Today was the final Friday of the summer break, and I wondered just how I was going to spend it. I lay back on my bed, feeling the heat wave take over my strength. I'd just finished breakfast and I was already fatigued; no wonder that I'd yet to step outside and explore. A knock at the door made me jump; I had been nearly asleep. I wandered downstairs to the front door, wondering who it could be. I opened the door to find a blonde boy around my age at my front door. His glowing blue eyes sparkled, and his smile was chipper. I couldn't help but stare.
"Howdy, neighbor!" His voice gleamed with excitement. "The name's Alfred Jones, I live right there!" He pointed to the house next door.
Smiling, I held out my hand. "Arthur Kirkland. It's very nice to meet you." He shook it with a firm grip, and I was glad. "So what brings you here, Alfred?" The name danced over my tongue, and I could already tell I might like this guy.
"Well, I heard you're my age, and I wanted ta meet'cha!" He grinned at me, and I couldn't help but smile back. The only thing I disliked about him thus far was the way he destroyed the Queen's English... And that bloody cowlick. "So since you're new here, you prolly haven't seen mucha the place. Care to take a tour with me?"
"That sounds absolutely darling, dear Alfred." His smile was so contagious! "Just allow me to step inside a moment. Have to alert the mother of my absence." He laughed, and I took that as an okay. I stepped inside, and immediately went upstairs. I popped into my mother's room, and seeing that she didn't mind, continued down the hall to my own room. I grabbed my wallet, then wondered vaguely what else I would need. Shrugging off the thought, I went back out to reunite with Alfred.
"Alright!" Alfred had been sitting on my front steps, but then he stood. "Let's go!" He shouted, grabbing my hand. I blushed slightly, wondering if it was an American thing or if just an Alfred thing, but either way at that moment I couldn't care less. He began to run, and I tried to keep up. We ran for at least a good ten minutes, then he halted and let go of my hand.
"You... bloody git!" I scolded between breaths. "Wh-why in... the hell did you... make me run like that?"
Alfred's face shifted from the happy glow to a sudden pout. His eyes got bigger and sparkled more. "Aaw, Arthur..." He complained. "I thought a run in the morning would be fuuuun..." He whined on the word fun in a way that made me feel guilty.
"Well..." I sighed. "It was pretty fun..." I smiled.
"So you're not... M-mad at me?" Alfred's eyes seemed like they were from some sort of watercolor masterpiece. They were so blue, and sparkly... The different hues made my head spin slightly.
"Ah..." I looked away, blushing at my thoughts. "N-no, I'm not mad at you." Damn that nervous stutter.
He immediately returned to his grinning, goofy self. "Awright!" He began to walk once more. "Follow me!"
I did as told, staying beside him. He pointed out lots of places he liked, and I wondered just how many Dunkin' Donuts there were in the city. At one point, we wandered past the school.
"See that building there?" We paused as he pointed. I nodded, and he grinned. "That's the school we'll be going to! That's the school that'll mark us as high schoolers!" I smiled back.
"It's hard to believe... I feel like just yesterday, I was in my sixth grade homeroom for the first time..." I grimaced at a certain memory that crossed my mind. When he looked at me rather blankly, I laughed. "There was a pratt in my class who stuck gum in my hair. I ended up just cutting it, rather than attempting to get the gum out otherwise..." Alfred looked at me as if I had six heads.
"you," He pointed at me, to be sure he had the right person. "Had long hair?" He gestured with his hands, just to be sure he hadn't misheard. Then he laughed. "You must've looked like a girl!"
"B-Bloody Yank, it was a very it thing in England! As a matter of fact I was laughed at for not having long hair!" I smacked him on the arm for emphasis, but it didn't seem to do much; well, to him anyways. My hand kind of hurt.
"I'm just messin' with ya!" Alfred laughed harder, and his eyes sparkled. I couldn't help but fall into the hypnotizing blue. I musst've been staring, because Alfred looked at me. "Y'okay?"
"Huh?" I snapped back to attention, blushing. "I-I'm sorry..." I stuttered. I may have said this before but, damn that accursed stutter! "It's just that..." I frowned and looked away, feeling stupid. "N-never mind."
He shrugged, then pulled out his phone. Checking the time, he laughed. "Wow, it's already noon!"
"Seriously?" I checked my watch. It was noon exactly. "Time really runs when you're enjoying yourself..."
"I guess so!" His smile was so pretty. It just made me want to smile back every time. So I did. "How 'bout we go grab a bite to eat?"
Smiling with him, I agreed.
We went to McDonald's. He stepped up to the counter to order, while I stood back to decide on my own.
"Yo Blaire, I'd like five double cheeseburgers, one milkshake, four large fries, and two brownie melts!" Alfred exclaimed enthusiastically. How he could eat all that, I'd never know. Then he turned to me. "Order whatever ya want, I've got the tab."
I blushed. "I-I can pay for my own food... You don't have to do that."
"B-But Aaaarthur..." The pouty look came back. "I waaaanna pay for yours..." God damn him. I sighed and gave in.
Stepping up to the counter, I ordered a filet-o-fish, a small soda, and a brownie melt. Alfred payed for both our orders. As we sat in a booth, people stared. I sank down slightly in my seat. "Are you sure you can finish all that?" I hissed.
He shrugged and unwrapped a burger. "This is less than I usually order. That's why everyone's staring so oddly." When I gaped at him, he continued. "I get hungry." He bit into the sandwich, grinning.
I poked my straw into my Coke, then sipped it. Picking up my sandwich, I unwrapped it. Alfred was already on his third burger. Good lord... At least by now the people around us had stopped staring. Munching on my sandwich, I wondered how Alfred could possibly fit all that food into his stomach. He was so thin, but so energetic... And according to the smack I'd given him earlier, he must work out. His arms were toned. I began to wonder how toned the rest of his body was. Then I felt my ears turning red, so I tried to stop my thoughts.
"Y'okay there, Artie?" He looked genuinely concerned, even with the aweful nickname and the spot of ketchup by his mouth.
"I'm f-fine... Just thinking too much." Then I looked at him with an annoyed face. "And where'd 'Artie' come from?"
He shrugged, and I sighed. I had a feeling that one was gonna stick...
After we'd finished our food, we continued wandering around downtown. Alfred pointed out places he liked once more, and I nodded and examined the different stores. I'd have to check most of them out, seeing how half of them I'd never been in before. Besides, the stores here in America probably sold things that we didn't have in England. The fashion most certainly is different, I thought. I examined Alfred's outfit. Faded blue jeans, a "Green Day" tee shirt, a black hoodie, and green converse high-tops. The dogtag necklace that jingled around his neck said "Hero" on one, but I couldn't see the other; it was hidden by the "Hero" tag. The gleaming metal fell on his chest, and I wanted nothing more than to reach out and run my fingers over it.
Feeling my face turning red, I stared at the stores we were passing by as if they were the most interesting things in the world. I felt my face grow redder when Alfred grabbed my hand. I looked at him, and he smiled. "Y'know..." People were starting to stare. Most of them were girls. "You're cute when you blush." Any girls within hearing range squealed, making me blush right up to my ears. As we continued walking, he didn't let go of my hand.
"Ah... Y-you bloody pratt, p-people are st-staring..." I stuttered.
"Ahh, let 'em look." Alfred replied, grinning.