Across the Bridge

Across the Bridge - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It was almost two weeks before I saw him again, which surprised me for some reason. He had been so adamant about us being friends and then he just disappeared. Of course I was thinking about him all the time by now, which didn't make it any easier.

I was forced to act like a normal teenager, which I guess was the point of high school. I went to school, was as friendly as I could be, pretending my life was just like everyone else's. But it wasn't.

My mom had not apologized for screaming at me, and I knew better than to bring up Asa again. Now I just avoided talking to her at all. My life was definitely not like the kids at school's.

I liked being at the library best, but when the first week passed and Duke didn't show up, I found myself feeling disappointed. I had told him when I worked next and assumed he would show up, which was my first mistake. Why did I even care?

I hung out after school with Lex and Matt a few times, when I didn't have to work. I realized it was way better than going right home after school. We would get coffees and go to Matt's, whose parents were never home. We watched movies and played games and it was just fun. I was finally feeling like a normal teenage girl.

The next week, I was sure Duke would stroll into the library with some excuse for not being there sooner. But I worked both Wednesday and Thursday and he didn't show up. It made me mad, more than anything. He had pushed himself into my life in such a weird way, and now that I was interested, he was gone. Maybe that was his plan.

At lunch on Friday, I heard Camilla and Lydia talking about a party that night. I wasn't really a part of the conversation, though. And then, in fifth period, Lex told me that Lydia had invited him to said party.

"Fun," I said, half annoyed that I would have to spend all evening alone, at home.

"You can come," he went on, then added, "and Matt said he can drive you home."

"Oh. Where's the party?" I asked, curious.

"Lydia's. Her parents are gone for the weekend. Some of us are going to crash there..."

I had a feeling that Lex liked Lyida, more than a friend. He always flirted and laughed if she said anything even remotely funny. It was odd, seeing him have interest in other girls at school. To me, he was just Lex, my best friend. But he was different with girls who weren't me.

"Okay, well... if Matt can get me home..." I finally said, agreeing to the party.

Lex grinned. "He's into you, you know?"

"What?" I asked, my eyes wide.

"Matt likes you."

"Uh..."

"He knows you're, like, my best friend."

"Okay," I said awkwardly.

"So, yeah. He likes you." Matt said again.

I took in a breath. "When's the party?"

"Oh, like 7 P.M.? You can come to my house to hang out, after school... Matt's going to pick us up," Lex explained easily.

"Right. Okay," I finished, feeling completely unsure of everything.

This party was not unlike the previous one, except it was confirmed that Lex liked Lydia and she liked him back. I felt awkward standing with Matt, watching Lex and Lydia a few feet away, flirting. Her house was nice and in the same neighborhood as Lex. Convenient. It was a smaller party though, maybe twenty or thirty people total. Camilla's party had been more like fifty or sixty. It did seem like I recognized a lot more kids here. Some were in my classes, and most I'd seen around school.