Floating

Chapter 10

As Treasurer of Key Club, Jenny wasted no time turning the money in and putting it to good use. The rest of Ava's week was spent coordinating event details with other officers and trying to keep up with Jenny's enthusiasm. It was fun, but exhausting, and she found herself enjoying her Art 2 class more and more.

After that day in art when he had struggled to walk over to Ava's worktable, Evan began sitting beside her everyday.

The first time, after the bell rang and Ava had gathered all of her materials, she turned as she heard the distinct noise of crutches making their way towards her.

Ava looked up to see Evan staring at her with a question evident on his face. Before he opened his mouth, she motioned to the stool beside her.

"But you don't know what I was going to say," he protested, smiling wryly.

Ava raised her eyebrow but couldn't stop a slight blush from rising up her neck.

"Wasn't it obvious? You're in clear need of some help, both with picking your canvas up and actually drawing on it."

He nodded gravely. "Touché, your royal highness."

Ava decided that didn't merit a proper response, and instead left to grab both of their canvases as he leaned his crutches against the table and climbed up onto the stool.

She returned with their canvases. Standing a couple of feet away from Evan, she stopped, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm not in danger of exploding paint, here, am I?"

Evan furrowed his brows a bit. "I think that was a one-time only thing. Usually, I can tell before it happens."

She raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"How about this? I'll yell out a warning, like, 'Exploding paint!' as soon as I think it's going to happen."

"Isn't that a bit obvious?"

"I should think so," he replied, then realization dawned on his face. "Oh... you mean... right." He tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Okay, I'll tap my forehead," he tapped his forehead with two fingers, "And run out of the classroom as fast as I can."

Looking down at his crutches, he amended that last statement, "Hobble out of the classroom. Very quickly."

Ava nodded, satisfied. Placing the canvases down on the table, she left once more to gather a few extra supplies.

As she sat down with her paints, as well as some for Evan, Evan turned so his whole body was facing her and said, "Thank you," without his normal joking side-smile.

She couldn't help her blush at his sudden seriousness. To cover her embarrassment, she organized her brushes and paints distractedly as she quipped, "I would never leave a damsel in distress."

Evan grinned. "And that I most definitely am."

Although they passed most of the rest of the work period in silence, Ava found herself looking over at Evan every few minutes.

She soon realized he was doing the same on the third time when his head turned slightly and his gaze met hers. She noticed with some satisfaction that she wasn't the only one who blushed that time.

~ ~ ~

Evan caught up with Ava as she began walking home after swim practice on Friday.

"Why are you still here?" she asked him. On crutches, he wouldn't be swimming for at least another week.

"Coach said I needed to observe." He shrugged. "I should be off the crutches in a day or so."

"No, but you didn't need to change or shower after..." Ava paused as she slowly realized he had been waiting up for her.

She could see a pink flush clearly on his neck now as he said, "I can go if you'd like. I was thinking of studying at The Coffee Bean." He turned.

For the most popular boy at school, he could certainly be agonizingly awkward.

"No, here, walk with me."

"Really?" His eyes lit up as he turned back around.

They spent the first few minutes of their walk in awkward silence before Ava finally mentioned one of Jenny's crazy ideas for Key Club. Evan jumped on the conversation, building some of them up and adding even more ridiculous concepts to each. 

The two spent the next ten minutes of their walk home brainstorming fictional plans for the club that grew more fantastical by the second, with Evan enthusiastically pledging his support for each one.

~ ~ ~

Two houses away from Evan's, Ava spotted a familiar cat crouched on a driveway under a car.

"Is that your cat?"

"Simon!"

The cat looked up at Evan's voice and hissed, but shifting its gaze to Ava, meowed and trotted over. It purred as it weaved its legs contentedly through Ava's.

"Your cat's name is Simon?" Ava asked as she bent down to pet the cat, who purred even more enthusiastically at her touch.

Evan took a deep breath in before responding, "Yeah. Named him after my best friend."

Ava peered up at him, concern in her eyes. "I didn't know. I'm so sorry." She felt an annoying urge to hug Evan but continued petting the cat instead, unsure of what to do. To her confusion, Evan didn't look upset at all, staring at the cat with an expression of irritation instead.

Evan noticed her reaction and said, brusquely, "I'm sure the police will find him soon. He probably just ran away."

"Right. Of course." The police hadn't found anything conclusive as of yet, so this theory was entirely still possible. However, at this point, most of the local media was suggesting something else.

Ava stood up with a desire to change the topic. "Should we keep going?" she asked, motioning towards his house. Evan nodded.

As they walked, the cat continued to follow them, trotting on his four legs purposefully. When Ava glanced over at Evan, she noted him looking at Simon, exasperation written on his face. They walked the rest of the way to his house in silence.

When they reached the driveway of Evan's house, he turned and said, "Look, would you mind not telling anyone about my cat? People'll think it's a bit weird, and I'm not supposed to have a cat anyhow. I couldn't just leave him outside though."

Ava thought it was a bit weird, but decided not to judge how he handled his grief, replying, "Sure, I won't mention the telekinesis or the cat named after your best friend to anyone," with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders.

Evan smiled ruefully at that statement then called out to Simon, "Simon, come on, I have some tasty cat food inside."

Simon meowed distastefully, continuing to purr by Ava's legs.

"Simon, come on."

The cat sat down at Ava's feet and meowed.

Evan rubbed his temple with a pained expression. "No, later. Come on."

The cat trotted up the steps after a pause, meowing as he did so.

Evan sighed, then looked at Ava, who had continued glancing between them in bemusement. "It was nice talking to you."

His face suddenly looked tired again, the way he had looked when Ava first met him at his door. She frowned slightly, but replied, "You too," before walking off to her house.

Staring after her, Evan furrowed his brows. Simon meowed. Evan grumbled in response, looking down, and saying, "I don't need your help," before hobbling up the steps to his house.