Enzo beats Dan to the park. But not by much.
He managed to shake Robyn off a few blocks from their street - though barely - 'we're walking the same way, you prat'.
As a result, Enzo is early - earlier than usual - to the park. Early enough to nab Dan's - his - swing. And also early enough to see the direction in which Dan comes from - turning right at the end of his road, left, then right again. The opposite way to Enzo.
Dan is wearing a plain white T-shirt over scruffy blue jeans. They are the first untidy item of clothing that Enzo has seen Dan wearing.
They suit him.
Dan walks up to Enzo, pauses. Grins.
Enzo raises an eyebrow. "What?"
Dan's grin widens. "Nothing." He sits down on the swing next to Enzo. This is the closest that Dan has ever been to Enzo. Enzo usually makes sure to leave a swing in between them. Breathing space.
Dan frowns at him. Leans forward. "Your bruise has gone."
He reaches out, then. Reaches out, and touches Enzo's jaw.
Touches it.
Screw that. This is the closest that Dan has ever been to Enzo.
It shoots a weird tingly feeling up Enzo's spine. He jerks away. "Yeah. I know."
Dan hesitates. "I - um - I saw your sister yesterday."
Enzo stiffens. He hadn't been planning on bringing up Izzy - his father - until right at the end. Right at the end when he could run off, if he needed to.
He forces himself to relax. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. She was with someone. A guy - an older guy. Much older." Dan twists his fingers together. "Enzo - was he your dad?"
Enzo looks away. "I don't want to talk about this."
He hears Dan sigh. "Look - I'm sorry. If I'm making you angry - " He stops. Enzo wonders whether he is trying to hold back a curse. He sighs again.
Enzo considers shouting at him. Shouting seems like the best thing, right now. It would make him feel better.
But Enzo doesn't think that shouting would make Dan feel better.
"My parents got divorced," he says, "when I was born. My father left us. So did Izzy - a while after. She went to live with him." He looks at Dan. "Where, Carter? Where do they live?"
Dan runs his hand through his hair. It makes it stick up, at the back.
It makes Enzo want to flatten it.
"They live near me," he says. "Really near, actually. Enzo, they're - they're my next-door neighbours."
YOU ARE READING
The Anatomy of a Parody Heart
Novela Juvenil|| Highest rankings: #1 in notfittingin (30/03/19) #9 in antibullying (25/05/18) || - COMPLETED - Enzo knows that he is different. He knows it in the way that people look at him. Talk about him. Bu...
