Status: More will be coming soon, promise. You WILL have a few chapters before sept 31.
Blush.
0009.
I pushed open the door to the art store with a smile; James was there. It was nice to see him again although I only saw him a few days before, he just had an air of…I don’t know what it is but it makes you feel happy. And it worked today without fail.
James looked up when a gush of cold wind came through the door, rustling some of the scrap-booking paper and he smiled.
“Have you come to get more paint?” he asked his smile widening. I returned his smile, shaking my head and leaned against the counter.
“Nah. Things at home are a little…weird at the moment,” I explained. He nodded, obviously unsure of whether or not we were good enough friends to ask me if I wanted to talk about it. But he took the courage and asked.
“Anything you want to talk about…?” he trailed off, uncertainty obvious in his voice. I looked up at him, flashing a smile, ready to decline. But something in his face stopped me. It was the concern that was written so plainly in his expression. I hesitated; thinking.
“Yeah,” I said slowly, nodding my head just once. “I would like to talk about, if you don’t mind it?”
James shook his head. “It’s okay. Come and sit behind the counter with me and talk as much as you want. No one’s in here at the moment but you and me,” he replied in his accented voice. I could never quite figure out what accent it was though. I should ask.
“Well…” I began slowly; still hesitant to tell anyone how I was feeling. But when I looked into his eyes, they looked so…welcoming, like he was inviting me to talk, but at my own pace. I caved, and let it spill. I told him about everything: Quinn, Frank, work, my brother, leaving home. Everything.
He hardly interrupted me, when he did it was only to ask a question or clarify something I had said. What impressed me the most though, was that he let me talk freely without looking bored once.
He asked why I had left home just once but when I looked down timidly he let it go and just told me not to worry about it. He surprised me by not bringing it up again; even though it would have helped him understand a lot of this better he just tried as best he could. When I finished he nodded to himself, then looked up at me with a comforting smile, reaching out and rubbing my arm.
“Thanks for listening,” I whispered, looking down at my hands shyly. I was sure I was blushing bright red. I felt a finger under my chin, nudging my face up. I raised my eyes until they met with James’s. His eyes were warm and made me feel special.
“Any time Gerard. You can talk to me; I want you to know that. Now with Quinn and Frank; do you think that Frank may possibly like you and that Quinn’s telling the truth?”
“I don’t know,” I mumbled, my face pulling into a frown. That was the one of the things that shocked me the most…after the shock of Quinn’s outburst of course. I still couldn’t believe the accusation that Quinn had made because Frank seemed to shrug it off so easily that I didn’t know if I could believe it.
“It’s not my place to say, but it sounds like he does. But Quinn on the other hand, I have no idea. You said that you’re confident that he doesn’t and wouldn’t like you in a romantic sense, but you knew he was lying when you asked him what the problem was. I don’t know what it is but I think he’s hiding something…” James trailed off deep in thought, his brow furrowed in concentration. I almost giggled at the sight.
“Or maybe he’s just insecure?” he put forward, but he didn’t look completely convinced.
“Do you want a coffee or anything while you’re thinking?” I asked quietly. I could really do with a coffee at the moment. I would go to Gloria Jean’s or whatever the new coffee shop was called.
“Yeah, can you go to Starbuck’s for me?” he asked vacantly. I made a face but nodded, but he saw my expression and exclaimed, “What?”
“Oh, its nothing,” I said, trying wave it off.
“No, come on. What is it?” he pressed.
“It’s just that I hate Starbuck’s coffee with a passion,” I mumbled, jumping when James’s hand shot to his mouth in one quick movement.
“You…hate…Starbuck’s coffee?!” he repeated in a shaky voice, as if unable to believe it. I nodded, blushing darkly. I blush way too much.
“Okay. Well, if you’re gonna go and get coffees, please do it now because I need a few minutes to get over the fact that you hate Starbuck’s coffee,” James whispered in shock.
I couldn’t help but giggle at his reaction as I walked out the door and into the now crowded streets. It didn’t take me long to locate a coffee shop for both James and I and it took even less time to buy the drinks. I returned within ten minutes, hoping that would be enough time for James to calm down after finding out that I loathed Starbuck’s coffee. To be honest, I thought it tasted horrible!
But when I walked back into the art store James seemed to be thinking very hard as his eyebrows were furrowed deeply once again. I smiled at the sight, just as he looked up at me with our coffees in my hands. His eyes lit up once he saw the packaging of his coffee.
“You got Starbuck’s for me?!” he shrieked in excitement. I giggled again and nodded. Handing him his coffee, I began to wonder about his accent again. I just couldn’t figure out where he might have gotten it. Holiday, maybe? Or did he live in another country up until recently? My curiosity getting the better of me, and I asked.
“Have you gone overseas recently? Because I’ve noticed that you have an accent. Where is it from?”
James’s eyes met mine cheerily, his mouth stretching into a wide and cheesy grin. “It’s Australian. I’m surprised you haven’t said anything about it until now. Little old James all the way from Outback Australia where the kangaroos are. Usually causes a big commotion here in the States.”
My eyes widened upon hearing he was from Australia; I’ve always wondered how the people there live. I had so many questions!
“Really?!” I squealed, “Is it true that they have washing lines that rotate?!”
James burst into hearty laughter when I asked him that, his laugh echoed off the walls making it sound even louder than it was.
“Out of all the questions?!” he gasped between laughs, “You ask about the washing lines?!”
I blushed – yet again – and waited patiently until he stopped convulsing with his hysterical laughter. Once he had somewhat calmed down he looked over at me with an amused expression and nodded.
“Yes, they rotate. Not everyone has a rotating washing line but most of us do because of the climate,” he informed me. I nodded, thinking this over. It’s hard to believe that they rotate though. They do things so differently in Australia, they’re culture is fascinating.
“Okay, that’s cool,” I replied, grinning. James laughed again, his hair flopping into his eyes cutely. I laughed along with him this time, but the clock above his head caught my eye mid-laugh.
“Ah James, it’s pretty late. I really should go, Quinn and Frank’ll be wondering where I’ve gotten to,” I said with another worried glance at the clock. James nodded and got up to see me out of the store as though it were his house.
“The thing with Quinn and Frank will sort itself out, Gerard. You’ll see.” James grinned. I nodded shortly, sending him a smile, before starting to walk out of the store, but I stopped short and turned quickly to give him a quick hug, making both of us blush. Me more than him though.
I shot out of the store like a bullet, already half way down the street before I looked over my shoulder towards the art store. James was still standing at the door. I smiled and continued on my way home with confidence. After talking with James I had felt better and had been able to think all this through properly and now?
Yeah, now I knew what I had to do about Quinn and Frank.
James looked up when a gush of cold wind came through the door, rustling some of the scrap-booking paper and he smiled.
“Have you come to get more paint?” he asked his smile widening. I returned his smile, shaking my head and leaned against the counter.
“Nah. Things at home are a little…weird at the moment,” I explained. He nodded, obviously unsure of whether or not we were good enough friends to ask me if I wanted to talk about it. But he took the courage and asked.
“Anything you want to talk about…?” he trailed off, uncertainty obvious in his voice. I looked up at him, flashing a smile, ready to decline. But something in his face stopped me. It was the concern that was written so plainly in his expression. I hesitated; thinking.
“Yeah,” I said slowly, nodding my head just once. “I would like to talk about, if you don’t mind it?”
James shook his head. “It’s okay. Come and sit behind the counter with me and talk as much as you want. No one’s in here at the moment but you and me,” he replied in his accented voice. I could never quite figure out what accent it was though. I should ask.
“Well…” I began slowly; still hesitant to tell anyone how I was feeling. But when I looked into his eyes, they looked so…welcoming, like he was inviting me to talk, but at my own pace. I caved, and let it spill. I told him about everything: Quinn, Frank, work, my brother, leaving home. Everything.
He hardly interrupted me, when he did it was only to ask a question or clarify something I had said. What impressed me the most though, was that he let me talk freely without looking bored once.
He asked why I had left home just once but when I looked down timidly he let it go and just told me not to worry about it. He surprised me by not bringing it up again; even though it would have helped him understand a lot of this better he just tried as best he could. When I finished he nodded to himself, then looked up at me with a comforting smile, reaching out and rubbing my arm.
“Thanks for listening,” I whispered, looking down at my hands shyly. I was sure I was blushing bright red. I felt a finger under my chin, nudging my face up. I raised my eyes until they met with James’s. His eyes were warm and made me feel special.
“Any time Gerard. You can talk to me; I want you to know that. Now with Quinn and Frank; do you think that Frank may possibly like you and that Quinn’s telling the truth?”
“I don’t know,” I mumbled, my face pulling into a frown. That was the one of the things that shocked me the most…after the shock of Quinn’s outburst of course. I still couldn’t believe the accusation that Quinn had made because Frank seemed to shrug it off so easily that I didn’t know if I could believe it.
“It’s not my place to say, but it sounds like he does. But Quinn on the other hand, I have no idea. You said that you’re confident that he doesn’t and wouldn’t like you in a romantic sense, but you knew he was lying when you asked him what the problem was. I don’t know what it is but I think he’s hiding something…” James trailed off deep in thought, his brow furrowed in concentration. I almost giggled at the sight.
“Or maybe he’s just insecure?” he put forward, but he didn’t look completely convinced.
“Do you want a coffee or anything while you’re thinking?” I asked quietly. I could really do with a coffee at the moment. I would go to Gloria Jean’s or whatever the new coffee shop was called.
“Yeah, can you go to Starbuck’s for me?” he asked vacantly. I made a face but nodded, but he saw my expression and exclaimed, “What?”
“Oh, its nothing,” I said, trying wave it off.
“No, come on. What is it?” he pressed.
“It’s just that I hate Starbuck’s coffee with a passion,” I mumbled, jumping when James’s hand shot to his mouth in one quick movement.
“You…hate…Starbuck’s coffee?!” he repeated in a shaky voice, as if unable to believe it. I nodded, blushing darkly. I blush way too much.
“Okay. Well, if you’re gonna go and get coffees, please do it now because I need a few minutes to get over the fact that you hate Starbuck’s coffee,” James whispered in shock.
I couldn’t help but giggle at his reaction as I walked out the door and into the now crowded streets. It didn’t take me long to locate a coffee shop for both James and I and it took even less time to buy the drinks. I returned within ten minutes, hoping that would be enough time for James to calm down after finding out that I loathed Starbuck’s coffee. To be honest, I thought it tasted horrible!
But when I walked back into the art store James seemed to be thinking very hard as his eyebrows were furrowed deeply once again. I smiled at the sight, just as he looked up at me with our coffees in my hands. His eyes lit up once he saw the packaging of his coffee.
“You got Starbuck’s for me?!” he shrieked in excitement. I giggled again and nodded. Handing him his coffee, I began to wonder about his accent again. I just couldn’t figure out where he might have gotten it. Holiday, maybe? Or did he live in another country up until recently? My curiosity getting the better of me, and I asked.
“Have you gone overseas recently? Because I’ve noticed that you have an accent. Where is it from?”
James’s eyes met mine cheerily, his mouth stretching into a wide and cheesy grin. “It’s Australian. I’m surprised you haven’t said anything about it until now. Little old James all the way from Outback Australia where the kangaroos are. Usually causes a big commotion here in the States.”
My eyes widened upon hearing he was from Australia; I’ve always wondered how the people there live. I had so many questions!
“Really?!” I squealed, “Is it true that they have washing lines that rotate?!”
James burst into hearty laughter when I asked him that, his laugh echoed off the walls making it sound even louder than it was.
“Out of all the questions?!” he gasped between laughs, “You ask about the washing lines?!”
I blushed – yet again – and waited patiently until he stopped convulsing with his hysterical laughter. Once he had somewhat calmed down he looked over at me with an amused expression and nodded.
“Yes, they rotate. Not everyone has a rotating washing line but most of us do because of the climate,” he informed me. I nodded, thinking this over. It’s hard to believe that they rotate though. They do things so differently in Australia, they’re culture is fascinating.
“Okay, that’s cool,” I replied, grinning. James laughed again, his hair flopping into his eyes cutely. I laughed along with him this time, but the clock above his head caught my eye mid-laugh.
“Ah James, it’s pretty late. I really should go, Quinn and Frank’ll be wondering where I’ve gotten to,” I said with another worried glance at the clock. James nodded and got up to see me out of the store as though it were his house.
“The thing with Quinn and Frank will sort itself out, Gerard. You’ll see.” James grinned. I nodded shortly, sending him a smile, before starting to walk out of the store, but I stopped short and turned quickly to give him a quick hug, making both of us blush. Me more than him though.
I shot out of the store like a bullet, already half way down the street before I looked over my shoulder towards the art store. James was still standing at the door. I smiled and continued on my way home with confidence. After talking with James I had felt better and had been able to think all this through properly and now?
Yeah, now I knew what I had to do about Quinn and Frank.