Thoughts That Count
Episode 4 Part 2
Ezra
I prepped for yet another class on Monday. I didn't have Aria's class that day and my other ones passed slowly and gratingly.
"Hi," I heard her voice and stopped writing on the board immediately, looking up to see her coming in the back entrance to the class.
"Hi," I said chipperly, dropping the chalk and straightening my coat.
"I saw you riding around town the other day," She said awkwardly, standing stiff, "On your bike."
"Yeah… I-I saw you too. I waved," it sounded lamer now than it had felt when it had happened, "Remember… I would have stopped but you weren't…alone…"
"Yeah. My friends thought you had nice legs."
I nodded, resisting the urge to laugh. "What do you think?"
I was flirting and I knew it. Awkwardly but still. I was suddenly very interested in her answer.
"That I was embarrassed that my friends thought you had nice legs," Well that didn't pan out how I'd hoped. Of course this wasn't the place or the time for it. I chuckled, "it's a little awkward under the circumstances."
I sobered up, "Aria, what are the circumstances here? If you know, please tell me, because this is completely new territory to me."
Out of all the complicated relationships… and I was willing to bet this wasn't the kind there was an online support forum for.
"Yeah, me too," She looked down and took a deep, heavy breath, "Maybe this isn't smart."
"I promise you this isn't smart," I retorted before I could think of how she'd take it. She turned and began to leave. I watched her go for a second then made up my mind, "But, we need to talk," She turned back, and I knew my snap decision was the right one, "There things we need to cover that we can't between classes. Uh, I'm home tonight-" A locker slammed in the hallway and we both turned to look towards the sound, pausing for a second to make sure we were safe. I suddenly wished she'd closed the door when she came in, but let it go as she turned back to me, "I could make you one of two dishes that I actually know how to cook. But I want to talk to you when I'm not looking at you over a desk or-or through Dan Furan's fauxhawk," We both laughed but it was true. More and more I missed that day in the bar or the evening in my car, our stolen seconds at the funeral. The time when she was mine without the judgment or trying eyes of the world.
I met her eyes as she glanced over her shoulder, just to be careful, "What time?"
"Seven," I said with a smile.
"Seven's good," She replied softly. Aria walked out of the room and for a second I noted that her butt looked really cute in that skirt.
I spun around and did a fist pump like one of the immature high school kids would have.
Why did she have this effect on me?