Solitude Grace

Chapter Four

Carver's Cove, the town Harper had become quite aquainted to over the last week he had been living with the kind old woman who had offered him a home.

Standing now, in the house of the blue eyed girl, Harper felt anxious. The whole week he had been dreading this day, he had avoided it, getting up early in the morning to fix Gladis' roof, when she woke he carried on despite her protests. 

Lisa had her friend Chantelle over who made no effort in hiding her interest in Harper. Lisa felt almost ashamed as she sat on the staircase spying on their handyman with her friend. Every now and then Chantelle would mention something related to Harper's behind, making Lisa scoff but appreciate what her friend was looking at. It was true, the boy had a very fine butt. 

Harper could feel their gazes upon him, he heard the snickering and Lisa scoff. He had deciphered which was her friend and which was Lisa. Lisa made her every noise almost discrete, coughing occasionally to dismiss her scoff or snicker. For a second Harper felt a smile tug at his lips, as quick as the moment reared, he hid it and continued screwing the shelf together.

Lisa's grandparents were as lovely as Gladis had been to him, offering him breakfast when he arrived, a drink often. He had declined the first offer but after fixing the shelf together he grabbed the glass of water they had left on the table for him, drinking it like a parched man who had just travelled through the desert for days. 

"Hey Harper." A girl slurred his name, entering the bedroom where he had been working.

Harper nodded to her, keeping his eyes down, looking for the screw he had just dropped. Finding it, he finally was able to screw the shelf onto the wall.

"So listen, I know you're new in town and everything, so you need to be introduced into society. There's a party happening tomorrow night at Stacey's." Lisa's friend said, leaning on the door frame.

"Chant, I don't think clubbing is his thing." Lisa finally made her appearance, making sure to keep her face expressionless as her gaze met Harper's. For a moment it felt like her knees buckled beneath her, she had almost forgotten how utterly beautiful the boy was.

"I promised Gladis I'd start painting her house." Harper lied fluently, pushing the shelf to the wall to keep it steady, levelling it before screwing another screw in, the shelf now steady on the wall but needing a couple more screws.

"Oh I'm sure she wouldn't mind, you need a break, you've been working so hard!" Chantelle said persistently. She was nothing if not persuasive.

"Come on, leave the guy to get on with his work, he doesn't want to go." Lisa tugged at her friend's arm, trying to drag her out to avoid her any more embarrassment, Harper was clearly not interested.

"No," Chantelle frowned to Lisa before turning her head back to Harper who had finally finished his job. "It'll be fun, and you look like you need a little fun in your life."

"I do not want to go." Harper stated, not for a moment regretting his words.

"Okay, clubbing isn't you thing, I get it. We have an annual bonfire at the beach next week." Lisa could almost hear the desperation in her friend's voice.

Chantelle was a girl who enjoyed showing a boy off on her arms, Harper now being her greatest and by far most attractive challenge made her determined, she would not give in easily.

Harper looked to Lisa, watching her analyse him, daring him to refuse her friend's offer.

"All right, I will ask to borrow the car." Harper looked to Lisa, a small smirk appearing his lips before he quickly put his mask of nonchalance back on.