Shelter by Ashley John Page A

line?” he asked after finishing a slice of pizza.
    “Has something happened?”
    “No,” it technically wasn’t a lie, “I just worry that I’m too friendly with people.”
    “There’s nothing wrong with being friendly,” she shook her red hair out, “as long as you’re not being taken advantage of.”
    “Yeah,” he mused.
    The problem was that he didn’t feel like he was being taken advantage of at all; it was quite the opposite. Elias was vulnerable and Caden was there to help him, which made the stupid crush he was developing feel even more wrong.
    “Are you going to the festival this weekend?” she asked, “Your dad’s holding down a stall in the square on Saturday.”
    “I’ll be there,” he said as he slid his phone from his pocket.
    Opening his call logs he hovered over the most recent number in his history. He almost called but he opted for a text. A text is safer .
    ‘Hey, It’s Caden. If you still want to go to the Lobster Festival on Saturday, I’ll meet you outside your apartment at noon.’
    Hovering over the ‘ send ’ button, he read the message over and over, hoping it didn’t have a hidden subtext. Nervously, he hit the button and dropped his cell onto the table, ready for the agonizing wait for a reply.
    The phone vibrated almost instantly.
    ‘Sure. See you on Saturday.’
    Unsure of what was going on, he saved the number under ‘ Elias ’ and slid the phone back into his pocket, knowing that he had a couple of days to figure out what to do next. Do I bring it up or do I ignore it and hope it goes away? I’m supposed to be helping this guy, not making things more complicated.

 

     
     
    Elias changed his shirt again and fiddled with the gel in his black hair. He tugged at the collar of the obscure rock band t-shirt, pulling it over his head when he felt it suffocating him. A quick sniff of his armpits made him spray deodorant for the fourth time. Bundling up the shirt, he tossed it across the room, sending it crashing into the wooden blinds.
    “Ugh!” he cried out as he dug through the clothes on his bedroom floor.
    Clothes had never been a problem for Elias. He had always dressed for convenience rather than for fashion. Most of his clothes were stolen from department stores or from the donations bin in the rehab center. Pulling a plain white t-shirt over his head, he examined his reflection in the floor-length mirror at the end of his bed. It was tight, but it hugged his body in a way that didn’t make him look so skinny. After a quick scoop into the pot of bright blue gel, he brushed it through his dark hair again, adjusting it, suddenly forgetting how it normally looked.
    Elias hadn’t even tried to deny that he was nervous to see Caden again. It was almost noon and they were about to go to the Lobster Festival together. I should have just cancelled . He had been tossing and turning all night, hoping that Caden hadn’t picked up on what Elias had nearly done. Maybe he didn’t notice you trying to kiss him? Ugh, who am I kidding? Of course he fucking noticed.
    Swiping the gel off the dresser in frustration, he watched as it blobbed across the wooden floor, landing messily on a pair of briefs. He wanted to calm down, hoping that Caden wasn’t going to mention it. The thought that Caden was as embarrassed as he was gave him hope. The reminder set on his cellphone beeped loudly on his nightstand, sending a shiver running down his spine. He had three minutes to go until noon. Was that too late to cancel?
    Heading across his apartment as he tugged on a black zip-up hoodie, he peeked through the blinds. Caden was already waiting under his window, outside of the bakery. His strawberry infused hair glittered brightly in the sun, contrasting with the beat up denim jacket he was wearing. He looked different. Was he more dressed up than normal or was Elias looking too far into a jacket?
    “Hey,” he couldn’t look into Caden’s eyes as he rounded the corner, “how’s it