The Big Smoke

Chapter Six: Eight Miles High

Bored as ever in the craft store, I started to rummage through the supplies like a child whose mom told them not to touch anything. I could feel the girl behind the counter watching me closely, questioning who I was and why I was doing what I was doing. But most importantly, questioning how I had gotten so physically close to Jamie when that's probably all she thought about. I had it easy compared to her but if only she knew this trip was felt more like a punishment for me.

Jamie and I had been in this store for well over an hour. Jamie was the worst to shop with. He took his time to inspect every little detail of every little thing, making sure it was exact before adding it to the basket. However, at the hour mark, I started to play a game that Jamie was unknowingly a part of. I would pick a few small items that were in the aisle we were in and slip them into his jacket pockets. It had started small with extra led, small erasers, cartridges, but then the boredom really set in. The more bored I became, the bigger the item I challenged myself with.

Even though it was a challenge for me, I was also egging on the shop attendant. She was following my every move, watching as I messed with Jamie, but never being bold enough to approach us. I thought I had come close when I put small bottles of paint in Jamie's left pocket, but Jamie beat her to it.

"Would you cut that out?" Jamie scolded me as I shrugged my shoulders innocently walking away around the next small aisle.

"I've never met someone who takes as much time as you do to pick out pencils," I continued to walk away from him to touch anything else I could find. Turning around, I could see him looking up to the ceiling and scanning the different cubbies of items until he reached for what he needed to find. In doing so, his once semi tucked in shirt exposed a sliver of skin that I definitely didn't miss and I doubt the girl missed it as well.

"Excuse me for putting in some effort into my choices," He half-mindedly hummed to me as he now bent down to look up at the array of pencils. He was focused on only picking perfection.

I, however, was focused on the rusted-looking gumball machine I had found while we were checking out at the counter. Finally something worthy of my attention. I had left my bag in the car with all of my coins in it. My first instinct was to shake the old thing and hope for the best. But, I ended up back behind Jamie with my hands reaching back into his pockets.

"Back again Mr. Hewllet?" The woman looked up with a smile at her returning customer.

"Jamie," He corrected softly, almost as softly as the pink danced across his cheeks.

"I doubt that you've run out of the 3B pencils you just bought," She commented as she scanned the handful of pencils in Jamie's hand.

With no luck in one pocked, I went for the other feeling around for any coins,  only to find his hand fishing for mine. Once he found it, he held tightly onto it stopping my motions. He was fed up with me. I always poked him and bothered him and he took it with a face of annoyance, but this time I was interrupting cupid's plans for him and the shop girl. So in turn he kept my hand firmly behind his back, hiding my antics from her as best he could.

"Actually, they're for her," He referenced me as I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, my horseplay was forgotten as I was now the subject matter.

"Me?"

"Yes, you," He squeezed my hand while he spoke, but still kept me behind him slightly.

At the moment the squeeze seemed subconscious, something to just go with the words. But he continued during his conversation I had stopped listening to. I started to overthink the whole thing as the reprimand had turned into a slight hand hold that I hadn't pulled away from. That was the most surprising part of it as I looked down at our conjoined hands. The last time I had held his hand in this way it was due to a situation of the arm wrestle variety. I was far too determined then to care about our palms meeting, but now he was too determined to let go. So much so, he paid one-handed and walked to the door with me trailing behind him until he let go to open the door for both of us.