Affection // irwin

Chapter 16

After an hour of running I stop by the drinking fountain in the park where Ashton and I had lunch the week before. The park isn’t that big. Standing in one end of it, I can see the other. And there’s the bench where we sat. I shake my head. I did not want to start remembering. I turn around, but the memory is still there. I see myself with hunched shoulders, eyes closed, my hair looking uncombed. Is that how my hair use to look? I need to change that. Ashton stands up and next thing I know, the memory vanishes.

It’s still a mystery to me why I told him. I never tell people anything. Never. And absolutely not my feelings. But moving here has changed me. I can see it myself. Mom is not the only one being proud of me, I am too. I was shy, I still am, but I can actually form a full sentence without sounding ridiculous. I can actually talk to guys now. And I’m not afraid of letting someone close see me crying. Because I do consider Ashton as someone close. 

As I make my way through the park, trying to ignore the bench, I see a guy with red hair walking in the other direction. 

“Hey.” He wrinkles his nose a little. “It looks like you’ve just run a marathon.”

“Almost.” I wipe away the sweat from my face. “12 km.”

“Yeah, almost a marathon,” he chuckles. “You heading home?”

I nod.

“Can I walk with you?”

“Sure,” I reply with wonder in my words.

Why would Michael want to walk with me? He had just come this way.

“Do you live nearby?”

“Nah, I live at campus.”

I remember Emma told me something about it. How they all lived at campus. But I know she didn’t tell the truth, Ashton doesn’t live there.

“So what are you doing here?”

“Just taking a walk,” he replies short and quick. He isn’t telling me the full story. But I’m not going to ask, I don’t want to seem too pushy.

As we reach my street, Michael stops outside my house.

“How did you know that this is my house?” I ask.

“I…I just stopped, waiting for you.”

“So you just happened to stop outside of mine?”

I ask again, knowing it can’t be at random. Had Ashton told him anything or is Michael too a bit of a stalker? Or am I just being paranoid?

“Yeah that’s pretty much it,” he shrugs.

“Well, bye then.”

I walk up the path to my door, sweaty and ready to get in the shower. When I put my hand on the door handle, someone else opens it. Dad, wearing a suit, is standing in front of me with a laptop under his arm.

“Oh, you’re back? Did you have a good run?”

I nod.

“I just got home. Who’s that?” Dad peers over my shoulder.

“My name is Michael Clifford. You must be Mr. Zimmermann, I presume. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir.” Michael steps up next to me, surprising me. I thought he had left.

“Please, call me Mark.” Dad shakes Michael’s firm hand with a smile.

“Is that the new x360?” He points at dad’s laptop.

“Well, yes it is. We’re testing it at work.” Dad’s smile widens.

“I heard it has 3D and twice as much space as the old one.”