance and Trevor in that cubicle flashed in her head. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to make it go away.

Trevor’s arms wrapped around Lance. The both of them sucking on each other’s lips. Lance’s hands rubbing underneath Trevor’s shirt.

Stephanie knew Lance was gay right from the beginning. He had made that clear to her a long time ago.

But Lance wasn’t the problem here. Trevor was.

Trevor had a girlfriend for crying out loud. Why would he be smooching with Lance in the cubicle of a restroom? It just didn’t make sense.

Even the possibility of Trevor being gay was unacceptable. There wasn’t a single hint. He was probably the straightest looking guy she had ever seen. But yet, she had caught him kissing Lance.

Something wasn’t right.

Stephanie had suspected something when she had seen the both of them becoming quite close. She couldn’t even accept the notion of them being just study partners.

What she saw today, seemed to clear the cloud in her mind now.

Lance may be in trouble.

She squeezed her eyes shut again. Everything felt like déjà vu.

It was Alex all over again.

“I sure hope your parents won’t freak out when they see a strange guy bringing you home by this time,” Caleb chuckled.

Stephanie turned to look at Caleb. She watched him dart his smiling face between her and the road and suddenly felt something within her snap.

Alex’s face flashed in her mind and a switch flicked off in her head.  “My parents aren’t going to be home till ten.”

“Oh,” Caleb raised his brows; his eyes still on the road. “Well, that’s good then.”

Stephanie kept her eyes on him; her face, blank and void of any emotion.

She suddenly remembered she was a girl on a mission.

“Let’s go to your place.” The words fell out of Stephanie’s mouth before she could hold them back in.

Caleb turned to her; slightly astonished. “Wha-what?”

Stephanie held down a laugh at how cute he looked when he was this way. He definitely didn’t expect that.