Friendly Dating - Kira

Chapter 22 - No Falling Allowed

"I must say," Dell grins at me where I'm sitting across from her and her mother at their kitchen table. "I'm rather impressed how you sat next to Ethan through an entire church service and didn't pinch him even once."

I wanted to, many times, but he was holding my hand, clutching it tighter each time I tried to free myself to do that pinching. The guy has ants in his pants, I'm sure of it. No, I'm not going to check to confirm. He also has a way of making unexpected and strange comments which always causes Pastor Ed to erupt in laughter mid-sermon. Granted, it does often prove the point he is trying to make, and I think our pastor enjoys and appreciates Ethan's input, warped as it sometimes might be.

The problem is, it has the added effect of causing too much attention directed at us, which is why I never sit anywhere near the guy and wasn't exactly thrilled when he joined us. Dell, her parents, Simon, my dad and I usually sit together if we can. Ethan always makes sure that he is well out of his father's glare range, which suits me just fine. But this morning, he scooted Dell and Simon one seat over and planted himself between me and his sister... and took my hand!

I was mortified!

My father was right there next to me. If he noticed, he didn't show it, but I was painfully aware of it and tried to push our hands between our seats, which caused too much proximity between the back of Ethan's hand and my thigh. It felt way too intimate and blasphemous. Dell always holds Simon's hand in church, and I've never thought anything of it. Then again, Simon is a decent, upstanding young man, and Ethan is a demon.

I finally just gave up and let him have my hand and do with it what he wanted to. Ethan struggles with ADHD and often needs something to distract him from getting distracted. Holding my hand with his left hand and toying with my fingertips with his right hand actually kept him busy enough. A bit like the baby in front of us, playing with his mother's necklace. I'm really glad Ethan didn't play with my necklace... that would've been way too awkward.

I survived the service... and lunch.

I made sure to sit way out of his reach at the Fletchers' long dining table. We always have Sunday lunch together. Daddy and I supply some of the ingredients, and Aunt Gemma, Dell, and I cook together. Mr Fletcher always does the meat dishes because nobody I've ever met can do a roast or any other cut of meat the way he does. We, girls, take care of the vegetables and other dishes while Daddy and Ethan set the table and clear up afterwards. We all have our roles.

Daddy is good at making eggs, and Ethan is the best at making coffee and toasted cheese sandwiches, but their culinary talents end there and having Ethan in the kitchen while one is trying to cook usually leads to injury... his...

I give Dell a look, informing her that I know that she knows why I couldn't pinch Ethan and that I'm not enjoying her enjoyment of those things I know she knows. Honestly, the girl is having too much fun observing her brother and my feeble attempts at being boyfriend and girlfriend. She might be just as evil as he is.

"Did I hear Ethe say he's taking you to the mudflats?" Delia asks, giving me an amused grin. Really? She has to ask that now? She didn't hear him say that. I told her that myself... in detail. She knows that he's doing it because I went to the rugby match yesterday. She knows everything! Well... almost everything. "Are you going skimboarding?"

That would've made sense. Ethan loves any form of gliding around on surfaces. Surfing, windsurfing, skimboarding, skateboarding, ice skating... sliding down staircases on a steel tray; literally anything.

After lunch, I went home and changed into shorts and an old t-shirt for our trip and am having coffee in the kitchen with Dell and Aunt Gemma while I'm waiting for Ethan, which is why I am now trapped in a warped conversation with Delia who is apparently suffering from amnesia.