AllFreeNovel
Share Us
There’s barely any evidence of the carnival left this morning. The rides and tents are gone. Any trash has been picked up. The only suggestion that something took place here is the matted grass. Even that has begun to disappear, the blades slowly drifting back upright under beams of sunlight.
“Morning, Denny.”
I spin around to see Elliot walking toward me.
“Uh, hi. Hey.” It was easier talking to him last night when his face was shadowed and his eye color less noticeable.It’s just genetics, I tell myself.Basic science.
Good looks don’t make you a better person or more worthy of anyone’s time. A pretty painting is nowhere near as valuable as one packed with emotion. Just look at the Mona Lisa.
They do make it harder to form coherent sentences around a guy, though.
Elliot looks me up and down when he reaches me. “You’re wearing shorts.”
“It’s summer?” I say the fact like a question.
He nods. “Yeah, I guess. Come on.”
“Come where?” His text this morning was vague, just telling me to meet him here at ten.
He asked for my number before I left Josh’s party last night. I didn’t stay for long before trekking the few blocks back to Katherine’s, uncomfortable under the glare of attention. I underestimated Elliot’s popularity—by a lot—but he didn’t leave my side until I left. Elliot is loyal. I have no idea what I did to inspire him to extend it to me, and neither did anyone else at the party last night based on the confused looks aimed my way. I’m not going to question it, though. I don’t have anyone else in my corner besides Katherine, who’s been too busy to so much as show me around town, and the looks last night weren’t just confused; they were envious. I think it’s fair to say Elliot Reid has more clout in Canmore than my workaholic aunt.
Plus, I like spending time with him.
Elliot doesn’t answer my question until we’re halfway down the block. “I need coffee.”
“And there’s a strict dress code for that?”
He smirks. “No, but you’ll be cold at the rink.”
“Theicerink?”
“Yup.” He pauses, as if something just occurred to him. “You can skate, right?”
“Yeah, but it’s been a while. And it’s summer.”
Elliot looks amused. “You mentioned that already. The rink is open year-round.”
“So…we’re going skating?”
“Yeah.” He glances over. “Unless you don’t want to? It’s fine if you don’t.”
“Does it make me sound lame to say I have nothing else to do besides summer work?”
He chuckles, and it makes me smile. I noticed last night that Elliot isn’t someone who relies on expected responses. He’s the only person I’ve told about my parents’ divorce, but I somehow know anyone else would have said they were sorry, or noted how that must suck. His friend Josh made lots of jokes on the dock last night. Elliot only laughed at a couple, while everyone else laughed at them all.
I’m envious of his confidence. I usually feel forced to conform to the behavior people expect.
Elliot stops outside a brick building that’s been painted white. He holds the door open for me, which I’m not expecting.
“Thanks,” I tell him as I step inside. The interior of this coffee shop is about as opposite from the one we met in yesterday as it could possibly be. It’s clean and modern, all sparsely decorated walls and white chairs. Potted plants are tastefully scattered about.
There’s more than just the occasional middle-aged patron. Plenty of people who look like they’re our age are here, clustered in groups. Several of the teenagers call out to Elliot as we join the line of customers waiting to order. I’m worried I may end up in another uncomfortable interaction with strangers, but Elliot keeps his attention on me. No one approaches us.
“I tried looking you up on social media,” he says while I’m pretending to read the chalkboard menu displayed behind the counter.
“You did?” I look over, surprised he did and even more surprised he’s mentioning it. Is this what it’s like being friends with a guy? They just tell you things instead of forcing you to scour subtext?
“Uh-huh.”
