The Art of Mending Memories
Chapter 32
I stepped out of my car into the brisk morning, shivering as I began to regret wearing only a sweater and jeans. I should have worn my coat.
I breathed out and saw white breath in the air. I was locking my car door when I heard a familiar voice call my name. With a smile I turned around, Aaron jogging up to me in nothing but his usual T-shirt and jeans.
I frowned at him. “Aren’t you cold?”
He stopped right in front of me. “I do have a fur coat, you know.”
“Well, yeah, in your,” I paused thinking of the right phrase to use, “other form.”
Aaron laughed. “Just because it’s not showing doesn’t mean I don’t have it on me. The fur has to come from somewhere, right? I already have it covering me.”
I ogled at him, keeping that bit of information tucked away inside my mind. Come to think of it, few shifters wore layers, unless it was the dead of winter.
I started walking toward the doors, knowing the bell would be ringing a less than a minute. Aaron kept pace with me.
“How was the rest of your weekend, Kaelyn?”
I shrugged. “Full of homework.”
His arm brushed mine. “Ever the student,” he said with a complimentary tone. We walked inside the building.
“College won’t pay for itself.”
“No,” he said quietly, his voice sounding like it was drifting off to another place. “I suppose not.”
“Well, bye,” I said rather awkwardly as I rushed into the math room, the bell ringing right as I sat down in my seat.
Mr. Keith brought attention to the class and told us to pull out our homework. Cassy leaned over to me, “every one’s talking about the date on Saturday,” she whispered knowingly, leaning back in her seat.
“All you wolves do is gossip about pack members,” I replied out of the side of my mouth.
She laughed. “Point taken. But it’s a rather exciting thing, wouldn’t you say?”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever you say,” I mumbled, her giggles echoing my statement.
I noticed the wolves in the hallway after first and second period were giving me different looks, almost like a critical praise; they were dissatisfied with me as a person but happy I was giving in to Aaron, maybe?
Sarella and Chris had similar reactions to Cassy. I sat down and art and Sarella rushed into questions and demanded for details.
“How did it go? Did you enjoy it? You went to the museum, right? Was it nice? Was he a gentleman? C’mon, I need details.”
I stared wide-eyed at her, unable to respond with sounds. My mouth was open and stuttering sounds were coming out before I finally found my voice. “I-it was nice,” I told her, my voice sounding more like a question than a reply.
She frowned. “That’s all? No details?”
I shrugged, not knowing what to say. “We looked at Polking’s work?”
“You are as bad at giving away details as Aaron,” she muttered.
Chris laughed next to her. “We’re glad you thought it was nice,” he told me.
“Thanks,” I muttered.
At that moment Paul slid into the seat next to me. “Good morning everyone,” he greeted. We replied likewise. “How were your weekends?”
Chris and Sarella shrugged simultaneously. “Fine,” they responded one after another.
Paul turned to me. “Mine was good,” I said. “How ‘bout yours?”
He smiled. “Mine was pretty good too. There was a Star Trek: Voyager marathon on TV. That was exciting.”
I rolled my eyes. Paul was well known among our group of friends as being a bit of a treky. Frankly, we all thought his obsession was humorous.
Our teacher called attention to the class and we all listened to her as she explained her brilliant new idea she had for us. My thoughts drifted to Aaron as we got to work on our new projects (sculpting people out of many small blocks). Before I realized it, class was over and I was on my way to English class.
As usual, I was in my seat before Aaron got there. Kara and Jason were arguing over a part of our reading assignment about the meaning of Shakespeare's sonnets. I sat quietly and listened to their heated debate, laughing internally at their frivolous arguments and their incomprehension for his poems to have double meanings.
When I felt Aaron's presence something spiked in me and I didn't know how to respond. Half of me was anxious, the other half was calm; neither showed on my outwards appearance. He sat silently and looked over to me.
"Hi," he greeted quietly.
"Hi," I responded.
Kara and Jason looked up. "Hey," they responded together. Aaron nodded to them.
Kyle and Jeff sat down in the empty seats. Kara smiled at Kyle. "How was your weekend?" She asked him, a flirtatious smile on her face.
Kyle smiled. "Not bad. Not as good as some," his eyes flashed to Aaron and I, "but better than others."
Thankfully Kara missed the note in his words and didn't say anything. Miss Day ordered us to hand in our papers and conversation slowly died down as she began talking.
Halfway through the class I felt a warm hand brush against mine. I looked over to where my hand sat on the edge of the desk. Aaron's hand was next to it, almost touching, and his pinky finger was reaching out to clasp onto my fingers. I bit my lip to hide a smile. I uncurled my finger from the loose ball it was in and linked it was his. Looking up to the teacher, I pulled our hands under the desk so they were hidden from prying eyes.
His hand was warm and a little rough. It enveloped mine and his thumb moved across the surface of my hand, as if spreading the warmth. I lost track of what Miss Day was saying.
When the bell rang signaling the end of class I unclasped out hands. Cool air washed over my hand, surprising me for a moment. We packed up and the six of us left to room together.
"Lunch!" Kara exclaimed with enthusiasm.
"Math!" Jason said with pseudo-enthusiasm to mock Kara.
She stuck her tongue out at him. "Suck to be you," she said lightly.
Jason muttered a few choice words at her before walking off, our laughter following him.
Kara linked her arm with mine. "Ready for lunch?" She asked me.
I rolled my eyes at her childish mood. "Actually, I have a psych paper to finish, so I won't be going to lunch."
Kara tsked at me and shook her head. "Procrastinator," she accused.
I shrugged and smiled as I unlinked our arms and headed down a different hallway. I heard Aaron say quickly that he had homework to finish too, before I felt his warm presence next to me.
"You know you actually have to have homework to do while in the library, right?" I told him. Our school was very strict about it.
"Yeah, I'll find something to do."
"Like what? Give yourself a pretend essay to write?"
Aaron laughed. "Not a bad idea. I have a topic already."
"Oh? For what class?"
"Private studies?"
I turned to him, a frown on my face. "What study hall gives essay assignments?"
Aaron bit his lip, hiding a smile. "Personal reasons?"
I laughed lightly. "What, are you writing a paper on why your mother should cook a specific meal?"
"Nope," he said with an exaggerated p sound. "It's called 'Why Kaelyn Apples Should Go on a Date with Me This Friday.'"
I laughed. "Sounds like a pretty tough topic," I warned.
He shrugged. "I believe I can shine the light on the positive side."
I opened up the library doors, entering the sanctuary of silence. "I don't know," I whispered. "It could be heavily debated." I walked over to the row of computers and sat down, signing in immediately.
"It's very hard to debate against the affirmative, though," he whispered, sitting down next to me. He didn't bother signing in; either that, or he forgot to. "So is it a yes?" He asked more hesitantly than he had been before.
I hid a smile. "I think I'm going to have to read that essay before I decide."
He stared openly and blankly at me, with his jaw dropped. "You actually expect me to write the essay?"
Before I could return the librarian yelled in a hushed voice. "Young man, I need you to leave if you do not have any work to do!"
"Oh, but I-" Aaron managed to say before she cut him off.
"Other students need to use the computers and you are being loud and disrespectful!"
"But-"
"Young man!" Her tone was warning enough.
Stifling my laughter, I watched Aaron pick up his back pack slowly, obviously aggravated.
"Yes," I whispered quickly.
He paused. "Yes to the essay or yes to the date?"
"Young man, do not make me ask you again!"
Aaron jumped and looked at me with question. I smiled back at him and turned my attention to my unfinished paper. He sighed and shuffled away, the bickering of the school librarian on his heels.
I continued to hide my laughter, as it was unwise to laugh in the library. It took me a moment to realize I had just been flirting with him; albeit in a rather academically oriented way, but flirting is flirting, right?
I began typing on the keyboard. To think Aaron actually thought I wanted him to write an essay. What would be the point of that? I shook my head, laughter tumbling quietly out of my mouth.
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So it's not long, but I fully plan on uploading next week.
Anyway, thanks for reading, and i hope you enjoyed it.