AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Concerned parents.”
Same thing.
“Got it,” Dad says as he hugs me. “No lunch. No more dropping in on you two. You can just acquire cats and live alone with your Netflix and your bananas dipped in Nutella.”
“Sounds heavenly.”
Mom gives me a fast hug as Dad drags her away, muttering “One point two five, huh?” as they leave.
I return to my desk, heart racing, my skin ready to pack up and move to Sweden and practice hygge with cozy, oversized sweaters and big mugs of elderberry tea in lopsided stoneware. Can I just hide from the world right now?
Or at least, from my parents?
“They’re really intrusive, aren’t they?” Will asks from behind me, making me squeak with surprise.
“Yes.”
“Downside of living at home.”
“I don’t live at home. I have my own apartment.” Want to see it? I think to myself.
His eyes reflect that thought right back at me.
But his words don’t.
“I mean living in our hometown.”
I bristle. Here we go. “Nothing wrong with staying in a place I love.”
“Do you? Really?”
The way he adds that really makes me turn and face him, taking a deep breath to prepare myself.
“Love this place? Of course. How can you not love a place that has a town festival called the Dance and Dairy? I can’t wait for Saturday! Hesserman’s Dairy will be there with the ice cream VW bus!”
He looks at his phone, then slides it into his front pants pocket. “Are you going to the reunion?”
All this air is trapped in my lungs, ready to form into words that eviscerate him, and he asks me that?
“What?”
“The high school reunion. Class of 2009, Harmony Hills, the whole bit. Just got a reminder text about it. It’s Saturday, in fact. You going?”
“I–I don’t think so. I have to help with the Habitat for Humanity tent at the D&D.”
“D&D? You play that?”
“What? No. Not Dungeons & Dragons. Dance and Dairy. You know—the summer festival?”
“That dinky little thing?”
“It’s fun!” I protest. “And I wouldn’t want to miss the fried-pickle ice cream sundae. This is my one chance for the whole year.”
Surprise crosses his face, eyes narrowing as he steps closer to me, into resume-the-kiss territory.
“That must be some sundae.”
“No kidding. The combo of their creamy ice cream–”
