my worst fears confirmed. It was Jaron standing oh so close with an impish grin stretched across his dust-covered face. Even in my completely mortified state, I could still appreciate his sparkling eyes, tousled hair, and glistening brow. The hard labor had his black t-shirt clinging to his tight muscular torso in a way that made my eyes linger.
“Hey, dust bunny, what are you doing here?” Clarissa asked, pulling me out of my daze.
He turned to her, crinkling up his nose in the cutest way. “Dust bunny, really? I’m just hanging something up.”
“What are you hanging?” I asked, immediately curious and relieved to have recovered my voice.
“Well I told you that I was in art class since your school doesn't have shop.” He stepped out of my way and gestured to an ornate sculpture now on the wall.
Somehow he had turned metal into water. I marveled at the movement he had given to the stationary waves that seemed to ripple and crash into each other. I sucked in a breath, surprised by the beauty of it. Leaving Clarissa in line, I walked over to see it closer. The metal was raw and unpainted, but different shades of blue and gray swirled throughout it. I studied the white tips of the breaking waves and noted the tiny specks of melted metal that mirrored the ocean’s spray. How he had created the effect was a mystery. It looked far too delicate. I reached out and touched one of the cool smooth whitecaps.
“They wanted a water feature but couldn’t afford a fountain. They saw my booth at the art exhibit and I’m cheap.” He laughed. “Do you like it?” His eyes couldn’t hide the hope he had that I would.
“It’s amazing, Jaron.” His name felt so good on my lips. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”
“I have,” he said, his eyes ablaze.
“Wait! That metal sculpture of the woman with wind-swept hair… That’s your’s?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Come on. We’re going to be late!” Clarissa shouted, standing in front of the ticket window.
“Oh.” I had forgotten about the movie. I turned to him apologetically. “I’m sorry. I’m uh, I was going…” I stammered idiotically.
Clarissa rolled her eyes and stomped over to us. “You want to catch a movie with us?” she asked, pointing her thumb between the two of us.
I glared at her. She knew I wasn’t allowed to go out with a boy without trotting him home first.
“Oh, he's here and you're here. You totally went out separately.”
Jaron’s head bobbed back in confusion.
“Come on, Casanova, it’s about to start!” She tapped her foot.
“What are you going to see?” he asked.
She threw her hands up in exasperation. “Does it really matter?”
I nudged her. “Of course it does. We’re seeing… What was it again?” I asked, wishing I had paid attention earlier now feeling foolish for not knowing the title.
“ Frank and Family ,” she said, looking at her wrist watch.
“As long as it’s not about a family of Frankensteins, I guess I could catch it with you,” he joked.
Clarissa’s lip pulled down on one side and her eyes widened.
“It is about a family of Frankensteins, isn’t it?” I asked, shaking my head.
“It’s supposed to be a good movie.” She stuck out her tongue and went to buy a ticket.
I turned to him. “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.” I took a step back. I didn’t want to hurt Clarissa’s feelings.
He strode forward, closing the distance I had put between us. “No I’d love to see a movie with you two. I have to stop working now anyway. How could I miss out on something promising to be such a cinematic masterpiece?”
My excited smile mirrored his, and we turned to the ticket window. “Two to Frank and Family—”
“No, only one. I’m getting my own ticket,” I said, interrupting him. I glanced at the red vested guy in the window. He pursed his lips in annoyance but pressed a key on the computer.
“Why?” Jaron asked as his eyes narrowed into slits.
I
“Hey, dust bunny, what are you doing here?” Clarissa asked, pulling me out of my daze.
He turned to her, crinkling up his nose in the cutest way. “Dust bunny, really? I’m just hanging something up.”
“What are you hanging?” I asked, immediately curious and relieved to have recovered my voice.
“Well I told you that I was in art class since your school doesn't have shop.” He stepped out of my way and gestured to an ornate sculpture now on the wall.
Somehow he had turned metal into water. I marveled at the movement he had given to the stationary waves that seemed to ripple and crash into each other. I sucked in a breath, surprised by the beauty of it. Leaving Clarissa in line, I walked over to see it closer. The metal was raw and unpainted, but different shades of blue and gray swirled throughout it. I studied the white tips of the breaking waves and noted the tiny specks of melted metal that mirrored the ocean’s spray. How he had created the effect was a mystery. It looked far too delicate. I reached out and touched one of the cool smooth whitecaps.
“They wanted a water feature but couldn’t afford a fountain. They saw my booth at the art exhibit and I’m cheap.” He laughed. “Do you like it?” His eyes couldn’t hide the hope he had that I would.
“It’s amazing, Jaron.” His name felt so good on my lips. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”
“I have,” he said, his eyes ablaze.
“Wait! That metal sculpture of the woman with wind-swept hair… That’s your’s?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Come on. We’re going to be late!” Clarissa shouted, standing in front of the ticket window.
“Oh.” I had forgotten about the movie. I turned to him apologetically. “I’m sorry. I’m uh, I was going…” I stammered idiotically.
Clarissa rolled her eyes and stomped over to us. “You want to catch a movie with us?” she asked, pointing her thumb between the two of us.
I glared at her. She knew I wasn’t allowed to go out with a boy without trotting him home first.
“Oh, he's here and you're here. You totally went out separately.”
Jaron’s head bobbed back in confusion.
“Come on, Casanova, it’s about to start!” She tapped her foot.
“What are you going to see?” he asked.
She threw her hands up in exasperation. “Does it really matter?”
I nudged her. “Of course it does. We’re seeing… What was it again?” I asked, wishing I had paid attention earlier now feeling foolish for not knowing the title.
“ Frank and Family ,” she said, looking at her wrist watch.
“As long as it’s not about a family of Frankensteins, I guess I could catch it with you,” he joked.
Clarissa’s lip pulled down on one side and her eyes widened.
“It is about a family of Frankensteins, isn’t it?” I asked, shaking my head.
“It’s supposed to be a good movie.” She stuck out her tongue and went to buy a ticket.
I turned to him. “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.” I took a step back. I didn’t want to hurt Clarissa’s feelings.
He strode forward, closing the distance I had put between us. “No I’d love to see a movie with you two. I have to stop working now anyway. How could I miss out on something promising to be such a cinematic masterpiece?”
My excited smile mirrored his, and we turned to the ticket window. “Two to Frank and Family—”
“No, only one. I’m getting my own ticket,” I said, interrupting him. I glanced at the red vested guy in the window. He pursed his lips in annoyance but pressed a key on the computer.
“Why?” Jaron asked as his eyes narrowed into slits.
I
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