Stuck in the Middle

Chapter 28

"You're all smiles today."

TJ shook his head as I sat down across from him, but his smile never faltered. "No thanks to you. No one's heard from you since Friday!"

I blushed, staring down at my plate of eggs and bacon. "I was busy, okay? I'm sorry."

"Busy doing what?" He was silent for a second before letting out a soft gasp. "No! You were doing your roommates all weekend, weren't you!"

I felt my face heat up even more and I didn't dare look at him. My silence must have said everything I was suddenly too embarrassed to say out loud. Because yes, the three of us had pretty much stayed in our room all weekend. Even when Marc and John left to go to their football game, I stayed in my room to catch up on some much needed homework, since the game wasn't on campus this week and I couldn't go watch.

"I knew it!" TJ exclaimed. "How was it? Were they any good? I mean, of course they had to be if you kept doing it, right? How big are they? I need to know, Spencer!"

"What do you need to know?"

I jumped at the question, looking up to see Austin standing next to TJ. I had half-expected either Marc or John to come over, and my heart sank a little that it wasn't them. I know I just saw them, but I left the room this morning when they were both still asleep. It would have been nice to see them at breakfast, too, rather than waiting until our shared classes or lunch.

But the fact that it was Austin asking made me even more embarrassed about what TJ and I were talking about.

"Oh, uh, nothing, really," TJ muttered out, a hint of a blush on his own cheeks. "School, I think. Homework. Quiz in math yesterday. Tomorrow."

Austin chuckled, not taking his eyes off TJ. "Okay, then. Do you mind if I join you guys?"

TJ let out a small squeak as his hands went to smooth out his curly mop of hair. "Yeah! Sure! Okay!"

I laughed quietly to myself at how flustered he was getting. Clearly, something happened between the two of them this weekend. He was never this affected by Austin before now.

But Austin didn't seem to notice or, if he did, he wasn't showing it. He just sat down with his breakfast as if he sat with us every day.

Austin started eating his food and TJ stared down at his own plate, uncharacteristically quiet. I took a moment to really look at Austin, since I didn't think I ever had before. He wasnn't too tall, but definitely taller than TJ and me, and not too skinny. His blond hair was cut short and the very front gelled so that it stood up a bit. His smile is what most people noticed about him first, from what I'd overheard before. It lit up any room, lifted anyone's mood. And he was always smiling.

We ate in silence for a few moments, the only sounds being the chatter of our peers across the large dining hall. I felt a bit awkward, with Austin suddenly joining us and none of us saying anything. I wish I knew what was going on between him and TJ, that way I'd know how to proceed with a conversation.

A hand landed on my shoulder before I could think of something to break the silence. I jumped, looking up to see John standing next to me. He gave me a smile before sliding into the seat to my right. As he sat, his hand moved from my shoulder and stayed put on my thigh. I liked having it there, but I was a bit embarrassed that anyone could walk by and see it.

"What's going on here?" John asked, breaking the silence. "Who are you?"

Austin rolled his eyes. For the first time I'd ever seen, he wasn't smiling. "Of course you wouldn't know," he muttered under his breath.

TJ glanced carefully at Austin while I did the same with John. At first, there was only confusion written on his face. Then, I could clearly see when the lightbulb went off in his head. "Oh shit, yeah. I remember, I do. Sorry."

Austin rolled his eyes again, but didn't say anything else to John. Instead, he looked at TJ. "I think we're getting a project assigned in science today. Wanna work together on it?"

TJ, of course, agreed immediately, his face flushed a bright red. Once that was settled, Austin excused himself from the table, saying he had somewhere he needed to be before first period started. I had a feeling that whatever happened between him and John was not a very good experience, and it gave me flashbacks to when John first admitted he liked me, when I felt very trapped in that bathroom stall.

The silence fell around us again, but this time it felt different. I knew John had been with a lot of people before, guys included. And I knew he wasn't always the nicest about it. But seeing the way Austin reacted was different. Somehow, it made it real.

I pushed the thought out of my head, not wanting to think about it. Instead, I asked, "Where's Marc?"

John exaggerated an offended look. "What? Am I not enough for you? Actually, I think he might be mad at me."

I shook my head, leaning against his arm. I was going to answer to ask what he did this time, but TJ stood up before I could and I looked at him curiously.

"I'm, uh... I'm going head to class early," he said, swinging his backpack over one shoulder. "See you in class."

We watched him walk away for a few seconds before John spoke. "What's up with him?"

I stopped leaning on his arm to look up at him. "Maybe whatever it was you did to get Austin upset. TJ really likes him."

"Who's Austin?"

I scoffed, shaking my head. "You're ridiculous. I don't even blame Marc for being mad at you, 'cause I kinda am too, now."

I regretted the words as soon as they came out of my mouth. But there was some truth to them, too. I knew what kind of person he was. I couldn't expect him to change how he treated others just because he'd been nice to me.

"Spencer-"

"No." I stood from the table, grabbing my half-empty plate. "I'll see you later."

Without waiting for him to say anything else, I walked away, wishing that whole conversation had gone differently.

I wanted him to run after me, to stop me from leaving the dining hall and tell me I was overreacting. That he wasn't that guy anymore. That what he did to Austin wasn't similiar to the time he cornered me in the bathroom, but instead something as simple as copying answers off a test. But even when I got outside, feeling the cold October morning breeze cut through my sweatshirt, there was no one running after me.

We still had twenty minutes before first period started so, pulling out my phone, I called Marc. He answered after a couple rings.

"Spencer, hey. Did you hear?"

"That you're mad at John? Yeah. So I am. Where are you?"

"No, not that." He let out a long sigh. "I heard they're going to fix the room assignments."