I called Robert as soon as I got into the house. I passed my mother in the kitchen as the phone rang, she had called me over to eat, but I was unsure if I should. I was still holding on to Daston’s promise that he would take me out to eat. I did not want to be rude and go eaten. Then again, if we did not end up going, I was just starving myself for no reason.

Robert’s phone rang several times before he managed to answer it. The voice that answered was almost unrecognizable, he sounded like a chain smoker, his voice croaky and awful. Maybe I was too hasty in thinking he simply ditched.

“Robert, what the hell is wrong with your voice? Did you actually get sick?”

“No.” He croaked. “I think I fell asleep while reading.” I could hear him yawn though the phone.

“You fucking asshole. I was almost concerned for you.” I snarled.

“Don’t me mad.” I could hear his cringe.

“What are you going to do to make it up to me?”

“I’ll go over, right now.”

“How is that going to make it up to me?”

“It’s not, but I am going over to explain, and I’ll get you a shit ton of chocolate and candy.”

I grinned. “Bring the chocolate and candy now.” I hung up before he could say anything else. I walked into my room and laid on my stomach on the bed. I had already forgiven Robert, I just wanted to give him a hard time.

The doorbell rang almost thirty minutes later. I sprinted downstairs, my mom was at the door, Robert in front of her, he cringed under her hard stare.

I walked up to them. “Robert, you are here, good, come on let’s go to my room.” I grabbed his arm, and he shot me a grateful look. He was wearing his backpack for school.

“So, Robert,” My mother kept staring at him. “you and Brianna be careful now.”

“Of course. madam.” Madam? Since when does Robert say Madam.

“Good.” She walked back into the kitchen. Robert visibly exhaled in relief.

I pulled him by the arm upstairs. “Bri, your mom is scary.” He told me.

I shook my head at him and took him into my room. I closed the door behind us and crossed my arms, my eyes narrowed. “Where’s my chocolate?”

Robert rolled his eyes and shrugged off his backpack. “I have it here.” He handed me various chocolate bars and I took them greedily.

“Am I forgiven? You know I am sorry I left you.” He nudged me with his shoulder. “Can you forgive me?” He pleaded.

“You’re forgive.” I peeled off the wrapper from the chocolate bar and took a big bite. One chocolate bar would calm my hunger. “But I just want to know, why did you ditch? And why did you not invite me? You know I would have gone with you.”

He sighed. “That passage, the one you showed me, I’ve read it before.” His face scrunched up. “Well, I am not sure if I read it, but it sounded really familiar.”

“Familiar?” I said confused

“I don’t know why, it just is. The memory is really far away, I almost have to squint to remember it, but it’s there, I know it.”

“And why haven’t you mentioned it before?”

“Because I didn’t remember until after I read the passage.” He sounded frustrated.

I sat on my bed and signaled for him to sit next to me. Robert conceded, his shoulder and mine touched with our proximity. “That still doesn’t explain why you ditched me.” I told him.

“I am getting to that part.” He shook his head at my impatience. “I wanted to know if maybe I had read it in another book. So, I went home and looked through my stack of books. And the only way I could do that is if I faked an illness. I could not bring you along. What was I going to tell my mom? I’m sick but let my friend stay with me in my room.”

My fingers fidgeted in annoyance. “Couldn’t you wait util after school?”

“Bri,” He gave me an incredulous look. “Have you seen how into this I am? Do you think I would have survived the whole day without knowing?” He did have a point. He would not have survived one hour let alone seven.

“Well, you still should have told me. I was waiting for you at the table like a dumb ass.”

He sagged in defeat. “Ok, I am guilty of that, sorry. But it was kind of a last minute decision. It came to me when I was walking to class.”

“So, did you find the book?” I asked. Believe it or not I was dying to know.

“Nope, I could have heard that passage anywhere. I’m not sure if it was a book, but it has to be. I spent my life with my nose in a book.” His face became solemn. “If the book is back in the library, we’ll never find it. We’ve been through too many of their books to retrace our steps.”

“What about The Seer’s Handbook? Does that have anything about it?” I did not know what compelled me to ask. It was like the words blurted from my lips without my knowledge.

“The what?”

“The Seer’s Handbook, you know that book on your dresser.” Why was I explaining this to him? He should know what book I was talking about. The title was kind of weird; it’s not one you’d forget.

“Brianna,” He said slowly, “I don’t have a book called The Seer’s Handbook.”

“But I saw it, it was in your room yesterday.”

He gave me a confused look. “Brianna, trust me, if there was a book in my room called The Seer’s Handbook, I would know about it. I turned my room upside down yesterday looking through all of my books. There was not one in there called that. It was just my comics and the same old ones I’ve let you read.”

“Ok then.” I let it go for now. Robert looked so sincere. I couldn’t not believe him.

“Can you leave the book with me today?” I asked. I knew he had it in his backpack. He gave me a surprised look and dug his hand into his backpack. “How did you know I had it with me?” He took out the book and held it out at arms-length.

I grabbed the book it was as heavy as I remembered. “Like I don’t know you Robert.”

He smiled at me, a genuine smile. He liked that I knew him so well.

Robert hung around my room for the next hour as he told me about his boring day. I told him about the crazy day I had, and how Daston pretty much stalked me all day.

“I knew he liked you.” Robert slapped my back a few times. “Well done. Should I high five you for getting such a hunk?”

I raised my eyebrows at him.

“What? I am confident in my masculinity and I know when to acknowledge when another man is good looking.” He snipped.

“More power to you.” I nodded. “You know he asked me out tonight, kind of. He’s taking me out to eat, maybe, I am not even sure if that is still going on. He didn’t even give me a time.” I grumbled. I tugged at a lock of my hair self-consciously.

Robert gave me a wicked look. “Oh, he’s coming.”

I snickered at how sure he was. “I am not sure if he likes me, he probably just wants to bang me because come on.” I signaled at my body.

He laughed. “Either way he wants you, so I am sure he is going to come running.”

Hearing Roberts confident made me feel better. Robert left shortly after, winking at me and making me promise to share all the details with him later. He could be such a girl sometimes.

I jumped in the shower after he left and pulled on a clean pair of jeans and a t shirt. I glanced at the window, it would start to get dark soon, and with it a chill. I grabbed my black hoodie and pulled it on. My stomach was growling, I was ravenous, the chocolate only dulled my hunger for a short while.

Once my clock read seven pm, I was having serious doubts about Daston. I wanted to bang my head against the wall. Why would I think he was coming?

I walked dejectedly down the stairs to get something to eat. I walked past the front door and heard the doorbell ring once. I froze.

It couldn’t? I walked quickly to the door and pressed my eye on the peephole. With his brown messy hair and tall menacing stature it was impossible to not know who the person behind the door was. I glanced behind me. Luckily none of my family came down. I smiled inwardly and opened the door.