Trace

Chapter 52

"And then he did the laundry all wrong so this shirt is actually supposed to be white, but now it's tinted pink!" Ruth complains, as we choose a seat to sit down in the cinema.

"Well, hey- at least he actually does help out with laundry," I point out with a smile.

She sighs happily, taking her seat and putting her purse in her lap. "Fin is such a goon sometimes."

"So hows it with you and Harry?" she unknowingly brings up the topic I have been trying to avoid.

I force a smile onto my face, "Things are great," I lie. "It was really good seeing him over the weekend."

And getting a concussion from it.

"So did you meet his roomates?"

"Mate," I correct, "his name is Sean and he's very nice."

She grins and nods, "That's good. It would suck to be stuck in a room with someone you can't stand,"

I strain a giggle for her sake. She really has no idea.

"I'm thinking about dying my hair blonde," she tussels her short, brown hair and I am relieved for the subject change.

"You sure about that?" I question, opening my purse for a piece of gum.

She sweeps her side bangs on top of her head. "I'm just so bored of this colour, ya know?"

I shrug and offer her a piece. She takes it with a thank you.

"I just don't think blonde is the colour for you," I admit gently.

She frowns, clearly disappointed. "Maybe I should get extensions?" she pulls a bit at the ends of her bobbed hair.

"Oh, no. Defintely not! Your hair is extremely adorable on you," I gush truthfully.

She smiles and runs her hands through her hair. "I guess. . ."

"Do you think I should change my hair up a bit?" I ask her, pulling my long hair to the side.

She quickly shakes her head. "God, no, El! I would kill to get hair like yours! It's gorgeous!"

"Aww, thank you," I blush.

"Seriously though," she pops her gum, "your hair colour is absolutely beautiful, and your hair is perfectly long and wavy and ughh I'm jealous," she laughs.

I laugh along with her and begin to braid my hair down the side without thinking.

The moment is interrupted when someone taps me on the shoulder.

"Cae?"

I turn around and my heart nearly freezes in my chest.

"Oh, no. Wrong girl," Ruth giggles.

"G-Ghain?" I stutter, ignoring Ruth's misunderstanding.

I can hardly believe my eyes. . . he looks different for some reason, but still exactly the same.

"How are you?" His smile is broad and pearly and for some reason sets trapped butterflies in my stomach free.

"I'm great!" I spill a bit too enthusiastically, still unsure of why my stomach is fluttering so much.

His smile is contagious, and I can't seem to get this silly smirk off of my face.

"Did you have a good summer?" he is getting a bit uneasy, I can tell. My lack of words and large smiling might be making things a bit weird.