but it wasn’t on.
“It’s like…nonboarding school,” he said.
“Duh. But is it weird living there? Don’t you miss being home?”
“Sometimes, but school’s pretty cool. I mean, I get along with everybody.”
“Do you have a roommate or something?”
James leaned up on his side, on his elbow, facing me. “Luke.”
“Do you let him have the bed?”
“No, he has his own closet to sleep in.”
“Right.” I didn’t know if I’d ever know when James was kidding. Never? Always?
I realized it was way too hot: My shirt was damp, my skin glistened with sweat. “Can you turn that fan on?”
“It’s broken.”
“Great.”
I propped my knees up to let them air out. I was dripping.
“Hey,” he said. “Give me your arm.”
“What arm? I’ve melted into the rug. I’m a puddle resembling a girl.”
“Just give it to me.”
I held out my arm for him and James took it, his left hand at my elbow, his right around my wrist. “Stay still,” he said, and then, “Don’t move,” as he lowered his face to the crease where my arm folded. He kissed the crease with his open mouth. I felt his tongue, maybe his teeth, the soft wet inside of his lips. Then he pulled his face away.
“Now close your eyes,” James said, “and tell me when my finger gets to the kiss.”
I closed my eyes. He moved his finger up my arm, slowly, and sometimes it felt like he moved it backward too, down my arm again, toward my wrist.
“Now,” I said, my eyes still closed, my voice nothing but breath.
“Not even close, dude.”
I opened my eyes and saw he wasn’t even halfway up my forearm. He was closer to my palm than my elbow. “Damn,” I said. I dropped my arm a little in his hands. I could still feel the sticky wetness on my skin.
“James,” I said.
“Yes?”
“I might never leave this house. It’s my favorite house ever.”
“That’s okay,” he said.
“Really?”
He nodded. “All I need is the closet.”
“James,” I said.
He nodded.
“Don’t sleep in the closet.”
He laughed. “I don’t tell you what to do.”
“Yes, you do. You told me to stay still.”
“Oh yeah. Sorry about that.”
“No, it’s awesome you did.”
We didn’t say anything for a while, and then he said, “You should go back to Naomi.”
“Why?”
“The sun will be up in less than an hour.”
It was a weird way of putting it, but he was right, it was so late it was early.
“And I can’t tell Naomi about this?”
“Negative.”
“But I’ll see you at breakfast in a few hours?”
“Double negative.”
“That means a positive, right?”
“I was told there’d be no math on this exam.”
“I won’t even look at you,” I said, knowing that’d be the hardest part.
“I’m a late sleeper.”
“Yeah, I heard.”
“I’ll be awake tomorrow night.”
“I have a shift.”
“I’ll be awake after your shift.”
“It’s a date, dude,” I said, obviously flirting. So obviously.
He gave me a “Don’t get ahead of yourself, dude” look, and then he said, “We’ll take a walk.”
“Now?” I said, and stood up.
“Tomorrow night, Quinn. Now, you go.”
I knew I wouldn’t be getting any good-night kiss. Hisaffection was too random. A future goal: Next time I took my shirt off in front of him, he wouldn’t be looking away.
I walked down the narrow staircase and heard James shut the door behind me. The sky was purple and red, getting lighter, making room for the sun. I grabbed my gray tank top out of the dirt and shoved it in my pocket. Hadn’t needed that cherry ChapStick after all.
When I slipped back into Naomi’s room, she barely stirred. I took off my shorts and squeezed into the sleeping bag, zipping it up over my head. I thought of James on the floor of his tiny walk-in closet. I touched his T-shirt to my underwear. Before I fell asleep, I sniffed the fabric again, but the smell of my sweat covered up his scent. Blues for a blue T-shirt , I thought, and closed my eyes
“It’s like…nonboarding school,” he said.
“Duh. But is it weird living there? Don’t you miss being home?”
“Sometimes, but school’s pretty cool. I mean, I get along with everybody.”
“Do you have a roommate or something?”
James leaned up on his side, on his elbow, facing me. “Luke.”
“Do you let him have the bed?”
“No, he has his own closet to sleep in.”
“Right.” I didn’t know if I’d ever know when James was kidding. Never? Always?
I realized it was way too hot: My shirt was damp, my skin glistened with sweat. “Can you turn that fan on?”
“It’s broken.”
“Great.”
I propped my knees up to let them air out. I was dripping.
“Hey,” he said. “Give me your arm.”
“What arm? I’ve melted into the rug. I’m a puddle resembling a girl.”
“Just give it to me.”
I held out my arm for him and James took it, his left hand at my elbow, his right around my wrist. “Stay still,” he said, and then, “Don’t move,” as he lowered his face to the crease where my arm folded. He kissed the crease with his open mouth. I felt his tongue, maybe his teeth, the soft wet inside of his lips. Then he pulled his face away.
“Now close your eyes,” James said, “and tell me when my finger gets to the kiss.”
I closed my eyes. He moved his finger up my arm, slowly, and sometimes it felt like he moved it backward too, down my arm again, toward my wrist.
“Now,” I said, my eyes still closed, my voice nothing but breath.
“Not even close, dude.”
I opened my eyes and saw he wasn’t even halfway up my forearm. He was closer to my palm than my elbow. “Damn,” I said. I dropped my arm a little in his hands. I could still feel the sticky wetness on my skin.
“James,” I said.
“Yes?”
“I might never leave this house. It’s my favorite house ever.”
“That’s okay,” he said.
“Really?”
He nodded. “All I need is the closet.”
“James,” I said.
He nodded.
“Don’t sleep in the closet.”
He laughed. “I don’t tell you what to do.”
“Yes, you do. You told me to stay still.”
“Oh yeah. Sorry about that.”
“No, it’s awesome you did.”
We didn’t say anything for a while, and then he said, “You should go back to Naomi.”
“Why?”
“The sun will be up in less than an hour.”
It was a weird way of putting it, but he was right, it was so late it was early.
“And I can’t tell Naomi about this?”
“Negative.”
“But I’ll see you at breakfast in a few hours?”
“Double negative.”
“That means a positive, right?”
“I was told there’d be no math on this exam.”
“I won’t even look at you,” I said, knowing that’d be the hardest part.
“I’m a late sleeper.”
“Yeah, I heard.”
“I’ll be awake tomorrow night.”
“I have a shift.”
“I’ll be awake after your shift.”
“It’s a date, dude,” I said, obviously flirting. So obviously.
He gave me a “Don’t get ahead of yourself, dude” look, and then he said, “We’ll take a walk.”
“Now?” I said, and stood up.
“Tomorrow night, Quinn. Now, you go.”
I knew I wouldn’t be getting any good-night kiss. Hisaffection was too random. A future goal: Next time I took my shirt off in front of him, he wouldn’t be looking away.
I walked down the narrow staircase and heard James shut the door behind me. The sky was purple and red, getting lighter, making room for the sun. I grabbed my gray tank top out of the dirt and shoved it in my pocket. Hadn’t needed that cherry ChapStick after all.
When I slipped back into Naomi’s room, she barely stirred. I took off my shorts and squeezed into the sleeping bag, zipping it up over my head. I thought of James on the floor of his tiny walk-in closet. I touched his T-shirt to my underwear. Before I fell asleep, I sniffed the fabric again, but the smell of my sweat covered up his scent. Blues for a blue T-shirt , I thought, and closed my eyes
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