Evol

chapter twenty-eight

author's note -

and then shit hit the fan. . . <33

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Thursday 20th June, 2019

Brooke.

I sighed heavily, plopping down on my bed.

Pacing didn't do me any good; how could that stop him from coming?

After a nervous glance at the clock, I realised I was running out of time to get my shit together. Standing, I pulled my hair into a short ponytail at the back of my head, gathering my English books into a pile.

So what if I'd learned nothing new? So what if staring at him for days had done me no good at all? It wasn't like he knew I'd been unsuccessful--

There was a sharp knock on the door.

My stomach dropped; looking around wildly, I double checked everything was appropriate and tidy in my room before running down the stairs.

I could see his blurred dark figure through the glass in the door. Julian was looking out at the street when I flung the door open.

"Hello?" I refrained from jabbing his arm when he didn't move. "Are you coming in?"

"Your neighbours need to mow their lawn regularly." He mumbled.

"What?"

"They need to stop gawking at my car, too."

I peered behind him at the stout woman called Sheila, who was gazing at Julian's classic like it was the last toffee in the jar, surrounded by long weeds in her front garden. Waving at her quickly, I huffed. "Stop concerning yourself over my neighbour's gardening habits."

Finally, Julian turned. There was no amused smirk, no sparkle in his large eyes. A dark feeling came over me.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing," Julian pushed past me, walking in like he owned the place.

Closing the door, I watched his back (the black hoodie had 'heathen' on the back), as he trod up the stairs. Suddenly, my nerves were replaced with anxiety.

When I got to my room, Julian was already stretched on the bed, back to the headboard, scanning English notes. His boots were still on, muddying up the bottom of my quilt.

"Oi," I scolded, closing the door. "Take your shoes off."

He didn't move.

"Julian. I'll make you wash the quilt."

Wordlessly, he kicked them off, both landing when thuds on the wooden floor. I'd hoped maybe my irritation would provoke a smirk at least, but he was expressionless as he read. To conceal my unease, I sighed and moved to the other side of the bed, placing myself next to him, distance between us.

I was vaguely aware of my heart fluttering like the last time Julian was on my bed, but my mind was already running away with ways to bring him out of this gloomy mood.

My eyes drifted to see the notes he was scanning, and that's when I saw it.

Eyes wide, I gasped. "What happened?"

"What?"

Unthinkingly, I reached over and touched the thin bandage wrapped around the palm of his hand, the side of it stained with red. "How did you do that?"

Julian moved the bandaged hide to his side, out of view.

"I've already seen it. There's no point in hiding it now."