Chapter 5: Spencer Webster

Fifth Chapter in the Ravenbrook Terrace novel. Spencer Webster Central

Chapter 5

Spencer Webster

 

            “S**t.” The oath slipped between my lips as I shuffled furiously through my sock drawer, looking for the rainbow sock I kept my cash in. It was for emergencies, and seeing as I was still stressed about my parents, I’d say that this definitely counts as an emergency. I really needed a smoke.

            “Sian!” I screamed, pushing my hair out of my view. I stumbled, tripping over a pair of pants on my way to the door. I lay there sprawled on the floor for a moment, trying to catch my breath and calm myself before I ripped her head off. I poked my head out of the door and looked down the hall to the lime green one at the end. It was closed, the music inside the room every now and then making the posters taped to the door vibrate and rattle. I stormed out of my room, my door behind me slipping shut as made my way over to her room. I wrenched open the door.

            Quickly, she squealed and ducked underneath her deep purple fleece blanket. A guy I didn’t recognize stared at me from his spot next to Sian. He stared at me, and I can tell by his darkened hazel eyes he was thinking about the possibility of a second girl.

            I stuck the finger up at him. “Down, there boy. I’m a queer. Sorry to disappoint you.”

            Instead of looking disappointed, he actually got more excited. I rolled my eyes in disgust and stalked over to my cousin. I pulled the blanket off her and she squealed again, trying to cover herself with her hands.

            “What? Nothing I haven’t seen before.” I scowled, turning to the guy still on her bed. He was obviously still excited, and I jerked my thumb over my shoulder to the door.

            Reluctantly he got up and tried, with difficulty, to pull his pants on. He glanced back at Sian, dark blond hair, still laced with old hair gel, was messed up and part of it was covering the top of his gold-flecked hazel eyes. There was something oddly familiar of the guy. Wasn’t he the guy who just moved sown the street?

            “Sian, who the hell did you just shag?” I asked, watching him disappear shirtless down the hall.

            Sian shot me a look and got up out of bed, leaning down to grab a pile of clothes off the floor. Silently, she pulled on the t-shirt, neglecting the bra, and a set of sweatpants.  She kept her gaze to the floor, avoiding my face.

            I growled and kicked the back of her knee lightly, trying to catch her attention. My cousin may be pissed that I walked in on her, but I have missing cash to locate. “Sian!”

            Finally she turned to me, face wiped clean of any emotion. “What is it, Spencer? I’m a little busy.” She said flatly, sitting on her bed.

            I pointed a finger at her accusingly. “Where’s my cash, Freak?” I hissed, stepping closer to the bed.

            Her eyes flashed defiantly. “What cash?” she crooned innocently.

            I flicked my eyes around her room, settling on a brightly colored sock jutting out of her drawer in her desk. I flung it open, pulling out my rainbow sock. Livid, I turned back to her and brandished the sock in her face. She looked from the sock to me and jumped up, making a beeline for the door. I watched her dash for the stairs.

            “What the hell is wrong with you?” I shouted, walking to my purple door. I yanked it open and slammed it shut behind me. I returned the sock back to its proper spot. I figured it I’d count it later.

            I collapsed in my desk chair and sighed, closing my eyes. I moaned at the pain starting in my head and dropped my head onto the desk with a loud thud. I winced and closed my eyes.

            A few hours later, I woke up to a light breeze flicking in through the window, flipping my hair off my face. I jerked up, wiping the small puddle of drool off the desk surface.

            Irritated by the unwanted draft, I stood up slowly, joints popping and walked to the window. I reached up to close it and glanced outside. I smirked; realizing that I could see clearly into the girl next door’s room. Amused, I leaned against the sill and examined her room.

            I had only talked to Carter for about five or ten minutes, Maybe a little longer. We were quiet for awhile. Or at least Carter was pretty silent.  She seemed like she was in a state of shock after I had opened the door. There was something about the girl that sparked my interest. I normally wasn’t to keen on blonds, but there was just something…

            My person of interest suddenly popped into her room with a loud bang of her door and I jumped. She grabbed a hairbrush and started to sing into it, Karaoke style to “Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson. Her voice carried clearly from her room to mine.

            I smirked and shouted out a hello.

            Immediately she dropped the hairbrush, squeaking in surprise. She turned to the window and her eyes widened. She dropped quickly to the floor with a quick curse.

            Puzzled I leaned out of the window to get a better view of her room. She peeked up from her window and smiled sheepishly at me. In the background, Kelly was singing about being stronger.

            I clambered out onto the little piece roofing that was under my window and perched onto the edge. The houses were surprisingly close, and Carter’s piece of roof was within leaping distance from mine. I smirked and through a piece of tile into her room.

            “Howdy neighbor!” I shouted cheerfully. Carter stood up and walked to the window, leaning nervously out.

            “Hey, Spencer. I didn’t know that was your room.” She awkwardly pulled herself out of the window like-wise to me. It was kind of adorable really. Our houses we identical, except hers was the flipped version. It was easy to see that I could easily hopped the gap and sit on her self, and I found myself wanting to, but I stayed put for now.

            I turned briefly to look at my room. “Yep, that’s mine. It’s been that way for a few weeks now.” I grinned and swung my feet out, hitting hers softly. She shifted uncomfortably. I wondered if maybe I was wrong about her. I frowned. “So what’s with the celebration?”

            A smile cracked over her features and she shimmied gleefully. “I got a car,” she squealed. She danced in her seat, blond hair catching the rays of the late afternoon sun.

            I smiled widely. “Really? Wow.” I chastised myself for not coming up with something for interesting to say then, “Really? Wow.” Carter seemed like she didn’t mind.

            She bit her bottom lip and nodded excitedly. “Rodney, my Aunt’s Mini, is arriving hopefully on Tuesday.”

            I tapped her foot with mine. “Good for you then, eh?”

            She froze, staring at me. I looked down at my own dangling feet. I didn’t know why, but it bothers me that her reaction was cold. Normally after something like that happens, I’d shrug it off. Not that I was used to rejection. Damn.

            “Spencer?”

            I looked up, surprised that Carter was still sitting there, and not even pissed, either. In fact she looked over curious. “What?” I said cautiously.

            She fidgeted, and then got up. My heart sank, thinking she was leaving, but instead she hopped over to my roof.

            “Sian says you’re bad. Evil. Twisted. You don’t look like any of those things.” She plopped down next to me and leaned back so she was on her back looking up at the clouds. I laid down next to her and rested my hands on my stomach.

68

            “Doesn’t surprise me. Sian hates my guts. I guess it’s because I keep catching her sleeping with random guys. It irritates her. Doesn’t help we’re always fighting. Deep down, I’m sure she doesn’t mean it.” I bit my lip nervously.

            She sighed. “Why do I feel like that isn’t the whole reason?” she turned to look at me, resting her head on her arm.

            I shrugged. “Because it’s not. But let’s not go into the gory details of my past, yeah?”

            “Is it because you’re…” she hesitated, not sure if she should proceed.

            I shook my head quickly. “Oh no. If that was true, would she even hang out with you?”

            Instantly her face reddened and she flipped back onto her back. “She told you?”

            “No, it’s kind of obvious.”

            She looked over at me panicking. Quickly I sat up. “Wait! No, its not obvious like that, I could never… I mean, it’s only because…” I sputtered quickly, trying to right myself. She laughed.

            “No no, I get it. It’s okay. I understand what you mean. Gaydar, whatnot. Wanna hear a secret?”

            I turned to her, her eyes glinting with mischief. I was too close to her face to be safe, so I leaned back. I tried to keep cool, like her closeness wasn’t affecting me, but damn it if images weren’t popping into my head right now. I raise and eyebrow slyly.

            “What is this secret you want to tell me? Are you going to tell me or what?”

            She stood up and went back to her side. If she came over here just to ask me if I was twisted, she might as well have just stayed on her side. I felt myself space, and it wasn’t until I realized that Carter was still standing on her side did it register that she had just answered.

            I blinked, feeling foolish. “What?”

            She laughed. “I’m glad you’re not twisted and evil.” With that said, she turned around and slipped back into her own room and shut the window, leaving me to my thoughts. I definitely wasn’t wrong about her, but I had a feeling she was still keeping her secret from me. No way she wasn’t just happy that I wasn’t messed up.

            And then she had frozen. Maybe I affected her as much as she did me. I lay back on the roof, looking at the red sky, smug. Something jabbed at my foot and looked up, hoping she had come back. No such luck.

 Confused to see nothing, I spun around on my stomach and peered over the edge. A stick shot up and I dodged, nearly falling off the roof. Sian, down below, burst into laughter and darted back to the front door.

“Sian! I’m not done with you!” I roared, climbing into my room and darted for hers. She ran up the stairs and clambered into her own, trying to shut the door before I got in. Too late, I forced myself into her room.

She stood in the center of her room, arms crossed and defiant, furious no doubt that I found her out.

“Why are you after my cash?” I closed the door. I’d say it’s for privacy, but Sian’s parents are hardly ever home. It’s more of a, if I had to kill her, I want it to be harder to get away.

“Why were you with Carter?” She shot back. I faltered.

“What?”

She flicked her hand at the direction of the window, obviously irritated. “I saw you two up on the roof. I don’t know what she said to you, but she’s never going to like you like that.” She plopped down onto her and pulled out an issue of Cosmopolitan off a pile next to her bed.

“How do you know that?” I knew she was just trying to get to me, distract me from tearing her apart, but she was Carter’s best friend.

She gave me a look, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Um, because it’s not you she likes, Spence.” She opened it to a page, getting ready to start ignoring me.

I stared at her. “It’s not you, that’s for sure.”

She snorted. “Oh, of course it isn’t. I know it isn’t me. It’s Farren.”

Author's Note

Again, worried about length. Ryan Millington up next.