A Light in the Dark

A Stranger in the Hospital

“Hey!” He said.

“Hi.” I looked at his hands, which held two medium Italian ices from Rita’s, a blue one for him and a green one for me. “I haven’t even had breakfast yet.” I told him.

“It’s noon!”

“Yeah and I just woke up.”

“So did I, but who cares?” I laughed as he handed me the Italian ice and walked through my house, wandering aimlessly.

“Do you have any idea where you’re going?” I asked him, because honestly he looked lost.

“Nope.” I laughed again and followed him into the small kitchen.

“Do you really pay for all of this yourself?” He asked me.

“Well, no. I help pay for it because two part-time jobs can’t pay for a house, a car, and food for both of us. My aunt makes up the difference but…”

“But you don’t like that. And neither would your dad.”

“Like I said, you know too much about me.” He sat down by the small table and ate his syrupy ice. I sat across from him to eat mine.

“I don’t know your favorite color.” He pointed out.

“That’s because I don‘t have one.”

“Oh come on! Everyone’s got to have a favorite color!”

“Not me.”

“Yes you do. Choose one now.”

“Fine, green I guess.”

“That better not be because that’s your favorite Italian ice flavor.”

“Well it is so get over it.”

“Kaitlyn!”

“What’s your favorite color then?”

“Yellow,” he said with no hesitation. I wrinkled my nose.

“Yellow? I would not peg you as a yellow kind of guy.”

“Well it’s not really the color… Yellow is just one of my favorite songs by Coldplay so I decided to make it my favorite color.”

“Wow that only had slightly more thought to it than mine.” We were both smiling when Dani came in, holding her head and groaning. She plopped down into the chair next to me and groaned again, putting her head on her arms that were folded on the table in front of her.

“Hello Dani. If I had known you were here I would have dragged Curtis with me. That way you two could be hung over together.” Mason only got a groan in response.

“Dani, honestly. Just go up into my room and go to sleep. You’ll feel better.” She looked up at me and gave me a lazy smile.

“Thanks, but I see what you’re trying to do there. Don’t worry, I’m going, but I can tell that you just want to be alone with Mason.” With that she winked and left the room. My cheeks warmed slightly and I shook my head at my friend’s silly behavior. That hadn’t even crossed my mind, but now that she had pointed it out I didn’t mind being alone with Mason. I didn’t mind it at all. We both finished our Italian ices and I threw them in the garbage. I then had him follow me to the living room where I turned on the television and sat on the couch. He sat next to me, but not too close.  

“So why are we going to Marco’s Pizza?” I asked him.

“Well for one, I want you to meet my sister.”

“That’s all?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Of course it is.”