Airel - Aaron Patterson [11]
Kim was a little breathless. “Yeah, Michael Alexander and James Carver. Who doesn’t know your names?” She stood and looked at James as if he was on clearance at Vanity, which was her favorite store at the moment.
James looked at me and smiled but didn’t say anything. Michael slid into the booth and looked at Kim, who then joined me and pushed me in toward the window. I guessed they were joining us. Not like I was having a bad day or anything. Then again, seriously, not like I minded. I just wish I would have known. I was glad for that stick of gum, though. I tried not to chomp it.
“Mind if we join you guys?”
Now that you’re already seated! I smiled.
“Oh, we’d love for you to join us. We just got our food and… well I’m sure they can get you a menu.” Kim couldn’t wipe that retarded smile off her face and James looked as uncomfortable as I was.
So now we were sitting. James and I were looking at each other like caged animals. Kim and Michael chatted it up like old grade school friends. My heart was beating faster than I thought possible and I tried not to think about the guy who sat a few feet from me. I could see his eyes sparkle as he talked. The way he held his glass of water... every movement was flawless, like he was some billionaire’s son who spent hours learning how to hold and drink from a glass in the most perfect way. But there was more to him... something fine and sinewy and cat-like. I had to look away and try not to breathe hard. Looking at him was like drinking from some forbidden pool and I could not get enough, ever.
“So, Ariel.” He said my name! I tried to look as calm as I could, but I responded clumsily. “What are you and Kim up to today?” He gazed into my eyes, and for a second I felt like I knew him or that maybe he knew me. It was so weird how he seemed so familiar.
Don’t just sit there, answer him! “We’re going to the mall and then we thought we might go see a movie.” I was amazed. I talked like a normal girl, no hint of a stutter or of my voice cracking. Yay. I even sounded calm and collected. “What about you guys? What brings you to our favorite café?”
“Well, James here offered to show me around. My dad and his dad know each other from high school. I used to play with this guy when we were like four.” He smiled at James, who was loosening up, or so it seemed.
“Yeah, we even got my sister to eat mud after we convinced her that it was chocolate!” James smiled and hit the table as he laughed, making the forks and knives clink a little. He was shorter than Michael and had dark wavy hair. He glanced at Kim every now and then to see if she was still staring at him. She was.
Kim was not shy. She was not subtle, sensitive, or secretive. She didn’t play games because she wasn’t sure of herself—no, she played games on her terms, for fun. She liked James and she would not hide it, even if she could have. “You should so come with us! We could use your opinions as guys. It’ll be fun. We’ll show you around.” Kim’s big, fat mouth. I could have killed her. I wasn’t just terrified to the bone... I prayed fervently that they would decline her offer. What had happened to girl time? Besides, what guys wanted to hang out with a couple of girls as they went shopping?
Michael smiled and looked at James. I was relieved to see on James’ face a hint of the same horror I was feeling. Michael took a sip from his glass and grinned crookedly. I began to melt, but recovered quickly.
“That could be cool. We wouldn’t mind, right, James?” he elbowed his friend, the quarterback. “James here isn’t much for conversation and he drives even worse. It would be nice to hang with somebody interesting.” James half-smiled and looked over his shoulder for the escape hatch.
I hear ya buddy. I’m looking for it too. I had to interject. “That is,” I said a little too eagerly, “unless you already have plans. Ya know, like, I don’t know, playing… catch, or… something.” I trailed off, yet again.
Michael Alexander, brutally handsome, answered my plea with a rejection: “No plans.”
“Cool!” said