“Hi, David,” I said cheerfully—maybe too cheerful.
“Hello, Ara.” He took my backpack and tossed it over his free shoulder. “You look pretty.”
I bit my lip, practically melting into a puddle. “Um, thanks.”
He laughed. “Okay, now you just look pink.”
Both hands slowly rose to cover my cheeks. “Well, don't say nice things to me then.”
“Okay. But that doesn't leave me a whole lot to say.”
I smiled up at him, forgetting every thought when the morning sun beamed down across his hair, highlighting the golden tones, making every strand obvious. I just wanted to run my fingers through it. “I like your hair,” I said, instantly snapping to the realisation that I just said it out loud.
“Thank you.” He grinned mischievously, sweeping his hand through it. “I uh…I grew it myself.”
I laughed. “Sorry—forgot to put my brain-to-mouth filter on this morning.”
“That’s okay.” He winked at me. “I like you that way.”
“Good.”
He dropped his hand into his pocket, and my eyes strayed from his hair to his jaw then down to the top button of his shirt, sitting slightly open, showing golden skin underneath.
“Ara?” David said.
“Hm?”
“Stop biting your nails, sweetheart.” He gently pushed my fingers away from my mouth.
“Oh.” I stuffed both hands tightly into my pockets. “Didn’t realise I was.”
After a soft smile, he started walking. “I know. You do that a lot.”
“I know.” I grinned sheepishly, then pointed to his guitar case. “What kind of guitar is it?”
“Oh, uh—” He looked down at the case. “It’s a Maton. Twelve string.”
“Nice.” I nodded, yawning.
“Did you sleep last night?”
“Actually? I did. For the first time in months.” I smiled, but dropped it instantly, realising my response could be bait for more questions. Please don’t bite.
“You don’t normally sleep?” he bit.
“Uh. Well. I um. Yeah, of course I do. I just meant that…” Wow, I’d really put my foot in that one. “I stayed up late talking with a friend last night.”
“But you said you slept.”
“I did. After.” I looked at my feet, wishing he’d just drop it.
“Who was your friend?”
“Huh?”
“Who were you taking to last night?”
“Oh, a guy I grew up with—in Australia.”
“A guy?”
“Yes. A guy.”
“And he’s…a friend?”
“Yeah.”
“Was he a school friend?”
“Not really. I mean, he was a few years ahead of me in primary school, then I went to an all girls’ high school, so, you know, we played at school as kids, but not once we grew up.”
“What did you do then?”
I laughed. “Then? He practically lived at my house—or me at his.”
David nodded, his eyes straying slowly forward. “And you miss him—that’s why you stayed up talking?”
“I—” I closed my fist around my thumb, resisting the urge to munch it. “I don’t really know.”
“You don’t know if you miss him?” he confirmed.
I felt his eyes on me, felt him searching inside me, sending my shoulders around my ears.
“How many years ahead?” he asked out of nowhere.
“What? Who?”
“This guy.” He smiled. “You said he was a few years ahead in school. How much older is he than you?”
“A little over three,” I said, growing taller without the tension shrinking me.
“So…he’s twenty?” David asked.
“Yup. Twenty one in May next year.”
David nodded. “And what about you? When’s your birthday?”
“What, you can’t guess that by studying some random feature of mine?” I said sarcastically. “Like my piano hands?”
“I could find out for myself—if I wanted to. But I’d rather ask you.”
“Well, when you put it that way…March seventeen.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “Pisces, huh?”
“Yup.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “That explains a lot.”
“Hey! What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing,” he said. “It’s just funny how much that fits you.”
“Says he who’s known me for a day.”
He smirked.
“Hey, you two.” Emily waved before we reached the top of the stairs.
“Hi, Emily.” I waved back, noticing that, aside from her blue top, we’d pretty much dressed the same.
“Good morning, Emily.” David nodded in his cool, charismatic way.
“Ready to start another day?” she said.
“Alwa—”
“Em. David.” Ryan called, running out from the school.
“What’s wrong?” Emily asked.
“It’s Nathan, guys,” he said, coming to stand beside us.
“Who’s Nathan?” I looked at David.
“Oh, right. Sorry, Ara, you wouldn’t know about this,” Ryan said, “but, he’s our star quarterback—he got sick last week. Hasn’t been able to get out of bed.”
“Oh, that’s awful. What’s wrong with him?” I asked.
“Well, at first they said it was a really bad flu or something, but my mom just spoke to his mom in the pharmacy.” Ryan looked at David. “He’s had to go to the hospital, man. They couldn’t keep him at home any longer.”
“What? No!” Emily covered her mouth. “Will he be okay?”
“They’re not sure. He’s on machines and stuff to keep him alive, but, you know Mrs Rossi? She was crying ‘cause she doesn’t have insurance—said she can’t get Nathe the care he needs.”
Emily covered her mouth. “What are they gonna do?”
“Are you all good friends with Nathan?” I asked.
“Everyone is—he’s just one of those guys, y’know?” Ryan added.
David’s fist clenched slightly by his side.
“Well, why don’t we do a fundraiser?” I shrugged. “We could put on a concert and charge people to come—give the money to Nathan’s mom.”
As if a light bulb had been switched on, they all looked up at me with a shimmering glint in their eyes. “Oh my God, Ara.” Emily grabbed my forearm and started bouncing on her toes. “That’s such a good idea.”