Longer, but not quite as fun. More David in the next chapter, which will follow him.
Thank you for reviewing. I really appreciate you all.
After the bus dropped Corinne off a block from her house, she walked slowly, trying to ignore the pounding headache already building in her head. It wasn't a particularly strenuous day at school, but it was still school, and that alone was enough to make her head throb.
Besides, her mother was home. She walked up her well-to-do step path, past the white SUV and blue Honda, and around the side of the house, pushing open the back gate slowly. Noise was the last thing that she wanted. If she could simply get into the house and into her room without anyone knowing then everything would be golden. She could call David ( his number still crushed in her pocket) arrange a meeting, and then not worry about anything.
She closed the gate, tiptoed around her decrepit beagle and opened the back door slowly. The TV was on – probably a background for mother as she cooked. Corinne quickly slipped inside and shut the door. Barely daring to breath, she twisted and went up the stairs, neatly turning away from the kitchen. Getting upstairs without incident, she sighed and grabbed the nearby cordless.
It was a thing of beauty, it really was. Just as she was about to open her door she heard footsteps behind her. Her light brown eyes widened.
"Where have you been?"
Corinne turned to face her mother. Juliet Queens stood with one hand on the banister, still halfway down the stairs, glaring fiercely at her daughter. She was middle aged – late thirties, with bleached out hair and a grey stare that pierced through any lie.
"School." Corinne muttered, dropping her gaze to the floor. How many times had she gone through this? It was so pointless.
"You better not be lying." Juliet said angrily, her eyes narrowing. She was just about to head back downstairs when she noticed the phone in Corinnes hand. "Who are you calling?"
The teenager looked at her mother, a pleading look in her eyes. Just believe her, please. "I need to call a friend about a school project. We need to go to the library."
Determining that the library wasn't exactly prime excuse material for the average delinquent, Juliet frowned in response. "Be quick about it. I'm expecting a call." She snapped as she headed back down the stairs to continue cooking.
Corinne slid into her room, not even answering her mom. It would be pointless anyways. And besides, the last time Corinne had a phone call last more than five minutes Juliet had gotten on the phone and started screaming at her from the other line. An embarrassment she did not want to relive.
Setting her bag down, she pulled the number out of her pocket and dialed, placing the receiver in between her chin and shoulder as she began to rearrange the objects in her backpack. She didn't have long to wait, as by the second ring David had picked up.
"Hello?"
Corinne was startled, "Uh," she stuttered, "Hey. When do you want to get together for that English. . . thing?"
A pause and Corinne continued to place her books in various places around the room, beginning to pace.
"Can you make it today?" David asked, not bothering with the preliminary hello's and how-de-do's.
"Uhm." Corinne paused. Today would be a good day to do it. Yesterday she would have Spanish club, and the day after that was Friday. She knew nothing would get done then. "Yeah, today's pretty good. Are we just going to the library or are we going to go to someone's house to work?"
"The library's fine." David said, the answer quick. "Unless you want to work at your house, my house is a little . . . cramped."
"No, the library sounds good."
The pause lasted longer than was comfortable. It was almost like they had just figured something out about the other. Neither knew what was really going on, but each had an idea.
"Meet you in an hour?" Corinne finally offered.
"Yeah. That'll work." David said. "See you then."
"Yeah, bye."
Corinne returned the phone, went to the bathroom and then went back to her room. An hour would give her time to eat and bike over there. First she changed, slipping out of her trim skirt and into a pair of loose shorts. Frowning at her refection she put her hair up in a quick ponytail and grabbed a bag from her closet, stuffing her binder and a few pens before heading downstairs.
The tough part.
"Mom?" She asked carefully, edging into the kitchen slowly, trying everything she could not to startle her (sudden movement, an annoying voice, loud steps, a sneeze or a cough). "Can I go to the library after brunch?"
"Don't expect me to get you there," Juliet snapped, not even looking at her daughter. "Your father should be home any second. Set the table."
Corinne smiled to herself and quickly set the table, fork, knife, plate, glass. A second after she had finished there came a bang from the front door. Corinne looked up and saw her father walk in, looking rather tired and already depressed. Not a great sign, but it could be worse.
Juliet nearly skipped over to her husband, ushered him to the table, served him food, glared at Corinne to say grace and then, after the silent meal was over, shooed Corinne into the kitchen. The girl rolled her eyes and quickly cleaned up. She would get yelled at later, but at the state she was going, she would be late anyway. It was a good twenty minute bike ride to the library.
Getting out of the house and onto the fairly new bike, Corinne checked to make sure there was a lock and headed off, glad that lower-class suburbia still sprung for sidewalks.
At the library, she locked her bike up and noticed how hot it was. Thankfully she wasn't sweating too bad, but her face was definitely red. Oh well. There was a water fountain inside somewhere.
She walked into the library and glanced around. It was divided into two main seconds, and then subdivided further. One part was for meeting places and study rooms, the other for books and computers. Corinne stood in the front entrance for a few seconds before turning towards the study rooms. She didn't see David and just picked out a table, placing her stuff down lightly and sitting down next to it.
She dug out her book and was just about to skim through it when she noticed someone over her shoulder. Turning she was started to see David, arms folded, almost as if he was laughing at her, looking at her as she held her book.
"I'm over here." He said, walking towards the back.
Corinne picked up her stuff and followed. She wasn't about to argue. She never did.
