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I threw my braids into a shower cap, desperately wanting to get rid of them soon. Even though I had just redone them to the ocean set, it was the braids themselves that bothered me. Someone earlier said they pinpointed me in a sea of people because of my ‘signature’ braids. That’s when I knew it was time for a change.
I didn’t like being sequestered into a box, and if my braids did that, then they had to go.
Not tonight, though. Ditching the braids took hours. Preparing my natural hair underneath for whatever style I decided on next added even more time. It was a whole day’s effort and had to wait at least until the weekend. I needed to get my money’s worth of this set first.
After jumping into the shower and refreshing the tinted moisturizer and mascara on my face, I stood in front of my closet, wondering what to wear for tonight.
Charlie’s message didn’t say where we were going, just the address and said it would be about a thirty-minute drive. Which, I assumed, he added to tell me that we shouldn’t be spotted by anyone we knew.
And if that was the case, then I had to hustle. I pulled a black V-neck shirt over my head and tugged on a pair of jeans. At the last second, I grabbed my rings off my dresser, sliding them on my fingers. The black squid went over my thumb, a silver ring of thorns on my ring finger, and a fake diamond skull on my other hand. I stacked a few more on and added my bracelets.
I still hadn’t found my favorite black scrunchie, which royally pissed me off. I had to settle with the navy, which was closest to the black, and run out the door.
As soon as I pulled up to the address, I froze.
The Wonder of the Seas—an aquarium.
I had been here before, a long, long time ago. Dad took me when I was little and in my squid- obsession phase. And, of course, we came here on the occasional elementary school field trip. But it had been a long time since I even thought about the aquarium.
It was on the smaller side, not one of the giant ones that attracted millions of people every year. This was a local family run aquarium, but still had some amazing animals inside.
Before I got out of the car, I dug into my purse and grabbed some lip balm, gliding it over my lips and smacking them together for good measure.
Glancing up, I saw Charlie pull into the spot next to me. I didn’t really like the fact that I beat him there. It wasn’t my style to be the first one to places.
“We’re… here?” Charlie held my car door open while I stood, closing it softly after me.
This boy and his manners were going to take some getting used to. Teller boys weren’t nearly as mindful.
“Yup. We’re here,” Charlie answered, his perpetual smile on his face.
My gaze shifted from him to the giant picture of a yellow and blue fish on the wall in front of us. “Why are we somewhere where anyone can see us? The Fairy Godmother already has feelers out for me. If anyone spots—”
“Relax,” Charlie whispered, stepping closer to me. “No one will see us. We’re thirty minutes away from town on a Friday night. No one comes here… that I know of, anyway.”
That wasn’t as reassuring as I assumed he thought it would be. But I went along, letting him open the door and usher me inside.
He went up to the ticket counter and got paid for us both. The gesture was kind and appreciated. I grabbed a map of the place before we left the lobby and entered the main room.
“Something fishy is going on here,” I stated as we walked toward the first tank. I needed something to break the tension. While mini golf was fun, it didn’t have the same feel as this. At least then, we had something to do to keep us occupied and distracted.
Being here at the aquarium, so close to each other, in the quiet… it felt like a real date. Or, at least, what I assumed a real date would be like. I had never been on something I would count as a date before.
Charlie laughed and followed a half-step behind me. I suppressed a shiver as his hand rested on my back gently, him guiding me as we walked.
Tucking my lips together tightly, I kept my gaze on the wall of fish. I didn’t want to admit it out loud, but having him be there felt… nice.
“Was that Una Nielsen cracking a joke?” Charlie said, moving to stand next to me as we stared into the water. A small school of bright blue fish darted and swirled around in front of the glass before disappearing behind the coral. “I like it.”
“What are we supposed to do here?” I asked, genuinely curious. Looking at the fish was great and all, but it left a lot of time for awkward silence.
Charlie shrugged, his broad shoulders brushing against mine slightly. “Watch the fish. Talk about our favorite ones. Just have… conversation?”
“Ew.” That made him laugh again, which ended up making me smile a little.
“Not big on conversation? What do you and your friends do all the time, then?” he asked, shoving his hands in his pockets, still staring straight ahead at the tank.
I sighed. “Fine. Conversation I can do. Ridiculous small talk is what makes me cringe.”
