Chapter 2: Something Is Definitely Wrong
716 Words
I grin back at him. Inside, I'm jumping up and down and doing a little dance with excitement, but Cameron doesn't need to know that.
I've had a bit of a crush on him ever since I first met him in the very first month of my degree when he moved into the flat. His bone structure is practically perfect and he has the most incredible blue eyes. Even though I'm ridiculously excited about my best friend coming home, I keep myself from any sort of overly demonstrative displays of enthusiasm.
"No way." Cameron takes a seat on the edge of the sofa looking thoughtfully at me. "What about her course?"
"She didn't say." I frown. "She didn't want to talk about it."
I wonder if she'll transfer. She wouldn't just drop out... Tallulah would never do that, I worry internally.
"That's not like Lou."
Cameron's voice is laced with a concern that matches my own. In many respects, he's become like a big brother to Tallulah and me. One that I think we've both needed from time to time.
Tallulah lost her parents when she was nine years old and her brother, Nathan, had been eighteen. He'd jumped into the role of guardian without any trepidation regardless of how young he had been or what it meant he would miss out on.
However, while Tallulah had gained a responsible parental figure in her life, she'd lost her fun-loving big brother, a gap Cameron was more than happy to fill for her.
Cameron had no siblings at all and so he'd quickly taken us both under his wing when he moved in. Although I knew very little about his family, I'd met his mum once or twice.
She was nothing like Cameron. She was a very shy, retiring sort of person, almost fearful.
I'd had countless questions after the first time I met her but I hadn't voiced them. Cameron didn't talk about his family and so to bring it up at all felt like an invasion of his privacy. I've always considered myself the fortunate one of our little trio, but truth be told I have my own family issues.
I shake my head, trying to shake off my unease.
"I'm sure she'll tell us eventually. How was your run?"
"Great. Thanks." Cameron's grin is infectious. "I need to get all my gym stuff out of Tallulah's room before she gets here or she might just kill me."
"You've been using my room as your own personal gym? Seriously?" A sarcastic voice calls from the hall, as we hear the door being pulled firmly closed behind her. "What's wrong with you? It's going to smell like disgusting boy sweat. EWW!"
"Hey!" I jump to my feet and grab Tallulah as she enters the room. "I've missed you!"
Looking her over, I know something is definitely wrong. She's thinner than last time I saw her; her clothes are fitting somewhat looser. She must have gone down at least a dress size, if not two.
There are bags under her eyes that normally wouldn't be allowed to grace her face. But other than that, she's still the same old Lou; blonde, bubbly and perhaps completely mental.
"I've been gone a month."
Tallulah hugs me back before falling down onto the sofa in a flop, her straight hair over her face. She blows it out of her eyes before smirking at us both.
She's always been almost childish in her mannerisms.
"It was a long month." Cameron is laughing. "I think we need to celebrate. Perhaps we should go to a bar, do some tequila shots, cocktails, a few beers for me. What do you think? I mean, you're clearly not studying Rory."
He winks at me in a way that could make any girl swoon.
Tallulah doesn't respond. She's looking at the screen of her phone, scowling.
I push my curiosity aside and reply to Cameron, "Alright. I like the sound of that."
Wrapping an arm around Lou's shoulder, I perch next to her on the arm of the sofa.
"What do you say Lou?" I ask.
She looks up at me like a deer caught in the headlights before catching herself.
"I'm in if you're in." She's smirking now. "You're the perfectly behaved one. Not me."
- Writer
