We walk into Claire's house and immedietly I'm greeted by a dog. A really big dog. "Hey sweetie!" I kneel down and start rubbing his big head, despite the drool on this jowls. "Hey, King, can you leave Zoe alone for two seconds?" By this time he's snuggling into my arms, bigtime. "Oh my gosh Claire, he's so cute!" I rub his head for a bit longer and then stand up, straightening my shirt. "Sorry about Kingfisher." "Sorry, no, he's adorable! I wanna steal him." Aaron comes down the stairs, pulling his earbuds out. "Hey, Zoe! What's up?" I think about what Claire said earlier. "He thinks you're beautiful and sweet." and lose my voice again. "H-hi Aaron." I continue petting King as he drools on my pants. "Hey, Aaron, the parental units in bed already?" He nods, walking over. "Well, I'ma go say goodnight but I'll be right back, okay Zoe?" "Y-yeah, sure." She jogs up the stairs and down a hall.
"So, King certainly likes you." Aaron smiles and kneels down, scratching King's chin gently. "He's so cute. How old is he?" I inquire. "Meh, five or six." He stands up and looks into my eyes. I notice how boyish and playful his face is, but not in a way that an 11 year old has. He's more of a mature yet still Peter Pan-ish type. He smiles and I look away. Before any comments can be made, however, Claire comes back down, smiling. "Okay, so lets get your sleeping situation settled. We have a cot we can put up, but I can't ever get it, so Aaron, if you wouldn't mind helping us?" She looks at him and I know she's trying to force him to make a move. In the silent moments that follow, I see some eye rolling on her end and I realise they're having a full conversation with just their eyes. Whatever argument they were having, I can tell that Claire won because she has a triumphant look and seems to be holding her head higher.
I look down and shift my feet until Claire speaks again. "Anyways, my room is just down the hall---here" She says, leading me down a hallway and into a large and comfortable room. "Nice. I love the painting on the wall." I say, pointing to a bright floral print that matches with the yellows, pinks, and oranges of the room. "Thanks. Mmh, the cot's in the storage closet downstairs, so I'll go grab that really quick." "Oh, okay. Want me to come with?" But she's already gone. Aaron and I stand there uncomfortably. "Um, sorry, do you want anything to eat or drink?" I try to recall the last time I did have anything to eat, and come to the conclusion it was too long ago. "Oh, no thanks." I say anyways. I wait and regret having refused. "Actually, can I have some water?" Even the small request makes me uncomfortable and I can't help looking down. "Yeah, sure. You wanna come into the kitchen?" I nod and follow him back down the hallway.
"So, are you going to that party on Friday night?" He asks as he grabs a glass and fills it with ice and water. I take it from him, our fingers brush briefly as it's exchanged between our hands and I shrink back, trying to calm my nerves. "Uh, I was thinking about it, yeah. But I don't know, I'm not much of a party person." "Awh, I think it'd be fun. If you wanna come, let us know okay?" I smile barely and bite my lip. "So, how old are you Zoe?" He asks, changing the subject. "I'm seventeen. I'll be eighteen next March," I take a sip of my water. "Oh that's cool. So where are you planning on going to college?" "I dunno. I'm hoping to get some scholarship to an art school, but really, I don't know at all how or if I'd be able to. What about you?" I look up into his hazel eyes. "Eh, I don't know either. Maybe some sort of dance school." My eyebrows raise. "Dance? That's cool. What kind?" "Eh, virtually anything, but mainly ballet." he says. I'd never guess him to be a dancer, but it also suits him well. "that's really cool. "
At this point, Claire comes back upstairs with a huge grin on her face and no attempt at concealing it. Aaron gives her a look that could cut diamonds and takes the cot from her hands. She gives me the goofiest look and I can't help but let a small giggle out. "We'll talk later." She winks and I know that she's going to grill me about every detail of the conversation.
After Aaron sets the cot up and I get settled in, Claire and I sit on her bed as she giggles and asks me what happened. "Nothing. We just sort of talked."
