eyes, which didn’t go a long way towards convincing me not to talk to him. They were soft brown, like his hair. They were thoughtful eyes; eyes that made me want to explain. “It’s nothing, really, just that my aunt and uncle…never mind. I shouldn’t have come here.” I stood, and stepped around Malcolm’s huge feet.
“Fay, don’t leave,” Paul said, standing too. “We’re going to get ice cream later. You don’t want to miss that.”
“Thanks, but I already had ice cream tonight. It was nice to meet you, Daisy.” I walked past Malcolm and started down the bleachers.
“I’m going after her,” I heard Paul say.
“No you’re not, Paulie. I am.” That was Malcolm.
“Come on man, she won’t even let you talk to her! Why do you want the one who won’t even talk to you?”
I laughed, in spite of myself, and picked up the pace. When I reached the ground, I turned toward the fence and kept going. By the time I reached it, Malcolm had caught up with me.
“I asked my dad about the things you said the other day, in your yard. I figured if I was at risk of getting screamed at by someone, I ought to know why.” He smiled down at me. “He said your uncle was angry with him, but that he didn’t hold any anger in return. He wouldn’t say what it was about, though. He’s all about respecting people’s boundaries.”
I gave him a look. “You didn’t inherit that quality.”
He only smiled, tucked his hands in his pockets, and matched his stride to mine, step for step. Right feet. Left feet.
I pressed my lips together, willing them to stay put, but it was no use. I couldn’t keep my lips zipped. “Malcolm, I understand that it’s probably weird for you to learn that someone isn’t allowed to talk to you. But I’m wondering…why are you pushing this? Why does it matter to you? You just met me.”
His eyes sparkled, and I got the impression he was glad I asked. “True, I don’t know much about you. But I want to.”
“Why?”
“Do you want me to be honest?”
“That’s a dumb question.”
He chuckled. “Okay. I realize we’re basically strangers, so I’m sure my reasons say more about me than about you. But, here goes.”
I waited, but he didn’t say anything. He sucked in his bottom lip and squinted at me. “Huh. I suddenly feel sort of embarrassed. I’m not sure I can tell you.”
“Oh no, now you have to tell me.”
“Now you know how I feel; you’re always saying cryptic things. Alright, I’ll do it.” He took a deep breath, and cringed a little bit, as though to ward off his embarrassment. “You keep refusing to give me information, which makes you a mystery, which makes you interesting. I realize that reveals certain character flaws about me, but it’s the truth.”
I looked down at my feet. I knew that was true for me too. Trying not to think about him made me think about him even more. Maybe it was a flaw, but at least we both shared it. I wasn’t going to tell him that though, at least not yet. I didn’t want the mystery to be over so soon, because then we’d be left with reality. I’d never had any sort of reality with a boy, and frankly, I was afraid reality would be disappointing.
“But it’s not just that. I should admit that another reason is because I think you’re pretty. Beautiful even, but I feel like I should know you better before I call you beautiful, because that’s sort of personal. But you know, you’re, you know. I like how you look.”
He glanced at me nervously and I laughed a little, not knowing what else to do. No one had ever said something like that to me. There was a guy back home that hung out with Freya, Finn, and me sometimes, and one time he called me hot. That didn’t feel like this.
“Okay, now for the most important reason.” His voice went a little higher, and he continued speaking, so quickly I had to concentrate
“Fay, don’t leave,” Paul said, standing too. “We’re going to get ice cream later. You don’t want to miss that.”
“Thanks, but I already had ice cream tonight. It was nice to meet you, Daisy.” I walked past Malcolm and started down the bleachers.
“I’m going after her,” I heard Paul say.
“No you’re not, Paulie. I am.” That was Malcolm.
“Come on man, she won’t even let you talk to her! Why do you want the one who won’t even talk to you?”
I laughed, in spite of myself, and picked up the pace. When I reached the ground, I turned toward the fence and kept going. By the time I reached it, Malcolm had caught up with me.
“I asked my dad about the things you said the other day, in your yard. I figured if I was at risk of getting screamed at by someone, I ought to know why.” He smiled down at me. “He said your uncle was angry with him, but that he didn’t hold any anger in return. He wouldn’t say what it was about, though. He’s all about respecting people’s boundaries.”
I gave him a look. “You didn’t inherit that quality.”
He only smiled, tucked his hands in his pockets, and matched his stride to mine, step for step. Right feet. Left feet.
I pressed my lips together, willing them to stay put, but it was no use. I couldn’t keep my lips zipped. “Malcolm, I understand that it’s probably weird for you to learn that someone isn’t allowed to talk to you. But I’m wondering…why are you pushing this? Why does it matter to you? You just met me.”
His eyes sparkled, and I got the impression he was glad I asked. “True, I don’t know much about you. But I want to.”
“Why?”
“Do you want me to be honest?”
“That’s a dumb question.”
He chuckled. “Okay. I realize we’re basically strangers, so I’m sure my reasons say more about me than about you. But, here goes.”
I waited, but he didn’t say anything. He sucked in his bottom lip and squinted at me. “Huh. I suddenly feel sort of embarrassed. I’m not sure I can tell you.”
“Oh no, now you have to tell me.”
“Now you know how I feel; you’re always saying cryptic things. Alright, I’ll do it.” He took a deep breath, and cringed a little bit, as though to ward off his embarrassment. “You keep refusing to give me information, which makes you a mystery, which makes you interesting. I realize that reveals certain character flaws about me, but it’s the truth.”
I looked down at my feet. I knew that was true for me too. Trying not to think about him made me think about him even more. Maybe it was a flaw, but at least we both shared it. I wasn’t going to tell him that though, at least not yet. I didn’t want the mystery to be over so soon, because then we’d be left with reality. I’d never had any sort of reality with a boy, and frankly, I was afraid reality would be disappointing.
“But it’s not just that. I should admit that another reason is because I think you’re pretty. Beautiful even, but I feel like I should know you better before I call you beautiful, because that’s sort of personal. But you know, you’re, you know. I like how you look.”
He glanced at me nervously and I laughed a little, not knowing what else to do. No one had ever said something like that to me. There was a guy back home that hung out with Freya, Finn, and me sometimes, and one time he called me hot. That didn’t feel like this.
“Okay, now for the most important reason.” His voice went a little higher, and he continued speaking, so quickly I had to concentrate
Similar Books
