remembered I’d not been allowed around boys before now. Fumbling words was so new to me.
“You like that word. I might just take offense if I didn ’t like you. If you’re asking if I’ve noticed other girls before, well yes, I am male as you call it. But no, I’ve not wanted to ever get to know any of them before with much more than a few laughs. You’re different somehow.”
Yeah. Try way different. Like a different species as far as we are both concerned. “So, do you think you’ll still like me if you know all of my secrets?” Total chance talking here, but not revealing. And so not caring either.
“Are you really a man under that shirt?” Calum momentarily looked at my chest. Not in a vulgar way, but definitely playful and intentional. I looked around to see if others were still watching. Only Maze. And Derrick and Lee. They reminded me of a movie I once saw on my father ’s TV. Batman and Robin. Simply because they were always together, I guess.
“No, I ’m not really a man. This is the real thing under here.” I can embarrass him back, right. I felt like I was in one of my movies trying to come up with one- liners. Mostly, I'd only ever tried them on my bedroom mirror.
Calum didn ’t look up, but grabbed a cheese puff from the plates of food and ate it. Then he tossed some carrots and meatballs all over the plate and popped them in after each swallow. I took my time tearing apart the yummy cheesy bread and dipping it in the olive oil in the center of the table. I didn’t think about the double dipping. Oops! I backed away from the oil.
“And you ’re not here to break my…uh, spirit and then run away,” he asked.
Too close to the truth,I answered truthfully, “No, that ’s not what I’m here for.” I looked down at my bread desperate for a subject change. And was he just about to say heart? “So, what else are you good at besides, weapons, chemistry, tutoring, good looks, and putting spells on me?” I asked perplexed by where the last comment’s point might have been leading too.
“My spell is working then?” a wide toothy grin played across his lips.
“I’d say not, moron!” I muttered with a chunk of bread going in my mouth and eyes raised but never looking up. I didn’t realize it yet, but my world was closing in on a too small bubble around me and this incredible smooth talking sarcasm filled Hunter Hyde boy. I forgot we were in a crowded dining hall. I forgot about this magnetic pull Calum had drawing me to him whether I wanted to or not. I forgot to be me.
He chuckled purposefully.
“Not cocky, are we?” Calum truly was enjoying this.
“Er , I bake a mean pizza," he offered. Where the crap did that come from?
“Seriously! That ’s like the only thing I eat. Hence,” I looked down, “Italian bread. I think my mother was Italian and…” I stopped, feeling lame and giving way too much information. I totally didn’t just say that, did I?
“That explains the food but definitely not the hair, eyes, and cream colored skin.”
He just described my skin as cream. Did guys really do that? “Um, yeah, my mom’s side I guess. Enough about me, back to your repulsive features.” Yes, ice queen. No, not really meaning it. Yes, not letting this boy see. No, because he’s the first one to see through it. When he didn’t answer I asked, “How about your mom?”
Calum looked down, “She died when I was born.”
I stopped chewing my piece of bread, “So did mine.”
We just stared in mid chew, both of us, at each other. After a second, we continued eating quietly.
“She left me something. A letter. I kept it for years, but lost it a few years back. Don’t know why I told you that.” Calum watched his fork move his food around on his plate after saying such a thing uneased by his own admission.
“You miss her like I d o mine even without knowing
Brenda Novak
Italo Calvino
C. C. Hunter
ylugin
Mario Puzo
Charlotte Boyett-Compo
Toby Neal
Amarinda Jones
Ashley Hunter
Riley Clifford