Savanna

Chapter 20

I still sat at the table, even after Rudy had left, thinking it all over again and feeling happy for making up with him. I was just about to get to my feet when my phone rang. It was mom, telling she'll be home late tonight as she went to see dad in the hospital. This only meant me having to stay alone for who knows how long, and it seriously dampened my mood. We ended the call and I slipped my cellphone back into my pocket.

"Oh, hey Selina," a familiar voice almost startled me, making my head snap up. Shane was coming my way; probably he just entered the diner.

"Hey," I answered. "I actually was about to leave, but..." I stopped suddenly, realizing I was offering to stay, even though I felt unsure for some reason.

He only nodded, then pointed at my leg. "It's okay. But how's your knee?"

"It's fine." I managed a smile. "I'm getting used to it."

Then, out of nowhere, another voice called out, interrupting our small talk.

"Here you are! Oh... you found a friend?" It was a joyful voice, and soon I saw who it belonged to. Another guy stepped out from behind Shane, a few inches shorter than him but still rather tall compared to me. He also seemed a year or two younger, but I couldn't say for sure. His brownish-orange hair was only a little too short to reach his outstanding sky blue eyes. A wide leisured grin was plastered on his face as he leaned on the table, a bit too close to me. "I'm Kealan," he said without hesitation. "An old friend of Shane's."

"I'm Selina," I replied slowly, feeling even more unsure now. Maybe I simply wasn't used to guys coming to talk to me.

"Selina was just about to leave," I heard Shane say, as if I couldn't talk for myself.

"What, right now?" Kealan looked shortly at him, then back at me. I noticed how he kept that playful smile on his lips, trying slightly to make it look more so like asking me to stay. He seemed friendly, but something about the way Shane looked at him made me confused.

"Well, I'm not actually in a hurry..." I managed, rather shyly though.

Kealan's smile widened even more. "We've got time, too. Just need to wait for some guy to show up." Without as much as a warning, he landed on the seat right next to me. Shane seemed to become only more serious at that, but took a seat across from us without saying anything.

"So, how long you've known Shane?" Kealan held his elbow on the table, leaning on it, all attention on me.

"Not very long," I said, looking down at my hands. "We've met a few times only."

"Really? I thought you looked like closer friends." He took a quick glance at Shane, still grinning. He seemed like a very joyful person. Shane, on the other hand, was looking almost uneasy, which I couldn't understand. "Shane is a nice person," Kealan continued. "It's hard to find a friend like him."

I only nodded. As much as I knew Shane, I couldn't disagree. But still I didn't say anything here.

A few seconds we were just like that - me trying to look down at the table, Kealan studying my face from the side, never losing that smile from his lips. Then, "Your're not very chatty, eh?"

"Not chattier than you, at least." And he had done it, somehow. I felt the corners of my mouth crook upwards. Maybe I tried to prove him I wasn't that quiet and shy girl, I'm not sure, but whatever the reason, I picked up a new topic. "Kealan, that's some interesting name. Or is it just me? Are you from somewhere else?"

He shrugged. "I'm from Amazonas. But my name has Gaelic origins, I think. Kealan actually means slender." A strange spark appeared in his eyes. "If you knew me better, you'd understand why it suits me."