...what?! (short story/ficlet/whatever for memories sake)
"You can't reserve cots."
"Yeah, I can."
"It's not fair."
"S'no rule against it."
"...so?"
"So," Esme said, looking the other kid in the eyes. She was seated on one cot and had her feet on the other and this had apparently pissed off one of the shelters regulars. "Since there's no rule against it, there's nothin' wrong with doin' it." Esme took a look at the line to get blankets and spotted John, hands in his pockets as he waited. The kid she was talking to caught the look and smirked. Esme rolled her eyes. "What now?"
"You two are together."
That floored Esme for a moment, confusing her. "Well, we're travelling together." She watched the boy as he laughed, shaking his head slightly.
"That's not what I meant, girl. I mean like....you two are together-together. A couple."
Esme's eyes widened in shock. "What on earth makes you say that?"
"The way you looked at him just now. And the way he looks at you."
Esme frowned at the kid. He was joking, right? He had to be. "You dunno what you're talking about." she said, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at her feet. The kid just laughed and Esme had a hard time not turning the sound around on him, make him sick from it or pass out.
*Don't try to hide it, girl--"
"My name i Esme."
"Oh, whatever. Fine. Esme, don't try to hide it. You two like each other." With that, the guy wandered off back to his friends, still laughing. When John returned to their cots, he looked Esme over and frowned.
"You okay?"
"I have a headache. I'm fine." This was Esme-speak for 'I don't wanna talk about it' and John knew better than to pry. When John handed her a blanket, she didn't notice the faint frown on his face when she pulled it over her head and stretched out on her stomach, blocking everyone and everything from view. Esme heard the scrape of metal on the floor as John pulled his cot closer, heard him mumble 'shut the fuck up' when one of the shelter workers asked him twice to move his cot back. The shelter worker left John alone and Esme was glad.
While everyone passed out around her, esme held still in Johns arms, eyes wide open as one thought ran through her head.
We're just friends. Right? That's all. Just...what the hell is going on here?
"Yeah, I can."
"It's not fair."
"S'no rule against it."
"...so?"
"So," Esme said, looking the other kid in the eyes. She was seated on one cot and had her feet on the other and this had apparently pissed off one of the shelters regulars. "Since there's no rule against it, there's nothin' wrong with doin' it." Esme took a look at the line to get blankets and spotted John, hands in his pockets as he waited. The kid she was talking to caught the look and smirked. Esme rolled her eyes. "What now?"
"You two are together."
That floored Esme for a moment, confusing her. "Well, we're travelling together." She watched the boy as he laughed, shaking his head slightly.
"That's not what I meant, girl. I mean like....you two are together-together. A couple."
Esme's eyes widened in shock. "What on earth makes you say that?"
"The way you looked at him just now. And the way he looks at you."
Esme frowned at the kid. He was joking, right? He had to be. "You dunno what you're talking about." she said, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at her feet. The kid just laughed and Esme had a hard time not turning the sound around on him, make him sick from it or pass out.
*Don't try to hide it, girl--"
"My name i Esme."
"Oh, whatever. Fine. Esme, don't try to hide it. You two like each other." With that, the guy wandered off back to his friends, still laughing. When John returned to their cots, he looked Esme over and frowned.
"You okay?"
"I have a headache. I'm fine." This was Esme-speak for 'I don't wanna talk about it' and John knew better than to pry. When John handed her a blanket, she didn't notice the faint frown on his face when she pulled it over her head and stretched out on her stomach, blocking everyone and everything from view. Esme heard the scrape of metal on the floor as John pulled his cot closer, heard him mumble 'shut the fuck up' when one of the shelter workers asked him twice to move his cot back. The shelter worker left John alone and Esme was glad.
While everyone passed out around her, esme held still in Johns arms, eyes wide open as one thought ran through her head.
We're just friends. Right? That's all. Just...what the hell is going on here?