"Ettie"I hear from behind me, "ettie rose French, that you?" As soon as I heard that I knew exactly who it was, Chris. Chris was my boyfriend last year and as things go, we ended up breaking up. I was completely fine with it, as it was meutral, or so I thought. He hasn't stopped messaging me over insta dms this whole last month, not that I've opened one of them but one of my notifications once said "ettie I've got boats, money and houses name a price."Or something like that. So after that I wasn't going to read one more of those notifications. "Chris" I say while turning to face him, I'm not trying to look happy to see him but he clearly never gets a hint. "So what have you been doing recently?" Chris has been out of Florida for 6 months training in some important football camp in Texas. "I've been you know, baking a lot more." A reply is always easier with him and I'd like to end this conversation now. " remember those blueberry muffins you made me that one time before we broke up, that's funny.. why did we even break things?" "Chris it was meutral and we were at different points in life, and we still are." "Well I've been thinking I-.." just before he could finish that sentence we were interrupted by incoming of screeching and running stilettos "ettie!" "Ettie!" Brilliant, Chris's mom is running up to me, as soon as she reaches me she throws her hands around my neck and starts running her hand through my hair, " aren't you pretty! Isn't she Chris? Isn't she?" She turns around to where Chris once was standing and now is heading for the exit.she heads towards him and starts following him looking back at me "I'll see you then!" She shouts as she scuttles away from me. I always liked her, the breakup just made things more awkward for me and her to remain friendly. I know she wants us back together but I also don't want to recite all the reasons that's the worst idea ever to her.
I haven't been in an airport for years, the last time I remember being in one I was still little enough to be wheeled around on my moving suitcase, I'm here because my mom needs to do a favour to our next door neighbour, Sharn. My mom wants to guarantee a place in the town hall planning committee for the new election, therefore I am picking up her son that's been staying at his dads for 18 years and wants to experience living with his mom in Florida, I didn't get many details as I was rushing to put my shoes on but he's apparently from Washington. This last few hours at the airport hasn't been completely insufferable.
I'm standing my the escalators holding a sign that says "sharns 18 year old son from Washington??" I also wasn't told his name. Sharn is very vague and honestly I wasn't convinced she had kids until my mother sent me here, I only ever see her watering her Lillie's or stroking her cat mustard on the window sill.
Suddenly I was approached by a muscular figure, "that's me, I think."he has a deep voice, almost like a 40 year old man. "Brilliant!" I exclaim "Tom" he says "huh" I say completely in awe of him, "tom is my name, you didn't add that to the sign you know, that is the most important thing to add one of those" he mocks tapping the sign with his hand. "Right, Tom. Should we get going?" He nods and I pick up his carry on bag and he takes his suitcase, we make it outside and he's shocked to see I haven't got a car "no car?" He exclaims. "No, I failed 4 times, re taking next month" he sniggers at that comment. Rolling my eyes I put my hand out to signal for a taxi and after a while a black cab pulls up and the man driving helps us load the luggage into the boot.
We'd been in the car for about 20 minutes and the silence was eating me alive. "So, how long are you staying?" I ask, "for the summer, maybe longer" he sighs, I nod. We go back to silently staring out the window.I find my self oddly intrigued at him, he was nothing like I expected at all, I was expecting someone maybe a little more like sharn, ginger hair and possibly losing it a bit, but to my supprise he seems completely level headed."You're staring" he mutters in a mocking tone and staring right at me. "Right, sorry"and I turn around to stare out the window some more, the views were bland just grass, cows and lots of hills, you can even see the sea until you get to my town .
He scruffs his hair up with his hand, running his fingers through it,and I can't help but watch his every move, absorb him some more, he has dirty blonde hair, the type that would get darker by season, He had sun kissed skin and flushed cheeks like he'd just rubbed a cherry over then. He looks up, I quickly look away and back to the window.
