✅ The Last New Start [NaNoWriMo2021]

47. Friend of a Friend

"Evan, Spike," Kim introduced them with just a short wave, and then seemed to realise how silly her words were getting and leaned into the craziness. "Spike, Evan. Evan, Tess. Tess, Evan, Spike, Tess, Kim. Kim, Spi–"

"If you're doing introductions like that, you should use your real name."

"No way."

"I'm only saying," Spike said with a wry grin that was almost taunting Kim. Tess wondered for a second how he could even do that; he'd barely known Kim until a couple of weeks ago, they didn't share any classes, and the longest they'd ever talked had been when they spent half a day walking around Ashfields. And Tess was pretty sure nobody had mentioned Kim's reluctance to use the name her parents had given her.

"Well, I'm the one doing the introductions, so I say the name everybody calls you is your real name. Like, I don't need to call you... wait, is Spike your actual name, or a nickname?"

"Real name," he said. "Legal name, even. Blame the family."

"Anyway, you know who you are. This is Evan. Can't believe it's taken so long for him to meet any of my friends."

"Pleased to meet you," said Evan. He had impossibly blonde hair, supported either by some heavy duty wax that happened to catch the light just right, or some kind of miracle. Chiselled jaw, and eyes that always seemed to be laughing. Combined with an unseasonal tan, it ended up being a big surprise when he opened his mouth and the accent that came out wasn't Australian. He looked like he's been built for chilling on some beach and making girls swoon.

"Yeah, good to see you," Spike answered. "Don't think I've seen you around before?"

"No, I'm not a local. Well, not this local. We're in Uppers. Met Kim at the new outdoors store, like both reaching for the same carabiner at the same time. Must be destiny. I mean, what's the odds that people meeting by such a coincidence will have so many of the same hobbies?"

"Pretty good," the other three all answered at the same time, and then looked at each other in amazement. The only valid response was laughter, and it was a good few seconds before the conversation could be picked up.

"If you're reaching for the same things, I guess you're another climbing nut?"

"Archery's more my bag usually," he said. "But I do some hiking, camping, trails. Any excuse to be outdoors, really."

"Exactly. It's not the specific sport, it's the outlook. I mean, my parents were always big on camping. And their hippy friends. But it's the way you look at the world more than just doing the same things."

"How about you two?" Evan tried to change the subject, and maybe misjudged his audience.

"I've never had time to do stuff like that," Spike answered with his characteristic nonchalance. He never let a question faze him. "It must be interesting living without all the infrastructure that makes our life easier, but I never had first hand experience. Maybe I should."

"Yeah," Tess nodded. "I don't think I've done anything like that either. Like, my parents moved house so often, never staying in one place, so going somewhere else for vacation would be like a mini version of that stress. Most we did was a weekend away somewhere, spa break or something, a couple of days, catch a show and eat out somewhere fancy. I wonder what it's like roughing it in nature."

"I was meaning how did you get together. But sounds like you got a lot in common too." He realised before the end of the sentence that he'd said something wrong, but apparently didn't see a reason to stop himself.

"Oh, we're not... like..." Tess stammered.

"Good friends," Spike offered. "Was this supposed to be a double date?"