Read Online A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sandy Hall
Ads: Link
eyelashes and slinks back to his seat. I keep myself from giving him a standing ovation. When I glance over at Lea, she’s literally grinning into her hands and I can see hearts coming out of her eyes. She is the picture of a girl falling in love. There’s no way they’re not getting together now.
Sam (Gabe’s brother)
I’m standing outside the English building waiting for Gabe to emerge so we can finally go home for Thanksgiving. I pleaded with him to skip this class so we could leave before rush hour but he insisted he needed to see Lea.
She comes out ahead of him and I smile at her.
“Hey,” she says, her voice more a question than a greeting.
“Hi,” I respond with a smile.
Gabe comes out the door right behind her and he looks stricken at our passing words.
“Yo,” I say to him, as I glance over my shoulder at Lea walking away.
“Were you talking to her?”
“She said hey, I said hi. We’re not exactly best friends.”
He exhales the obvious breath he’d been holding and we head in the direction of the parking lot.
“Do you need to stop by your building?”
“Yeah. Sorry. I didn’t really want to drag all my crap with me to class.”
“Understandable. But the longer we sit in traffic, the longer you’re going to have to listen to my musical choices. And you’re not going to complain.”
He rolls his eyes as we get in the car.
“We should have offered to give Lea a ride to your building.”
“I can’t even imagine how painful that car ride would be. With me saying nothing and her…” He squeezes his eyes shut like the world is far too terrible.
“What? What’s wrong?” I ask as I start the car.
He shakes his head. “I read this assignment out loud in class today, about how shy I am. She probably thinks I’m a complete loser now.”
“Nah, girls dig that crap.”
“Seriously? You think so?”
“Yeah, they love all that sensitive, sentimental stuff.”
“I don’t think there’s a single woman on Earth who would appreciate you lumping them together that way. Except maybe Hillary. That girl is a ridiculous caricature of everything that’s wrong with the world.”
“I’m impressed, Gabe.”
“With what?”
“I had no idea you were a feminist, or that you used words like ‘caricature.’”
He punches my arm.
“Hey, hands off the driver,” I joke, laughing.
His face goes ashen.
“Gabe. It’s a joke. No big deal.”
“I know, I know.” He chews his thumbnail and looks out the window, watching the buildings pass while I curse myself for making a driving joke. “Just … be careful.”
DECEMBER
Charlotte (a barista)
The place is packed, as it usually is at this point in the afternoon, but the line is suspiciously short so I let one of the other people take their break before me, hoping that when it’s my turn to take a break it’ll be in the middle of chaos and I’ll get to walk away casually, like Mel Gibson as a bomb goes off behind him.
Maybe I should pick someone cooler than Mel Gibson.
I’ll work on that.
It’s another terrible shift without Keith or Tabitha. Tabitha would be particularly effusive and happy today since Lea is here, which means any second Gabe is going to wander in. And like clockwork, there he is. He glances over at her and then steps into the line.
I’m feeling a little more neutral about him recently. I’m not sure way. Perhaps I’ve been infused with the Christmas spirit or I’ve finally just lost my mind. I’m on drink duty, so I probably won’t have a chance to talk to him. He’s a regular coffee kind of guy. I’m almost a little disappointed because I’d like to test him, see if he’s more normal these days.
Shockingly, he orders a mint hot chocolate. I’m so surprised that I’m actually going to get to make his drink that I almost drop the cup when I see the “Gabe” scrawled on the side. He walks down to the end of the counter and leans casually out of the way.
“Hey,” I say to him.
He
Sam (Gabe’s brother)
I’m standing outside the English building waiting for Gabe to emerge so we can finally go home for Thanksgiving. I pleaded with him to skip this class so we could leave before rush hour but he insisted he needed to see Lea.
She comes out ahead of him and I smile at her.
“Hey,” she says, her voice more a question than a greeting.
“Hi,” I respond with a smile.
Gabe comes out the door right behind her and he looks stricken at our passing words.
“Yo,” I say to him, as I glance over my shoulder at Lea walking away.
“Were you talking to her?”
“She said hey, I said hi. We’re not exactly best friends.”
He exhales the obvious breath he’d been holding and we head in the direction of the parking lot.
“Do you need to stop by your building?”
“Yeah. Sorry. I didn’t really want to drag all my crap with me to class.”
“Understandable. But the longer we sit in traffic, the longer you’re going to have to listen to my musical choices. And you’re not going to complain.”
He rolls his eyes as we get in the car.
“We should have offered to give Lea a ride to your building.”
“I can’t even imagine how painful that car ride would be. With me saying nothing and her…” He squeezes his eyes shut like the world is far too terrible.
“What? What’s wrong?” I ask as I start the car.
He shakes his head. “I read this assignment out loud in class today, about how shy I am. She probably thinks I’m a complete loser now.”
“Nah, girls dig that crap.”
“Seriously? You think so?”
“Yeah, they love all that sensitive, sentimental stuff.”
“I don’t think there’s a single woman on Earth who would appreciate you lumping them together that way. Except maybe Hillary. That girl is a ridiculous caricature of everything that’s wrong with the world.”
“I’m impressed, Gabe.”
“With what?”
“I had no idea you were a feminist, or that you used words like ‘caricature.’”
He punches my arm.
“Hey, hands off the driver,” I joke, laughing.
His face goes ashen.
“Gabe. It’s a joke. No big deal.”
“I know, I know.” He chews his thumbnail and looks out the window, watching the buildings pass while I curse myself for making a driving joke. “Just … be careful.”
DECEMBER
Charlotte (a barista)
The place is packed, as it usually is at this point in the afternoon, but the line is suspiciously short so I let one of the other people take their break before me, hoping that when it’s my turn to take a break it’ll be in the middle of chaos and I’ll get to walk away casually, like Mel Gibson as a bomb goes off behind him.
Maybe I should pick someone cooler than Mel Gibson.
I’ll work on that.
It’s another terrible shift without Keith or Tabitha. Tabitha would be particularly effusive and happy today since Lea is here, which means any second Gabe is going to wander in. And like clockwork, there he is. He glances over at her and then steps into the line.
I’m feeling a little more neutral about him recently. I’m not sure way. Perhaps I’ve been infused with the Christmas spirit or I’ve finally just lost my mind. I’m on drink duty, so I probably won’t have a chance to talk to him. He’s a regular coffee kind of guy. I’m almost a little disappointed because I’d like to test him, see if he’s more normal these days.
Shockingly, he orders a mint hot chocolate. I’m so surprised that I’m actually going to get to make his drink that I almost drop the cup when I see the “Gabe” scrawled on the side. He walks down to the end of the counter and leans casually out of the way.
“Hey,” I say to him.
He
Similar Books
