Chapter Two
Ely paced in front of her bed, a small frown on her face. Her long hair was wrapped up in a towel and another tower covered her armpit to ankles. She kept glancing at her bed, where her cellphone lay. Should she call him? she wondered. On one hand, he was very attractive. And he had a job. But he was also rude. And bold. She shivered as she remembered the way he had leaned in close, almost but not quite touching her.
Should she call him? She didn't need a computer that badly… right?
She sighed and plopped back on her bed, landing in a tangle of blankets and clothes. She grabbed her phone and held it up in front of her face, staring past it at the ceiling. She twirled it in her hand and tapped her foot to the rhythm of the saxaphone blaring from her speakers.
A large knock sounded on her door. "What?" she hollered.
The door creaked open a small crack and Ely heard Carver's voice on the other side. "I'm ordering pizza, want to go halves?" he asked.
"Yeah, sure," she answered and let her arm fall back onto the bed with a plop. "Your friend, what's he like?"
Carver grunted. "You mean Nathaniel, don't you? Don't call him. He's had a lot of girlfriends."
Ely let out a short bark of laughter. "So?"
"So, he also fools around a lot. He's no good for you," he replied.
Ely rolled her eyes and tossed her pillow at the door. "You're an idiot. And overprotective. Go order pizza."
She heard him grunt again and the door shut with a soft click. She grabbed the phone and rolled over onto her stomach, snuggling deeper into the pile of fabrics. She brought up his number and bit her lip, hesitating. She couldn't call him.
It's Ely. I've decided to accept your offer of trading a date for the loan of
DELETE
She sighed and pressed the phone against her face with a groan. Why hadn't she just answered then so she wouldn't have to make this horribly awkward call now?
"Stupid," she muttered under her breath.
Hi, it's Ely. The girl with the old computer? I was just texting to see if maybe you were still interested in that thing you mentioned.
She could feel her cheeks burning as her finger hovered over the send button. Did it sound stupid? Awkward? What if he changed his mind or was only joking? Fuck.
She took a deep breath and hit send. You had to jump in the water sometime, she figured. The worst he would do is say no.
Re: Hey, Ely. You mean the date? Of course, I am still interested. Can I take your message as a positive sign?
She smiled in relief.
Yes, you can.
Send
She sat up and grabbed her favorite old black t-shirt that said Highever High School Swim Team on the back and her light blue sports bra. She pulled them on while she waited on his reply.
Re: Great. Tomorrow afternoon, 1:30? Lunch at Calenhad Cafe?
Ely's mouth watered at the thought of their pea soup and fresh roasted black coffee.
Sounds good! See you then.
Send
She slipped on a pair of running shorts and tied her hair back in a loose ponytail, letting her mind wander as the jazz music continued to hum in the background.
A loud knock jolted her out of music-induced trance. "What?" she asked, a bit annoyed.
"Pizza's here. You owe me ten bucks."
She grunted back a reply and grabbed her phone, only to notice it beeping at her. She opened up the message and smiled.
Re: I look forward to it, Ely.