way.”
“Just tell him back there that I like it charred to perfection. And the customer is always right.”
“Alright. But consider this fair warning if he comes running out the kitchen with a spatula.”
The three of us laughed as Missy went to put in our orders.
“So,” I started, “are we going to talk about the enormous elephant in the room?”
“Where?” He turned his head in surprise.
“You know what I mean.”
“Well, if you’re talking about our little joy ride, it’s difficult to explain.”
“Try me,” I said, leaning my elbow on the table. Wow, his eyes are really magnificent.
“Suppose there are places in this world that are hidden from most. Other dimensions. And to see them you just have to know where to look.” He pulled a breadstick out from the small basket Missy had set before us.
“So how did you find them?”
“Someone else showed me. Just like I showed you.”
“Why me?” I asked, as a flush of embarrassment warmed my cheeks.
“You seemed a bit lost. I thought you could use some fun.”
Missy interrupted us with our plates but quickly left to take care of a new patron. I took a bite of my food and thought about Ian’s last words.
“You might be right,” I continued. “But I wasn’t always like this.”
“Losing family can do that.” He looked down at his food and struggled with some extra gooey strands of cheese.
I snorted the mouthful of water as I watched the goofy way he tried grasping at the unseen food hanging from his chin.
“So what about your family?” I moved on to my fries.
“What are you dipping your fries in?” he asked.
“Tartar sauce.”
“That’s just weird.”
“This is a judgment-free zone,” I said, squaring off the width of our table, unable to control the fit of laughter that followed.
“I’m staying with my uncle for senior year. After that, who knows?”
“I have no clue what I’m doing.” I stirred the straw around my cup aimlessly. “Brian always had the answers.”
“There is way too much pressure. How does anyone expect us to know what we’re going to do with our lives? Most thirty year olds can’t move out of their parent’s house.” He spoke with passion, which made him seem more mature for his age.
“At least you have an escape route.” I took another bite of my food and enjoyed the way it warmed my stomach. They don’t call it comfort food for nothing.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll teach you everything I know. We’ll catch another trip soon.”
The invitation left my mind filled with wild dreams that he would take me with him wherever it was he was going, and I was starting to feel free once again.
C HAPTER E IGHT
The next day, for the first time in a long while, I woke up with a smile on my face. And then I felt guilty for it. I lingered in bed, savoring the pleasure of Saturday morning as I thought back to my evening with Ian; the small talk made over dessert and coffee, the walk home where I did most of the talking, and the tension as he walked me to the door. I sighed. I should have just kissed him.
I caught up on some homework and tried my best to act normal for my father, who had decided to use one of his rare days away from the office to do yard work.
When my eyes began to cross at the sight of ellipses and hyperboles, I picked up the phone and called Charlotte. “Hey, I’m bored,” I said.
“You didn’t look too bored last night.”
“What does that mean?”
“Stop being so paranoid, Gem. I saw you and Ian walk into McCloone’s, that’s all.”
“It was nice. We talked. He walked me home.”
“Whatever it is, it’s good. At least it’ll give Matt a hint.”
“He’s been hanging on Allison ever since I told him off the other day. He’s over it.”
“I heard from Emma who heard from Candice, whose boyfriend Gage is on the team and overhead him telling Scott, that he was definitely going to get you
“Just tell him back there that I like it charred to perfection. And the customer is always right.”
“Alright. But consider this fair warning if he comes running out the kitchen with a spatula.”
The three of us laughed as Missy went to put in our orders.
“So,” I started, “are we going to talk about the enormous elephant in the room?”
“Where?” He turned his head in surprise.
“You know what I mean.”
“Well, if you’re talking about our little joy ride, it’s difficult to explain.”
“Try me,” I said, leaning my elbow on the table. Wow, his eyes are really magnificent.
“Suppose there are places in this world that are hidden from most. Other dimensions. And to see them you just have to know where to look.” He pulled a breadstick out from the small basket Missy had set before us.
“So how did you find them?”
“Someone else showed me. Just like I showed you.”
“Why me?” I asked, as a flush of embarrassment warmed my cheeks.
“You seemed a bit lost. I thought you could use some fun.”
Missy interrupted us with our plates but quickly left to take care of a new patron. I took a bite of my food and thought about Ian’s last words.
“You might be right,” I continued. “But I wasn’t always like this.”
“Losing family can do that.” He looked down at his food and struggled with some extra gooey strands of cheese.
I snorted the mouthful of water as I watched the goofy way he tried grasping at the unseen food hanging from his chin.
“So what about your family?” I moved on to my fries.
“What are you dipping your fries in?” he asked.
“Tartar sauce.”
“That’s just weird.”
“This is a judgment-free zone,” I said, squaring off the width of our table, unable to control the fit of laughter that followed.
“I’m staying with my uncle for senior year. After that, who knows?”
“I have no clue what I’m doing.” I stirred the straw around my cup aimlessly. “Brian always had the answers.”
“There is way too much pressure. How does anyone expect us to know what we’re going to do with our lives? Most thirty year olds can’t move out of their parent’s house.” He spoke with passion, which made him seem more mature for his age.
“At least you have an escape route.” I took another bite of my food and enjoyed the way it warmed my stomach. They don’t call it comfort food for nothing.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll teach you everything I know. We’ll catch another trip soon.”
The invitation left my mind filled with wild dreams that he would take me with him wherever it was he was going, and I was starting to feel free once again.
C HAPTER E IGHT
The next day, for the first time in a long while, I woke up with a smile on my face. And then I felt guilty for it. I lingered in bed, savoring the pleasure of Saturday morning as I thought back to my evening with Ian; the small talk made over dessert and coffee, the walk home where I did most of the talking, and the tension as he walked me to the door. I sighed. I should have just kissed him.
I caught up on some homework and tried my best to act normal for my father, who had decided to use one of his rare days away from the office to do yard work.
When my eyes began to cross at the sight of ellipses and hyperboles, I picked up the phone and called Charlotte. “Hey, I’m bored,” I said.
“You didn’t look too bored last night.”
“What does that mean?”
“Stop being so paranoid, Gem. I saw you and Ian walk into McCloone’s, that’s all.”
“It was nice. We talked. He walked me home.”
“Whatever it is, it’s good. At least it’ll give Matt a hint.”
“He’s been hanging on Allison ever since I told him off the other day. He’s over it.”
“I heard from Emma who heard from Candice, whose boyfriend Gage is on the team and overhead him telling Scott, that he was definitely going to get you
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