In A Time And Place

Chapter 5

               The next day was even worse.

               I woke up feeling terrible. I felt like everything I did would lead to a dead end. After I showered and put on a gray tank with a denim miniskirt and flip flops, I went out the door and down the stairs. Everyone was giving me weird looks. Thankfully, there were no reporters out the doors.

               Did that mean this whole mess was washing away? That was a good thing, right?

               I re-thought my predicament. I tried time after time to convince myself I wasn’t in love with, a man from the past. I failed each and every time. It was awful. Looking at myself. I didn’t know I was capable of being this, weird. How did this happen?

               Looking at his face wasn’t a good idea. I’d only blush and smile and my crush would increase. That’s all this was. A bad crush. A really bad one.

               I waited in line behind Mr. Peabody. Today we were going to visit an aquarium and have breakfast there. Soon the rest of the class came and we all headed out. I saw Tina clinging to Evan’s arm. I wonder. Should I tell her? No. That would only be a confirmation of how I feel and, this feeling would soon go away.

               Just my luck. Newspapers still had his face on the covers. Was there no escape? Tina popped up beside me suddenly. I jumped then relaxed again.

               “Are you ok? You should be right? I mean. All the reporters are gone.”

               “Yeah…”

               “That means you can forget about the whole thing.” She almost asked the phrase. I think she knew something was up.

               I didn’t feel like replying. “Yeah…I guess.”

               “Who was that dude who talked to you last night?”

               “Uh… no one.”

               “No one? Come on. Tell me!”

               “An agent.”

               “Agent?” It didn’t take long for her to guess what kind of agent and whom he managed. “Why did he want to talk to you?”

               “Something about what I should say to the news people.”

               “About?”

               “Richard.”

               She stopped then walked in front of me. “Richard? The old suicidal man?”

               “Suicidal?!” I asked quickly. I guess she liked to believe the most dramatic thing too. But she’d believe me if I told her, he wasn’t. Or she’d tell me to grow up.

               “First name basis? Have you met him? I’ve seen him in a couple of movies.”

               I turned my head. She knew about him before me? How well? “Oh? How many?”

               “Like 2 or 3. He’s cool isn’t he?”

               I felt like scowling. In fact, I was. Tina asked what was wrong but I just smiled. “Oh nothing. How old was he in the movies?”

               “Eh. Old.” She smiled to Evan then continued to walk with me. Good. At least she didn’t know what I knew. Or, I could assume so. She wouldn’t look up an old actor. But, I suddenly felt like I needed to tell her how I felt. I could’ve let it slide. But, after we entered the place, paid and started to view exotic fish, I couldn’t hold it in anymore.