A Poignant Fallacy

Chapter 63- Lincoln Theodore Whittaker

Why is this boy talking to me? I thought he made it pretty clear that I was not good enough for his time. Even to say a decent hello.

I don't say anything I just look at him puzzled.

He continues and looks out over the party, "I don't know anyone here. I don't even know why my parents made me come to this."

I look at him trying to catch his angle, but I can't. Maybe he is just trying to be nice.

"I don't know anyone here either, besides my family. My parents always want me to see and be seen." I say complaining to him.

He lets out a light laugh, but it seemed a little forced. I didn't even mean to be funny. Is he trying to impress me?

"What's your name? I'm Link." He says reaching his hand over to me to shake it.

This time I'm thoroughly confused. He already knows my name he was there for the whole introduction. I'm starting to think this boy was too distracted on his phone to remember me. How do you not remember rudely looking me up and down?

In a split second, I get an awful idea.

"My name is Etta." I say proudly taking his hand in mine.

What's the harm in pretending I'm someone else? It's his problem for not remembering me. I'm sure he'll get up and walk away after he completes his good due diligence of small talking with me.

He wraps his fingers around mine. It felt like a shock to my system. I hadn't touched a boy in a long time.

"Etta? I've never heard that name before." He asks in a playful tease.

"It's a nickname." I say smiling back at him.

Shoot, shoot, this is when he's going to remember that he already met me and I just lied to him.

"It's pretty." He says with soft eyes.

My smile grew by twenty yards. I probably looked so stupid knowing it was a toothy, dorky smile, but I couldn't help it.

Who is this boy? Why is he suddenly being nice to me?

Then it hit me. My new outfit, my new hair, my makeup, I must look older than when I did before. I didn't think I was totally unrecognizable, but I guess I am to someone I just met... twice.

"Thanks. I'm named after my grandma." I say enjoying this new attention.

He smiles at me and I look into his sparkling blue eyes, "I'm named after my father and grandfather."

"Oh I didn't realize I was in the presence of Link III" I say smartly.

He lets out a real laugh.

"Lincoln after my Grandpa, my middle name, Theodore, after my Dad."
He explains as if I didn't already know his and his Dad's names.

I gave an insightful "hm" in response.

"What's your real name if Etta is a nickname?" He asks.

"I don't share that with just anyone." I say lying. Everyone knows my real name. But right now I'm Etta and I'm fine with being a totally made up person.

"Oh?" He says daring.

I liked how we could playfully bicker back and forth. Every time he spoke I got more and more courageous and my heart beat outside of my chest at a million miles per hour.