Enigma
David
I was trembling with nervous excitement as I waited outside the café for David. It turned out that he actually lived in the town half an hour away from me. I must admit that I was slightly sceptical about whether he was telling the truth or not about how he was different.
I bit my lip, gnawing it with my teeth. What if he was lying and this was just some ploy created by some of the kids at my school. I bet they would turn up and start laughing at me. Then David would start laughing too and I would find out it was all at my expense. How would I be able to go back to school and known that people were laughing openly at me even more than they did before?
I shook my head, not wanting to think about that scenario. I shifted my mind to imagine a different one. What if he is telling the truth? Maybe we could get to know each other better and I would have one person, besides my family, who knew about what I am.
I smiled secretly as I imagined us becoming good friends. Maybe I wouldn’t need to talk to Strider anymore. I would have my own friend, right here in Ireland with me. I would be able to see him anytime I wanted, well almost. I think that would be the best part. Having someone I can talk to, face to face, not over the internet.
“Annette?”
I turned in response to the pleasant low voice behind me. There he was, taller than I remembered, but with the same green eyes. He had grown his hair slightly longer, but it was him. I stood and extended my hand.
“Hi David,” I smiled with sincere warmth. We shook hands, I couldn’t tell any difference in our skin temperatures. Maybe he is telling the truth.
He grinned at me, “See; we’re the same temperature.”
My jaw dropped slightly as it truly sunk in. He was telling the truth. I sat down again quickly, my mind racing as I thought about it all.
His hand pressed against my shoulder, “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice quiet and full of nervous concern.
I nodded, “Yeah, I am. It’s just a little weird thinking about the fact that you were telling the truth. It’s so weird to think that we’ve been almost right next to each other the entire time and yet we have never met.”
“The doctors were actually planning to introduce us next time one of us was in hospital for checkups.” He glanced down at the menu before him, his forehead furrowing as he considered the options. “But I suppose they don’t need to now,” he continued, looking up and grinning again. “We’ve already met,”
I smiled in return and concentrated hard on the menu trying to stop my cheeks from turning tomato red. His smile was so alluring, drawing me in like a mosquito to a person. I bit my lip again and looked up.
“I think I’ll have the soup,” he was saying quietly, “And maybe an iced tea,” he glanced at me. “What would you like?”
“I’ll have a garden salad and,” I paused, “Um, and a mocha.”
“Perfect,” he raised his hand to call over the waitress. She took our order and we sat in silence for a few moments.
But it was not an uncomfortable silence. It was the type of silence that you can only have when you are with a close friend who you know very well. I smiled inwardly, hoping that they took their time bringing the food out.
“So, have you always lived in this area,” David queried, watching me closely.
“Yeah, my family moved around a fair bit before I was born but when I cam along and there were all the complications they decided that maybe it would be better if they stayed in the one place.” My fingers rubbed the glass table top as I spoke.
David nodded and continued to watch me intently. “How many siblings do you have?”
“Three older sisters,” my fingers were beginning to smudge the clear glass but my fingers did not cease their movements. “What about you?” I looked up at him, his green eyes still locked on me.
He shook his head slightly. “Only child,” he smiled somewhat ruefully. “Once my parents had me, they were afraid that the next child would turn out like me. This put a fair bit of stress on their relationship.” He paused and blinked once, “They split up. I don’t see my mum very often anymore. She is off with some Italian toy-boy who she started seeing before she even separated from my dad.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring that kind of thing up,” I grimaced and looked back down at my fingers.
David placed his hand over mine and caught my fingers. “Don’t worry about it,” he lifted my chin and grinned at me “I honestly don’t mind. She was a bitch anyway.” He laughed quietly to himself. "Dad has a new girlfriend now. Her name's Vivien."
“Here you go,” the waitress placed our food and drinks on the table and then walked away.
David smiled at me again before starting to eat the food infront of him.
I bit my lip, gnawing it with my teeth. What if he was lying and this was just some ploy created by some of the kids at my school. I bet they would turn up and start laughing at me. Then David would start laughing too and I would find out it was all at my expense. How would I be able to go back to school and known that people were laughing openly at me even more than they did before?
I shook my head, not wanting to think about that scenario. I shifted my mind to imagine a different one. What if he is telling the truth? Maybe we could get to know each other better and I would have one person, besides my family, who knew about what I am.
I smiled secretly as I imagined us becoming good friends. Maybe I wouldn’t need to talk to Strider anymore. I would have my own friend, right here in Ireland with me. I would be able to see him anytime I wanted, well almost. I think that would be the best part. Having someone I can talk to, face to face, not over the internet.
“Annette?”
I turned in response to the pleasant low voice behind me. There he was, taller than I remembered, but with the same green eyes. He had grown his hair slightly longer, but it was him. I stood and extended my hand.
“Hi David,” I smiled with sincere warmth. We shook hands, I couldn’t tell any difference in our skin temperatures. Maybe he is telling the truth.
He grinned at me, “See; we’re the same temperature.”
My jaw dropped slightly as it truly sunk in. He was telling the truth. I sat down again quickly, my mind racing as I thought about it all.
His hand pressed against my shoulder, “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice quiet and full of nervous concern.
I nodded, “Yeah, I am. It’s just a little weird thinking about the fact that you were telling the truth. It’s so weird to think that we’ve been almost right next to each other the entire time and yet we have never met.”
“The doctors were actually planning to introduce us next time one of us was in hospital for checkups.” He glanced down at the menu before him, his forehead furrowing as he considered the options. “But I suppose they don’t need to now,” he continued, looking up and grinning again. “We’ve already met,”
I smiled in return and concentrated hard on the menu trying to stop my cheeks from turning tomato red. His smile was so alluring, drawing me in like a mosquito to a person. I bit my lip again and looked up.
“I think I’ll have the soup,” he was saying quietly, “And maybe an iced tea,” he glanced at me. “What would you like?”
“I’ll have a garden salad and,” I paused, “Um, and a mocha.”
“Perfect,” he raised his hand to call over the waitress. She took our order and we sat in silence for a few moments.
But it was not an uncomfortable silence. It was the type of silence that you can only have when you are with a close friend who you know very well. I smiled inwardly, hoping that they took their time bringing the food out.
“So, have you always lived in this area,” David queried, watching me closely.
“Yeah, my family moved around a fair bit before I was born but when I cam along and there were all the complications they decided that maybe it would be better if they stayed in the one place.” My fingers rubbed the glass table top as I spoke.
David nodded and continued to watch me intently. “How many siblings do you have?”
“Three older sisters,” my fingers were beginning to smudge the clear glass but my fingers did not cease their movements. “What about you?” I looked up at him, his green eyes still locked on me.
He shook his head slightly. “Only child,” he smiled somewhat ruefully. “Once my parents had me, they were afraid that the next child would turn out like me. This put a fair bit of stress on their relationship.” He paused and blinked once, “They split up. I don’t see my mum very often anymore. She is off with some Italian toy-boy who she started seeing before she even separated from my dad.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring that kind of thing up,” I grimaced and looked back down at my fingers.
David placed his hand over mine and caught my fingers. “Don’t worry about it,” he lifted my chin and grinned at me “I honestly don’t mind. She was a bitch anyway.” He laughed quietly to himself. "Dad has a new girlfriend now. Her name's Vivien."
“Here you go,” the waitress placed our food and drinks on the table and then walked away.
David smiled at me again before starting to eat the food infront of him.