Lots of people want to ride with you in the Limo. But what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the Limo breaks down. "

- Oprah Winfrey

I'm sitting with the smart kids today. They are talking about black holes.

"No! The gravity is too strong!" exclaims Jolene.

Sean shakes his head and explains his theory. Doughty is watching them with amusement. He rolls his eyes and turns his attention to the girl sitting next to him. He starts talking to her. I think he is flirting.

"What will happen if I walk into a black hole?" I say.

I know that is not possible. I mean, a black hole is not a door you can just open and walk through, but that question is a hypothetical one. As I am invisible, none of them hear my question.

I always want to know the answer to that question. What will happen if I get close to a black hole, if I walk into a black hole? As there is so much gravity, it will break my body into parts smaller than an atom. Will I feel it? Or will I be gone before that?

The smart kids don't hear me, so they don't bother to answer. I don't let it get to me. I stand up, ready to leave the table.

"Where are you going?" Sean asks.

"I, um... I will go sit with Oliver and Jason," I answer.

"Really?" Jolene asks. "What do you have with them? You've been sitting with them recently."

Oliver and Jason listen when I ask questions. They engage with me. Well, at least Jason does.

"Nothing," I shrug. "They are fun."

"Whatever," Sean shrugs and goes back to arguing with Jolene. They won't miss me here.

I make my way towards the other end of the cafeteria. I set down my tray and smile.

"Bradbury is back!" Jason exclaims.

Oliver says, "Yes, because she has nowhere else to go. Isn't that it, Gwen?"

Well, ouch.

And also, I will never get over the fact that Oliver says my name like he is accusing me of something.

You killed that man, didn't you, Gwen?

"I was sitting with Sean, Jolene and Doughty there, but I got bored," I say. "So, missed me much?"

"I can speak for myself, yes. Where were you?" Jason asks accusingly.

Oliver, of course, doesn't express any emotion.

"Up in the clouds," I say, pointing upwards, which is kind of true, metaphorically.

I look back at Oliver and find him glaring at me, "What have I done now?"

Oliver's eyes travel down from my eyes to my wrist, and he narrows his eyes.

Oh.

I hold up my hand for him to see. "It hasn't turned blue. I applied ice right after I got inside. Although I woke mom up and I had to pretend I was there for water. Mom gave me a suspicious look. All of that trouble only because you told me to get ice."

Oliver gets a proper look of my wrist and then glances away without a word.

Jason and I talk as Oliver eats his lunch in silence. Jason lets me know Oliver has been brooding for the past few days, as he always does. Jason has been watching more basketball games, which he tells me about with his fantastic commentary. As we talk, Oliver stands up. I glance at his way. He is leaving, already.

Oliver takes his tray and walks out without so much as a goodbye or See you later. I figure he doesn't want to see me later.

"He really does hate me," I say quietly, looking the way Oliver left.

"Really? I thought you were smarter than that," Jason says, smiling a little.

"He doesn't?" I say. "But he always points out how I am not his friend and stuff." I look down.

Jason shakes his head, "When he knows he cares for someone, he tries his best to hide his feelings. You are our friend. Oliver is just trying to hide his feelings because he is - I don't know - taking his time to process it. But didn't you see him the other night?"

I did see him that night we went out and got mugged. He was angry with me for taking him out in the middle of the night. I grimace.

"After you got out from the car and went inside, Oliver went on for five minutes how much he hated going out and blah, blah, blah, and then he complained how you let him bruise you and then he went on for another five minutes about how I should never join you because he thinks I'm not enough to keep you in check."

"Oh," I say.

"Who do you think is enough to keep you in check?" Jason nudges me.

"Eh. I don't need anyone to check on me," I flip my hair.

"That's not the case. Oliver thinks he is the only one who can be a match for what you do," Jason says with a smile. "That's why, if you ever go out again in the middle of the night, I won't be going with you, but I'm pretty sure he will."

I smile and look away. I do know that. Oliver will go out with me, but only after glaring at me and giving me a hundred disapproving looks.

*****

I step out from my classroom. My last class has ended. It is time to go back home and chill. Yay!

I turn in the hallway and find Oliver taking books out of his locker.

Remembering the conversation I had with Jason, I smile.

"Hey, Oli," I say, leaning against a locker.

Oliver visibly takes a deep breath. So, that's just drama. He knows he is my friend, but he is just trying to save himself, according to his best friend.

Oliver closes his locker door, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. I fall into step beside him "So, what's your plan today? I'm bored."

Oliver doesn't reply. It's like I am talking to a wall. However, I am not one to give up, especially not after what I heard from Jason. That put me in a good mood the whole day.

"Like your fantastic midnight adventure plan, I want to make another after-school plan," I say. "Let's have a eat-off today. You know, who can eat the most in the shortest amount of time. Me vs you."

Oliver stops and turns to me. "Unlike you, I have work to do."

"So, if you didn't have work, you would have joined me," I state, smiling. "That's nice to know, my friend."

"You are not-"

"Yeah, yeah, and I am the queen of Genovia," I say, shrugging him off.

"You might as well be," Oliver replies.

"Aww, it's so sweet, " I nudge him in the shoulder, "that you think I'm a queen."

Oliver looks like he is having constipation. Poor guy.

As we walk out from the school compound, side by side, I slip my fingers into Oliver's and drag him with me. " Let's go to Pizzaria. We'll order two large pizzas and see who wins."

"I said, I have work," Oliver says from behind me as he follows.

"What work?" I ask, turning back a little.

Before he opens his mouth, I answer, "Wait, that's none of my business."

I think I see the corner of Oliver's lip twitching, like he is trying not to smile. I look forward quickly as I feel my cheek heating up.

A few seconds later, Oliver is no longer behind me. He is walking with me, side by side. "I don't feel hungry."

"Okay, then where do you want to go?"

Oliver squints his eyes as he looks around and points at the bookshop. "I need some stuff."

"For your work?" I ask.

Oliver nods, and we head that way. As we get there, Oliver opens the door first. What a gentleman.

"Thank you, " I say, smiling, and walk inside.

"I didn't open the door for you," Oliver says as he comes in.

"Yeah, and I have three boobs," I say in reply.

Oliver's eyebrow travels half a millimetre upward.

"Now, don't look at my boobs," I say.

Oliver clears his throat and quickly looks around awkwardly. I can't help but laugh.

"You are so cute," I blurt out while laughing.

"I am going to pretend you never said that," Oliver mutters under his breath.

"Sure," I say and we walk in through the aisle. Oliver is walking around aimlessly, not really choosing a book. I think I am going to leave him on his own.

"Have fun browsing!" I say as I head towards the comics, leaving Oliver behind.

I look for Marvel comics, and I find a spiderman one. Then I head for the fiction aisle. I have been reading romance novels for as long as I can remember, but those don't interest me much anymore. Ever since I became in a draught of feelings, I don't feel anything reading them.

I pick up a book. The title says Me and an Earl and a Dying Girl. I haven't read that one yet, so I take it and head for the booth.

Oliver is already leaning against the door, a paper packet in his hand. I roll my eyes as the cashier scans my books. I pay and Oliver opens the door. This time he steps out first, but he doesn't let go of the door, so I step out as well.

I decide not to point that out. We walk in silence. Oliver holds his bag in his other hand so his empty hand is brushing mine. I decide not to slip my fingers in his. He deserves a bit of peace.

"Tater tots were good?" I ask as I see Pop's in the distance.

I look up at him and see a faint-really faint-pink line over his cheek. If I wasn't standing by his side, I wouldn't have seen it.

"What tater tots?" Oliver asks.

I roll my eyes. And I thought he was honest.

"You are not much of an outgoing person, even though you have Jason. I know it's none of my business, but what do you really do all the time? Doesn't it get lonely?" I ask quietly.

Oliver takes his time to answer. "Being alone doesn't always mean being lonely."

I know what that means. I have been alone before and I am lonely now. I know the difference.

"I prefer to be alone. I can pay attention to the things I want to and do my stuff without any distraction," Oliver adds.

Isn't it ironic? Oliver prefers to be alone, but he has a best friend, and he has me, who's nagging at him all the time. Then there's me: I don't wanna be alone, but I don't have any choice.

"But you are not really alone, are you? You have parties at your house all the time," I say.

Oliver grimaces beside me. "And you hate that," I amend.

Then I remember the time I was inside his room that night of the party. He must have hated the fact that I invaded his room.

Plus, his older brother is Owen Carlson, who throws parties for any occasion, as far as I know. I feel bad for poor Oliver.

"Don't your parents say anything about the whole party situation?" I ask.

Oliver snorts. "My parents. Right."

I narrow my eyes. Oliver doesn't elaborate. I shrug and let it go.

"What do you do? Tell me," I say and nudge him. Our hands brush against each other.

"Are you really asking me about my hobbies?" Oliver says, looking down at me.

"Maybe?" I confirm.

Oliver shakes his head slightly. When I think he is not going to answer, he does, and what he says surprises me.

"When you know you have all that time to yourself, and you only have you to spend it with, you have to find something that intrigues you. Something that makes you think, that makes you engage with it. You just do. You will find yours, as well, if you look for it properly," says Oliver.

I think that was by far the most sentences Oliver has spoken to me without being angry.

I also realize I am not the only one who is wearing the invisibility cloak. Does he know I can see him even when he has his cloak on? Does he ever try to see me?

"Hmm. Something that intrigues me, that makes me think," I tap on my chin as I think. "I've got one."

Oliver raises his eyebrow. I lean towards him, "You."

Oliver blinks, "Me?"

"Yes, you are gonna be my hobby," I say, smiling a little, "because you intrigue me."

Oliver looks away. "Hobby, right."

Did I say something wrong? And for some weird reason, I think Oliver sounds upset.

"I have to be going home," Oliver says, pointing the way that leads to his house.

"Okay," I say. "See you later."

Oliver doesn't reply and goes on his way. He doesn't even glance back once.

*****