Thursday Nights | ✓

ELEVEN | 7/16/15

ELEVEN | 7/16/15

SINCE THE DAY is scorching hot, I decide to treat myself with ice cream. I soon realize that I can't stand being in this little shop at all. There are way too many people here, waiting to cool themselves off, but it only feels hotter than usual. I wipe my sweaty hands on my shorts, praying that waiting in the line will be worth it.

It takes a while, almost fifteen minutes, but I finally get to the front. I look up from my shoes and then falter upon seeing the person behind the counter. It's Harrison, and he's serving chocolate ice cream to a little boy. It's adorable how he smiles at him, and my heart flutters at the sight. Once the boy's family leaves, I rest my elbows on the counter and grin at Harrison.

"Hey," I greet, sweeping my eyes past all the flavors before meeting Harrison's gaze again, "I didn't know you worked here."

He causually shrugs, "Neither did I."

"Wait, what?" I ask, tilting my head.

A burst of laughter escapes from him, "I just started yesterday. Anyway, what can i serve the beautiful lady?"

I blush at his compliment, remembering how he kissed my cheek last Thursday and offhandedly called me cute that one time, "Um--"

His lips naturally curl into a smirk, and my heartbeat picks up at the sight. Suddenly, I notice other details about Harrison, like how his dark hair is tucked under a backwards snapback, or that his blue eyes are glinting in the fluorescent light. Holy shit, when did he look so good?

"Arden?"

"Yeah, sorry," I quickly apologize, looking back at my choices, "I was thinking about what flavor I wanted."

"Have you decided yet?" Harrison asks, holding up his smirk like he knows I'm lying.

"Two scoops of coffee ice cream with brownie bits, please."

He continues on with the required questions, "Cone or bowl?"

I tell him that I want a waffle cone, and he finally scoops out the coffee ice cream. After he hands me the cone and tells me the price, I hand him my money and ask, "Do you have a break soon?"

Harrison looks behind me, causing me to look as well. Miraculously, there's not as many people as there was before, "In about ten minutes. That's fine, right?"

"Of course."

•••

TEN MINUTES LATER, when I'm nearly done my coffee ice cream, Harrison walks towards me. He abandoned his snapback, revealing a full head of messy, dark hair. He slides into the chair across from me, and his knees bump into mine. Everything just feels natural between us.

"So," I say, popping the last piece of the cone into my mouth, "a job?"

Harrison nods, "Nathan thought it would be a good idea to keep me distracted from causing havoc. I don't know, serving ice cream is okay."

I raise an eyebrow, "Is it enough to keep you distracted?"

He sighs with his shoulders slumping, "Not really, Arden. Honestly, it makes me angrier than usual. My parents and Nathan don't accept what I want and what I do, so their only option is to put me on a leash."

"Maybe you should stop playing pranks?" I suggest, "I think you're miscommunicating with each other. You should really talk to them."

He furrows his eyebrows in deep thought, "You should be a therapist."

His response throws me off. I expected that he'll come to his realizations and work it out with his family, but I guess not. It'll probably take time to get to that point.

I don't reiterate my thoughts, instead I ask, "Why?"

"You know exactly what to say and do when helping me out in tough situations," his frown twitches into a smile, "You'd be great at the job."

A voice from the back calls out, "Harrison!"

He swivels his towards the direction of the voice before looking back at me with an apologetic expression, "That's my cue to go. I'll see ya later, alright?"

I bid goodbye to Harrison and watch as he enters the backroom. Gathering my belongings, I leave the ice cream shop and enter my car. I drive to Wawa to get some food for my dad at the station, looking forward to spend time with him.

As I drive, I think about what Harrison said about me becoming a therapist. I'll get to help people out and bring clarity to them, and I don't find the idea repulsing. The more I think about it, the more the idea seems pleasing to me. I glance at my phone thrown carelessly on the passenger seat, wanting to tell my dad and Harrison that I might actually consider it.

When I finally get to the police station with a Wawa bag in my hand, I greet my dad with a huge hug. He chuckles in surprise and holds me close.

"Why are you so happy?"

I grin, "I finally know what I want to do with my life."

My dad jokingly asks, "Become a sheriff like me?"

"I was thinking along the lines of being a therapist," I happily tell him, "Harrison helped--"

He cuts me off, "Harrison?"

Shit.

Even though my dad has a soft side for Harrison, he doesn't seem very fond of my hanging out with him. I understand why because I wouldn't my kid spending time with someone who's been in a prison cell before. That's why I didn't tell him about Harrison in the first place. Besides, it's not like we're dating or anything.

"Yeah," I smoothly reply, but my heart is racing, "I bumped into him at the ice cream shop. He works there, y'know? So, we chatted a little bit since it's been a while since I've seen him."

It's not a complete lie, except that a while means fifteen minutes ago.

"Oh," my dad comments, "How is Harrison doing?"

I feel relieved when he believes me. I calmly reply to him, "He's doing well, actually. He still has trouble with his family, so I gave him some advice. Harrison told me that I'd make a good therapist."

"And you take his word for that?"

I flinch away, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're capable of better things, Arden," my dad sighs, "Seriously, a therapist?"

Does Harrison feel like this when his ideas are shot down? I really think I can do this my life, but my dad isn't looking happy about it. Last week, I told Harrison that people have the right to their own opinion, but that he has the right to ignore it. I told him it isn't an easy thing to do, but I didn't think it was this hard.

However, I stand my ground, "Yes, I want to become a therapist and help people out. Maybe there are better things out there for other people, but this is my better thing."

"Arden--"

"I'm going to do this, and I'm going to be successful, and you can't tell me otherwise, okay?"

I turn on my heel and leave the building.

_______________________

AH, SO ARDEN'S OWN FAMILIAL PROBLEMS ARE ARISING. HOW FUN!

ANYWAY, HOW DO YOU LIKE HARRISON AS AN ICE CREAM BOY? CUTE, RIGHT? LOL.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU SPECIFICALLY WANT TO SEE HAPPEN IN THE NEAR FUTURE? (ANYTHING BESIDES A KISS BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW IT'LL HAPPEN)

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--islandarc