AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Aside from making me sound like an antisocial douche?” I tease. She rolls her eyes. “Pretty good. I… Sometimes the attention is nice, flattering. It can also be really annoying.”
I don’t mention my dad.
“So, are you any good?”
She mirrors my earlier question, so I match her same response. “I’m my own worst critic.”
“No one’s ever seen my artwork,” she tells me. “I’m myonlycritic. Obviously, other people have seen you play hockey. You’re good, right?”
I nod.
“I took tennis lessons for a while in middle school. That’s really the only sport I know anything about. But one day when you’re a famous hockey player, I’ll be able to say I met you once back when you had to hang up your own posters.”
“Once?” I snort. “I think you’re underestimating how small this town really is. If you’re here for another week, we’ll probably run into each other at least four more times.”
“I’m here until next Tuesday.”
Ten days. Why does that sound so short?
“More than four, then,” I hypothesize. “Especially if we make plans to hang out.”
“Are you asking me out?” She sounds surprised, definitely. I can’t detect if there’s any positive or negative emotion underneath. It doesn’t matter either way.
“Nah,” I reply. “I like you too much to date you.”
Her nose wrinkles, and it’s kind of cute. “Uh, thanks?”
I chuckle. “I’m selfish. I have priorities, and girls aren’t high on the list. Anyone who pulled me away…I’d end up resenting them. The way my mom resented my dad. The way he resented her.” I shrug. “There’s an easy way to avoid that mess.”
“That’s awfully cynical,” she observes.
I shrug. “I’m a realist. Relationships usually end badly. Isn’t that why you’re here?”
She scoffs. “Thanks for the reminder.”
“Sorry.” I wince. I’m worried I’ve actually upset her, andthatworries me—I rarely care what people think.
“It’s fine. You’re right.” She pauses, then puts one foot back in the lake, splashing the surface. “Well, I should go do…something.”
I’m not expecting the disappointment. More accurately, the panic. Despite what I told her, I’m oddly freaked out I’ll never see her again. Bizarre on many levels.
“What are you going to do? I thought you don’t have any friends here.”
She stares at me. “Dude, seriously? Have you talked to a girl before?”
I laugh harder than I have in a while. If she only knew. “Yeah, but they usually do most of the talking.”
“Imagine that.”
I grin. “You should come back to Josh’s with me. He’s got tons of people over.” She looks confused. “Josh? The pen stealer,” I add.
“Yeah, I remember. I just…I don’t really think I’m in the mood to go to a party of strangers right now.”
“I’ll be there.”
“I met you today.”
“So?”
