giving me the oddest look, but I ignored it.
A noise to my left made me look at the driveway. Sure enough, Nick was pulling up in his beat up old car. He had to maneuver so that he didn’t block Holt’s car in, but eventually he managed to park and walk up to the porch.
He’d changed into a dark blue t-shirt and clay-colored khakis, and his pale skin had that freshly scrubbed look you have right when you get out of the shower. His red hair was damp on the top of his head.
“Nick,” said Carley, “this is Holt Roth.” Nick offered Holt his hand and Holt took it and shook. It made me even more puzzled about why he wouldn’t touch me.
I moved over a bit so that Nick could sit down on the hammock next to me. As he got himself comfortable I heard him mutter, “Why are the two most popular guys in Castleton suddenly hanging around Carley? This summer is starting to suck.” Trying to comfort him I gave him a pat on the back.
“Holt, do you want to watch that movie with us?” Carley asked.
Nick, looking at the floor, nodded to himself as if his worst fears in the world had just been confirmed. He looked like his favorite dog had just died. Carley didn’t seem to notice, but Holt did. He gave me a small smile.
“Actually, I was hoping Autumn would go for a walk with me.” Turning to me he said, “I thought you might like to know a few more people around here and I could show you the town. We can talk about food more. Plus, it’s a great night.” It was a great night. It hadn’t gotten too cold and there still wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
Nick’s head snapped up. “I think that’s a great idea. Autumn definitely needs friends…. Wait, that sounds wrong. I mean you could use more friends.” Nick faltered again. With her hands Carley did the motion of a shovel digging an ever deeper hole for him to climb out of. “Wait, no, still wrong. No one can ever have too many friends. Sorry,” he finished lamely.
I tried to keep from laughing but broke out into a fit of giggles when Carley said, “Nice, Nick. That hole’s so deep you could see China.”
Nick knew she was kidding, but he still blushed and said, “Sorry, Autumn.”
I pretended to think about it. I had already seen 50 First Dates , but I didn’t want to admit that I had liked Holt from the instant I’d seen him, much less that it felt like meeting an old friend. “It might be nice to see more of Castleton,” I said. Holt beamed.
“Tonight? We had plans,” Carley whined.
“I’ve seen 50 First Dates before,” I pointed out. “A bunch of times. And Adam Sandler doesn’t really try very hard in that movie.”
“Who’s Adam Sandler?” Holt asked.
I gaped at him. Literally gaped. All three of us did.
“Don’t you watch movies? TV?” Nick asked, before Carley had a chance to engage him in conversation again.
Holt gave an easy shrug. “Not really. I spend most of my time outside.”
“And where exactly is that? Where do you spend your time? Outside?” I asked. Maybe on a different day he’d be more open to questions, but he wasn’t.
“Here and there,” he said, grinning. “Here in the summer, and California and Arizona for most of the winter. I like to be in warm places. Everyone in my family does.”
“Maybe all four of us should go for a walk,” Carley cut in. “As you said, it’s such a nice night and all.”
“Carley, you and I know our way around Castleton. That’s what happens when we come here every summer for sixteen years. Let’s just watch the movie,” said Nick. Carley didn’t look thrilled, but after a moment of hesitation she agreed.
“Okay, you two have fun,” I said, standing up. I felt a little bad about ditching them, but I was spending the whole summer with Carley. It wouldn’t be good if we never did anything separately. Plus, I liked Holt. He was nice and had instantly understood how Nick felt about Carley and tried to make it clear that he wasn’t interested in her. What he was
A noise to my left made me look at the driveway. Sure enough, Nick was pulling up in his beat up old car. He had to maneuver so that he didn’t block Holt’s car in, but eventually he managed to park and walk up to the porch.
He’d changed into a dark blue t-shirt and clay-colored khakis, and his pale skin had that freshly scrubbed look you have right when you get out of the shower. His red hair was damp on the top of his head.
“Nick,” said Carley, “this is Holt Roth.” Nick offered Holt his hand and Holt took it and shook. It made me even more puzzled about why he wouldn’t touch me.
I moved over a bit so that Nick could sit down on the hammock next to me. As he got himself comfortable I heard him mutter, “Why are the two most popular guys in Castleton suddenly hanging around Carley? This summer is starting to suck.” Trying to comfort him I gave him a pat on the back.
“Holt, do you want to watch that movie with us?” Carley asked.
Nick, looking at the floor, nodded to himself as if his worst fears in the world had just been confirmed. He looked like his favorite dog had just died. Carley didn’t seem to notice, but Holt did. He gave me a small smile.
“Actually, I was hoping Autumn would go for a walk with me.” Turning to me he said, “I thought you might like to know a few more people around here and I could show you the town. We can talk about food more. Plus, it’s a great night.” It was a great night. It hadn’t gotten too cold and there still wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
Nick’s head snapped up. “I think that’s a great idea. Autumn definitely needs friends…. Wait, that sounds wrong. I mean you could use more friends.” Nick faltered again. With her hands Carley did the motion of a shovel digging an ever deeper hole for him to climb out of. “Wait, no, still wrong. No one can ever have too many friends. Sorry,” he finished lamely.
I tried to keep from laughing but broke out into a fit of giggles when Carley said, “Nice, Nick. That hole’s so deep you could see China.”
Nick knew she was kidding, but he still blushed and said, “Sorry, Autumn.”
I pretended to think about it. I had already seen 50 First Dates , but I didn’t want to admit that I had liked Holt from the instant I’d seen him, much less that it felt like meeting an old friend. “It might be nice to see more of Castleton,” I said. Holt beamed.
“Tonight? We had plans,” Carley whined.
“I’ve seen 50 First Dates before,” I pointed out. “A bunch of times. And Adam Sandler doesn’t really try very hard in that movie.”
“Who’s Adam Sandler?” Holt asked.
I gaped at him. Literally gaped. All three of us did.
“Don’t you watch movies? TV?” Nick asked, before Carley had a chance to engage him in conversation again.
Holt gave an easy shrug. “Not really. I spend most of my time outside.”
“And where exactly is that? Where do you spend your time? Outside?” I asked. Maybe on a different day he’d be more open to questions, but he wasn’t.
“Here and there,” he said, grinning. “Here in the summer, and California and Arizona for most of the winter. I like to be in warm places. Everyone in my family does.”
“Maybe all four of us should go for a walk,” Carley cut in. “As you said, it’s such a nice night and all.”
“Carley, you and I know our way around Castleton. That’s what happens when we come here every summer for sixteen years. Let’s just watch the movie,” said Nick. Carley didn’t look thrilled, but after a moment of hesitation she agreed.
“Okay, you two have fun,” I said, standing up. I felt a little bad about ditching them, but I was spending the whole summer with Carley. It wouldn’t be good if we never did anything separately. Plus, I liked Holt. He was nice and had instantly understood how Nick felt about Carley and tried to make it clear that he wasn’t interested in her. What he was
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