We push through the building’s side door and Aeron says, “Hey, I gotta go to the library to study.”
“‘Kay. I’ll walk with you.”
We turn onto the path that cuts across the east lawn toward the library. The campus is unusually quiet between classchanges, except for all the damn birds. A few students pass on bikes.
Aeron clears his throat. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
He’s looking straight ahead, hands shoved deep in his pockets, and his walk has gotten stiffer. “Have you ever, uh, taken someone on a date? I’m sure you have, so I guess… what did you do?” His jaw is set and there’s a faint flush climbing his neck.
“Asking for a friend?” I say, holding back a smile.
“Asking for me.”
I pat his shoulder. “Who is she?”
“Just… someone.” He kicks a loose bit of gravel off the path. “I’ve never actually been on a date. I don’t know where to take her.”
“What does she like?”
He doesn’t even have to think about it. “Foreign films and flowers. Vanilla lattes. The color pink, but she doesn’t usually wear pink lipstick?—”
“Uh, okay. Stalking much lately?”
He lets out a nervous laugh and his cheeks turn red. “No. I-I just know her a little.”
“A ‘little.’ Sure.” I let out my grin and pat his shoulder again. “Then take her to a movie and bring her flowers, man.”
“That’s not cliché?”
“It’s a classic date for a reason. Dinner and a movie. She’ll love it.”
He shrugs and falls silent, folding back into himself. I’m curious who she is, what kind of person caught his attention, but I don’t ask. He’ll tell me when he’s ready. Or he won’t.
We reach the library steps. Aeron shifts his backpack to the other shoulder and turns to face me.
“You entering the Alaria Prize?” he asks. “I keep hearing people talk about it. Figured you’d be in.”
I rub the back of my neck. The deadline is a week after the semester ends, and I haven’t even started thinking about what to submit. “I’ll enter. Just don’t know what to submit yet.”
He nods and gives me an unguarded smile. “Whatever you submit, I’m sure it’ll win.”
We grip hands, pull in, clap once, step back.
“See you later, man,” he says, then turns and takes the steps two at a time, disappearing through the library doors.
I stand here and listen to the birds.
“He looks up to you. Are you trying to ruin another kid’s life?”
I can see the admiration now.
The kid trusts me.
And June thinks I’m going to break him.
Maybe she’s right.
