Little Things

Chapter 19

I park my junky car in the provided area for the venders, and open the hatch to take out my belongings for the market. The fifteen minute car ride that seemed to take three hours, was filled with awkward small talk, mostly Niall asking irrelevent questions and Harry poking in with his ridiculous opinions.

I hand Niall and Harry some boxes while I grab the tent, and let Morgan carry my small cashier/money system I use.

I lock my car and head to my usual spot between a bread stand and an organic lotion booth. 

"Hey Allyson!" Jessie, the lotion girl, shouts to me in her perky little voice from under her tent. 

"Hi," I mumble and guide the boys to place the boxes. Jessie is the sweetest person ever, but that's the problem. I just can't handle her over kindness. 

Especially since she knew Timmy.

"Here, I'll get the tent started and you guys can just stake them in," I order and they nod in agreement.

I pop it open, quickly supporting two of the stakes into the ground, while Harry and Niall struggle with the other two. I laugh at their incapability of setting up tents. 

I walk over to Harry and swiftly push the leg into the ground, then correcting it to the right height. I walk over to Niall, laughing more as he tries even harder to work with the tent.

Then, he gets his finger caught in it and curses, as he steps back, sucking on his thumb.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" I say, moving closer to him. I look up at him for permission to take a peek at his finger, and he sends me a look that he allows me to do so.

I gentley take his hand in mine and examine his thumb, which is now swollen, and rapidly changing to purple and blue. I turn his palm over and he winces.

"Sorry," I mutter, and he sends me a smile that doesn't meet his eyes.

"I'll get you some ice," I tell him, and walk away. "Harry, finish the tent, the same way I did your stake," I yell back, and he gives me a thumbs up, glorifying his perfectly adept fingers. Niall scowls at him, and I can't help but giggle at them.

I jog about five tents down, avoiding everyone who is acknowledging me with a hello. Not out of rudeness, but I am too in focus on getting Niall ice. 

"Victor!" I shout in relief when I see one of my best of friends from the market, already set up in his tent covered with his signature ivy hung up the stakes and around the top. His family owns this big wig wine company, and he sells for them here. It's delicious, the best wine I have ever had. And Victor will sell to anyone of any age, which I find hilarious.

"If only I was as happy to see you as you are to see me," he says sarcastically, and I brush it off. We joke like this all the time with each other, and I like it that way. A lot of the venders here are overly happy for me. And I don't see a point in being so happy, especially since they are selling random clutter in the middle of Boston. It's not something to be proud of.

"I need ice," I say, making my way to behind his table without permission. I open one of the coolers and grab a cup from one of his many bags, and fill it speedily, then jogging off again.

"You better pay me back for that!" Victor screams at me while I run back to Niall.

"Here, put your, put your finger in the cup...it should keep the swelling down," I pant. I'm not used to physical exertion, so this is the first time I have done anything but walking in a while. 

Actually, now that I'm thinking of the subject, I can't seem to remember the last time I did anything active.

I haven't played volleyball in as long as I can remember. I played for my highschool, and got offered various scholarships, but declined them all.