You Were My Sky Chapter 23: 23 minutes, a stand by me fanfic

11:11 AM

Libby studied her reading list and searched for John Steinback's Grapes of Wrath. The school library was small and it smelled like dust and it made her want to sneeze. She had to pick a book from the list her teacher had given her and do a book report over Christmas, and she was not pleased about this. Christmas was not for another few weeks, but Libby was not much of a reader so she figured she should get a head start. But Grapes of Wrath sounded good because grapes were her favourite fruit.

Finally, her fingers skimmed over the spine of the right book. She pulled it off the shelf and flipped through the pages. The print was too small.

A hand clasped around her elbow and she jumped, dropping the book. She spun around to see Chris standing behind her, looking tired and tousled.

"Sorry," he said, picking up the book and handing it to her. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't," she muttered, even though her heart was beating fast, although she couldn't tell if that was from being startled or because Chris was there with her. Maybe both.

"How are you?" he asked her.

"Good. I'm going to read a book about fruit!"

He eyed the book. "The Grapes of Wrath? That's about the Great Depression."

"Is it?" she asked. "Dammit!"

"It's okay, slightly boring, but okay. I could help you with it if you want." He let his eyes meet hers, and she saw something was wrong. "Can I ask you something?"

Chris looked so sad and conflicted. "Of course," she said, taking his cold hand in hers.

"Say you've got a…friend. And that friend had a problem a few years ago that no one new about and it's over now. And say this friend tells you what happened…and you think that you should tell someone because you don't think this said friend would ever stop hurting until he or she gets help. But he or she doesn't want anyone else to know." He rested his head against the bookshelf. "What would you do?"

"Is it a matter of life or death?"

"No. But it's serious."

"Will you tell me who this friend is?"

"No."

She let out a long sigh. "I'm the wrong person to ask about what I would personally do."

"Why?"

"Because I'd do the wrong thing and not tell. I've done it before."

1:14

Andie was looking out the window at the clouds.

She was not herself today. She didn't hear a word that Mrs. Smith was saying at the front of the room. Her skirt was rumpled, her blouse was wrinkled, and her hair was a disaster.

She felt like crying.

She was ruining everything in her life. Why did she have to be this way? Why did she think she was so much better?

This was the one class she had with Delia: Chemistry. Andie glanced over at her, feeling bad for upsetting her the night before. Delia sat with her back rigid, apparently ignoring the boy next to her that was staring at her. She looked perfectly calm and collected, like she was a whole world apart from everyone else. She was beautiful, as her brother was, but only in a different way. She was beautiful in an untouchable way, whereas Chris just had a worldly quality about him that she was so in love with.

So in love with? Andie thought, and was suddenly struck with a hatred for herself.

There was something about the Chambers family. It was vulnerable and strong, and Andie couldn't figure out why she continued to hurt them.

11:15

Praying that someone wouldn't walk by, Libby's hands moved up and down Chris' back as he kissed her. She didn't feel so much like sneezing anymore.

11:18

"Teddy, would you take the attendance down to the library?" Mr. Donahue, the mechanics teacher, asked towards the end of the third period class.

Teddy obliged; thinking this was good timing. He could run and hand the attendance in, and then go out for a smoke before the lunch bell rang. That way, the lunch supervisors wouldn't be prowling around the parking lot looking for someone to bust for smoking.

He walked quickly down the hall into the library. He hated the smell of the place, and he immediately sneezed three times. The attendance sheet in hand, he maneuvered his way around the tables and studying students, dropped it on the librarian's desk and then decided to go out the far door because it was the closest exit. He heard some giggling as he approached a row of bookshelves. Glancing towards the sound, he saw Chris and Libby making out, pressed up against all the dusty books.

"Holy crap," he said.

They flew away from each other, both blushing furiously and looking guilty. "Uh…we were reading," Libby said lamely.

"Niiiice," he chuckled. "I'll leave you alone to read now."