Chapter 10

After a while I heard another knock on my door. I got up with a grunt.

"All they ever do is knock."

I opened the door to Jonathan with his head down and arms stretched out with a plate of food.

"Oh, thank you," I said taking the food. He put his hands behind his back and nodded.

Then as if something caught his eye his head jerked up. He was looking directly at my book which laid on my bed with big surprised eyes.

"Your reading that too?" He asked with his voice slightly louder than before.

"Yeah I'm reading it for class. Why?"

"Nothing just that I'm reading it as well."

I looked at him surprised.

He reads for fun? Like me?

"So where are you in the book? I'm a little over half way." I asked hoping we could discuss things.

"I'm in the second to last chapter."

"Really? Wow! I mean the books good but I don't think I could make it that far."

He looked up and smiled. "Yeah it is a little hard to read. The author likes to use big words and combine things that you don't always think work. But I like it."

I smiled back. "I guess I like it too. Just need to read it."

He nodded and looked around.

"Mind if I join you?"

I looked at him surprised. He seemed the type to want to be alone especially when reading.

"Yeah sure but I'll be eating."

"That's fine. As long as I can be with you."

I looked at Jonathan shocked.

"I-I mean to discuss it of course!" He stuttered, his face red. "I'm going to get my book!" He nervously said as he walked to his room and went inside. He walked back out as if he knew exactly where it was. I let him in and closed the door.

"Sit where ever you'd like. I don't really have any chairs."

"It's fine I'll just sit here," he said walking over to my bed. He sat down while opening his book and began to read. I smiled and headed to my desk chair and started nibbling on my food thinking back to when Jake was in here with me.

After a while I finished with only a few things left on my plate and set I beside before grabbing my book. I walked over to Jonathan and sat next to him on my bed.

He immediately moved away to the very edge and looked at the floor.

"Sorry am I too close?"

"No, it's not you, really, I'm just not used to being so close to some people."

"But you've been with the others the others for a while, right?"

"Yeah but... I'm still shy around them."

I looked at him shocked.

"Well you don't seem that shy around me."

He looked at me the back at the floor.

"You seem a lot like me so I guess I feel comfortable with you."

It was my turn to look away now.

"Oh... that's nice, I guess," I whispered leaving the last part mostly for me.

We sat in silence before Jonathan moved just a little closer to me.

"So where are you in the book exactly?"

"Oh I'm at the part where the guy's about to go back to the other world."

"Ah, interesting..."

I looked at him curiously. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Just that you're about to reach the climate."

"But I thought I already passed that!"

He let out a short laugh. "That's what makes this book fun to read."

This was nice being able to see his hole face and talk to him. Our conversation made me feel happy again. Almost like I was having one of those chats with my brother.

I froze in shock seeing what I'd just did again.

"Uh, Samantha? Are you okay?"

Jonathan's voice brought me back to reality.

"Huh...? Oh, yeah, sorry. What were we talking about?"

"Samantha do you not like us?"

Jonathan's question truly brought me back and I looked at him shocked from the question.

"N-no I don't dislike you guys you're just new and different."

"That doesn't help me feel better about this."

"What I'm trying to say is that despite you guys being great people I think my mom only let you guys in to fill up a void recently created."

"So we're replacements?"

"No that came out wrong I-"

"For who?"

I left my mouth hanging at the actual question at hand.

Were they really replacing dad and Justin?

"Can we just focus on something else? Anything else?"

"Why do you seem to specifically hat Jake, Sebastian, and Alex?"

"You really like personal questions."

"Sorry it's a thing. But you can trust me not to tell anyone. I barely talk anyway so I wouldn't tell anyone."

It was true. In the little time I've been with him he's rarely been there and even when he was not a word left him. But he his talking a bit to me.

"How can I trust you? You're talking lot to me so why wouldn't I believe you'd do the same with the others when you're alone?"

"Why would I want to tell them if this gives me an advantage? I mean it would be something to be concerned about but I promise I won't tell the others. I don't really talk to them anyway. You're the only person I've ever really done this with."

He looked at me, his brown eyes deep and smooth. I felt my cheeks get warm but I didn't look away.

"We just seem to have gotten off the wrong foot," I answered hoping to get off the subject.

"Then you guys should just restart. I just don't want things to be awkward around us."

"I guess we could do that."

We stayed in silence for a while when I looked at the time. It was kind of late. I looked at my plate from dinner and got up.

"Well it's getting late and I need to sleep."

Jonathan looked at me disappointed to have to leave.

"Oh, y-yeah. I should go too."

He gave me a quick smile and left with no question.