Two Fish

fifty || elver

Elver tried to open his eyes and failed. His eyelids were too heavy and he leant back to where they had found a make-do bed. He could hear Alaska rustling and then he drifted back into a stormy dream.

“Elver, wake up. It’s half eleven. I think you were about to get up at about seven, when I was awake, but then you fell back asleep. I’m tired of waiting for you.” Alaska gave him a shake. He shot up and immediately recoiled. Every limb in his body seemed to be dead and his neck was stiff and aching from being bent against the hard seat. He opened his eyes and was met with a blur of colours and shapes. Alaska looked concerned.

“Um, Elver? Are you ok?” In a panic, she grabbed a bottle of water and emptied the contents onto his head. His eyes flew open and he took in what had just happened, staring at her in disbelief.

“Alaska! What was that for? I always get up at this time.” He wiped his head and shivered. Although the water had been in the car all night, the storm had made it icy cold. Alaska groaned.

“I’m so sorry. I worry like that. You were groaning.”

“Because you woke me up.”

“Sorry.” She got to her knees. “I’ll go and get your clothes and  a towel.”

Elver’s simple groan didn’t assure her and she frowned, rushing into the house and with her thoughts fixed on Elver, she barely noticed that the sun had appeared over the town. Upon her return to the car, she wiped the towel over Elver’s forehead and pushed a bundle of clothes into his lap. Elver blinked.

“Oh, Elver. Say something. Say anything.”

Elver tried to supress a smile. Alaska leant right up to his face and he couldn’t resist the temptation.

“Boo!” he cried. Alaska screamed and hid her face. He laughed.

“I can’t believe you fell for that,” he said, taking Alaska’s hands off her face and holding them in his own. She sighed.

“Me neither.”

They climbed out of the car in yesterday’s clothes, crumpled and chilly.

“I’m gonna get changed, then we can to town, can’t we? Maybe get the air bed,” Alaska said. Elver hid his disappointment poorly. He had enjoyed the excitement of sleeping in the car, and although to any passers-by they looked homeless and it wasn’t the most comfortable, he would have happily spent the rest of the holiday’s nights in there.

“Yeah. Of course.”

“Hey, it’s sunny. Why so glum?” Alaska asked, nudging him playfully. Elver switched on a smile.

“I’m not.”

He stood in the double bedroom and stared down at his clothes. His jeans were comfy but they were boring and he felt a sudden urge to impress Alaska. Digging in the depths of his suitcase, he grinned when he reached an alarming blue holiday shirt covered in palm trees, unsure of why it was even in there. At least Alaska would laugh at it. He pulled it on along with grey jeans – boring would have to do with a shirt like that – and a pair of lace ups. Standing in front of mirror as he inspected himself, he simply shook his head and wandered downstairs. Alaska looked effortlessly beautiful in blue leggings and a nautical striped long t-shirt. Instead of the messy bun she had slept in, her hair had been loosed from its bobble, rippling down her back. She turned to face Elver and burst out laughing.

“What is that?” Her jaw actually dropped as she took in Elver’s outfit

“It’s my shirt, is something wrong?” he asked, mock hurt.  Alaska laughed but he carried on.  “I mean, it shouldn’t matter how I look.”

Alaska leant across and kissed him. “I wouldn’t care if you wore a dress,” she murmured against his lips. Elver pulled away and without a word, he rushed upstairs and dug around in his aunt’s wardrobe. He reached a disgusting yellow and blue knee length dress, changed into it and squeezed his feet into a pair of bright orange high heels. He was about to go down when he caught sight of a make-up bag peeping out of the dresser. It was full of unattractive shades of lipstick. Elver added a slick of brown gloss to his lips and glanced at himself in the mirror. Satisfied, he sauntered down the stairs and rested his hand against his jutted-out hip. Alaska did a double take when she saw him.

“Oh my … Elver, what the hell?” Her hand flew to her mouth. “I have to admit, you make quite a convincing woman. It’s a bit scary.”

“That’s me, honeybee,” he said in a high pitched, over exaggerated woman’s voice. “You have to kiss me now.” She giggled and stood on her tiptoes but failed to reach him. Elver crouched down; with the heels, he was more than a foot taller than her. 

“Let’s go get this air bed,” he said when he pulled away, pushing his hair off his face.

“What? Elver, you’re wearing a dress.”

“So?” he said coolly, smacking his lips. He wasn’t used to feeling so sticky.

“Ok. I dare you. We’re going to spend a day out with you in a dress.” 

Elver narrowed his eyes. “Game on.” They started walking and he tried to take her hand. She shook it off and for a moment he was confused.

“You won’t hold my hand?” He sounded hurt, gazing down at her with huge doe eyes. Alaska glanced at his attire.

“I’d look weird, holding hands with a casual cross dresser,” she said. Elver smiled.

“Here I am, all dolled up in a dress for your dare and you won’t even hold my hand?” He wanted to shove his hands in his pockets but the dress had none. Ignoring the looks from the ordinary people of Devon wasn’t hard when he was finding it difficult to take himself seriously.

Just off the beach, they swanned into a D.I.Y store and headed straight for the camping section, under the watchful eye of the man at the till. Elver found an air bed and turned it over in his hands, searching for a price. Alaska spotted it first and gasped.

“Elver, it’s sixty quid. We can’t afford that.”

Elver frowned, twisting his lips in thought. He tapped his fingers on the cardboard box. “No, I can’t. What d’you want to do?”

Alaska face flushed from a gorgeous peach to a flustered raspberry. “Um, I don’t know. Can we think over coffee?” she asked. Elver wrinkled his nose.

“Tea. Let’s think over tea.”