East Avenue

"Sorry, fuck. I'm running late. The bus was hard today and I had to get off early. Have you been waiting long?"

Joey shrugged, "I don't mind waiting."

Silence. The park was empty, like he'd planned it somehow. It made it easier, I suppose, but it wasn't worth commenting on. I pulled out my book and started reading, it was hard to leave it, to set it down unfinished when the ideas were so intriguing and consuming. Things like this took hold of me often and I'd be unable to focus on anything else for days until I felt I'd gotten as much from it as possible, as quickly as possible.

"So, what do you wanna do today?" I heard the smile, and looked up. Joey had no imperfections that I could see, that I wanted to run from- take the bus again rather than be around him. That was never the case, for reasons he never understood. And as a friend, he never wanted to ask.

"I'm reading."

"Well, that's nice. Unless you'd like to begin reading aloud so I'm at least slightly involved, I suggest we-"

I glanced down pointedly. "Joey, the book."

He sighed, I read more about little Newt.