SKIPPING TIME

Chapter 3.5

The squirrel came a few steps closer.

Jess glanced at Cacee again. Her hands were over her mouth. She asked in a muffled voice, "Have you ever seen an animal act like this?"

Hmm. Only one or two... hundred of them. He thought about her asking him to play the guitar and how he'd had to tell her no. He'd never played in front of anyone so the last thing he wanted to do was try it in front of Cacee and get so nervous he sucked. Hell, for all he knew, he sucked when he wasn't nervous. It wasn't like he had anyone around to ask. But this was different. It would be impossible for him to screw this up. And she might be impressed enough to let him kiss her goodbye. He took a deep breath, slid off the log and knelt.

Cacee whispered, "You're gonna scare him away."

He winked at her before leaning closer to the squirrel and holding out his hand. The tiny creature stepped daintily up. Jess lifted him to face level. "Hey, buddy."

The squirrel let out a low chatter and blinked button-black eyes.

Jess carefully trailed a finger down the fuzzy back. The squirrel rubbed against his hand like a Lilliputian cat. He kept his eyes on his new friend as his mouth went dry. What if Cacee wasn't impressed? What if she just got scared or freaked out by this? Maybe he should've thought about it a little more. Shit. He tried to appear unconcerned as he turned towards her.

Cacee's eyes were so huge they took up half her face. She stared at the squirrel for another few long seconds.

He swallowed hard.

Then Cacee beamed at him and asked in a soft voice. "How are you doing that?"

He turned back toward the squirrel to hide his smile. "I told you. Animals like me."

"All animals?"

He looked at her again. "Pretty much."

Cacee shook her head in obvious amazement and then wiggled and pointed.

He turned and saw another squirrel by his knee. When he out his free hand, it clambered up, chattering loudly for attention. He glanced back at Cacee.

She half-whispered. "That's the coolest thing I've ever seen." She grabbed her backpack.

Jess stiffened, thinking she was about to get her phone and try to record this or take a picture. He didn't have a phone, so he often forgot how obsessed everyone else seemed to be with theirs. To his surprise, Cacee pulled out a bottle of water instead.

He turned back to the squirrels, grinning."Yeah, it's pretty cool. But it's kind of a secret, okay? I mean, it's definitely a secret. It's just, people can be fuc—shi—ass--." He took a deep breath. "Jerks, y'know? So, you won't tell, right?"

He gave both the squirrels a few more scratches, avoiding her eyes. Jesus. It would help if he was capable of talking to her without constantly cursing and falling all over himself. As long as they talked books or music he did fine. But get him on any other subject and he got just nervous enough to start slipping. Not that a few curses should matter. But this girl came from a different world than his. For all they seemed to have in common, he and Cacee were opposites in every way that actually mattered. What was he doing here with her? He shouldn't be here.

Before his thoughts continued Cacee gushed, "I won't tell. I promise. You're really cool. I've never met anyone like you." She sputtered to a stop. Although she'd stopped blushing and stuttering right around the time she'd blown his mind with her slingshot, now her cheeks were bright pink again. Jess took note of how she turned her head in just the right way for her hair to cover her. It was a gesture she'd done quite a few times today, as if she were used to hiding herself away. She bent, started petting Shane again and added more quietly, "Thanks a lot for showing me, Jess. Really." Between her words, the blush and her somehow-poignant habit of shielding herself with her hair, she'd reminded him of exactly why he'd stayed out here with her all afternoon.