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She tried to play it cool and failed. “You fell off your board. Of course I was going to laugh at you.”
She took a step towards me and held her hands out like she didn’t even think about it. I took them both in one hand, grabbed my board with the other and we both pulled me to standing. There was an odd feeling in my fingers as they let go of hers. Something kind of tingly. I ignored it.
“Fell off. Sat in a puddle. Much of a muchness.” I flicked wet hair out of my eye and looked down at her. “The result was as expected.”
She ducked her face and kept walking. “Roman Lombardi isn’t the kind of guy to fall off his skateboard to make someone else smile…”
I kept up with her easily. “Isn’t he?”
“No,” she scoffed.
I nodded. “Then, it must have been an accident.”
“Must have,” she said softly.
We walked on in silence for a while. I didn’t know what she was thinking about, probably much the same as me, though maybe for different reasons.
I didn’t know what was up with me.
It was bad enough that I had this unnatural draw to her, but that hadn’t been the first time in the last few weeks I’d done something to make her smile. There was something very wrong with me. And yet…
Why the fuck was I humming ‘Waking Up in Vegas’?
I saw her looking at me, and saw she liked it. So, what did I do? I got to the chorus and broke out in song. Of course I did. Because that made any fucking sense. Next time I hit the chorus, I added in a hip wiggle and a strut. Because I was well known for my dancing skills. Next thing, it was a full-on performance.
But she was laughing.
She was fucking laughing, and it made me never want to stop.
All things must come to an end, though, even Katy Perry songs.
“Speaking from experience?” she asked.
“Definitely. The hangover was real. He was a perfect gentleman, though. The annulment was quick and easy. We still exchange Christmas cards.”
She laughed again and I couldn’t help but be chuffed that I’d brought it out in her.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Barlow,” I told her when we drew level with my driveway.
She actually waved. “Sure. Perhaps you can regale me with another Katy Perry classic on the way to school?”
“You take that to your grave, Barlow!” I said, acting severe, but feeling like laughing myself.
As she walked backwards towards her house, she crossed her heart. “Of course.”
I shook my head, feeling a smile trying to worm its way onto my face. I took one last look at her, standing there in all her utter perfection, and couldn’t help biting my lip. Who knew what kind of bullshit would try jumping out if I didn’t.
She was enthralling. Everything about her, like it was designed as my own personal torment. But the torment was sweet. I could look but, just because I could never touch, it didn’t mean I had to go completely without.
