rhinestone eyes

002

"Leave your father alone, Coraline. If you go in his office now he'll never finish his excerpt by the end of the day." Mel spoke absently as she flipped through a catalog. "But I'm starving," Coraline whined, dropping her head onto the kitchen table.

"There's leftovers in the fridge." Mel dismissed the girl. "And suddenly starving sounds pleasant." She stared at her mother expectantly until the woman couldn't ignore her presence. "Fine, Coraline. You win. Take a twenty from the jar and get a pizza from down the street."

"Gee, that's a great idea. Thanks." Coraline faked appreciation as she triumphantly stood, skipping over to the mason jar that was labeled 'leisurely funds' and plucked two ten-dollar bills from it.

"Don't drive recklessly, Coraline Jones," Mel advised, one brow pointed accusingly. "I think the correct way of saying that is 'Drive safe, my dear precious daughter.'" Coraline snickered monotonously as she headed for the door. "Don't wreck the car." Mel doubled down.

Coraline ignored the woman as she climbed into the car she had been given so she could 'be more independent, a polite way of saying she could piss off and leave her parents to their work. Coraline wasn't one to complain though, at least not when it came to her dark blue jeep rubicon.

Coraline started down the unfamiliar roads of Henrietta. Her first thought was that this town was hot. It was so hot that she found herself riding with the windows down and her head tilted out of it like a mutt.

Her second thought was that the boy standing on the side of the road up ahead did not belong on the side of the road.

He was clean-cut and orderly despite the sweat staining his grey polo sweater. He didn't bother turning and trying to flag down Coraline as she approached, which intrigued her. "Hey." She called out, catching his attention. "Car trouble?"

"Seems like it. Know anything about cars?"

"More than you," Coraline looked him up and down, examining the way his boyish charm was accompanied by a thin-lipped grin that made him seem diplomatic. "but not enough."

"I guess I'll just have to wait for my buddies. They shouldn't be long." The boy made a tsking noise. Coraline shared a long look with him before shrugging. "Would you like to bum some air-conditioning while you wait?" She offered.

"Aren't you afraid of strangers?" He questioned lightly with a grin. "Doesn't southern hospitality trump violent hedonistic impulses." She puzzled jokingly. "You're a doll." Gansey praised the girl, ducking into his car to grab a few items as Coraline pulled off to the side of the road.

Coraline rolled up her window as she put her car in park, sliding off her jacket in an attempt to fight the heat that glistened against it. The boy slid into the passenger seat shortly after.

"What's with the journal?" Coraline questioned curiously. The boy glanced over at her, giving her a look with was full of deliberation. "Do you know anything about Welsh kings? Ley lines?" He questioned, to which Coraline shook her head.

The boy spent the next twenty minutes explaining his theory on Gwendower, and each word held more enthusiasm than the last. "Wow, Holmes. That's some theory you've got." Coraline applauded the boy. "Gansey." He corrected her.

"Gansey." She repeated, trying the word out to see how they'd feel leaving her lips. It didn't feel as awkward as she would've expected. "What's with private school boys using last names as nicknames?"