Farmboy

Chapter 5

I was back up by the gate, but for once Andrew wasn’t here. I quickly wiped the last tears from my face; I didn’t want him to think I was crying.
“Andrew?” I called out, barely a whisper. “Andrew?” A little louder this time. The field was a bit misty, so I couldn’t see the farm.

“Why, you’re early!” Andrew said, to my right. I jumped a bit, then glanced over at him.

“Well, I suppose I am.” I said, feeling gratified.

“Are you feeling alright? You look like you’ve been-”

“I’m fine. Really.” I said, despite the disbelieving look Andrew gave me. He looked at me and grimaced.

“Please don’t lie to me.” He said.

“Lie? I-I’m not lying.”

“You kinda just did.” He pointed out. “By saying you weren’t lying, despite the fact you just lied, you have lied even more. C’mon, you can tell the truth.”

“I-I just-I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about it. At all.” I said, firmly, eyes focused on the dirt and leaves.

“Really, what happened?” He asked, his hand reaching towards mine, which was placed on the fence. I yanked my hand back and shoved it into my pocket. Andrew looked at me, hurt.

“I just want to help-” He began.

“Which is something I don’t want.” I said, cutting him off. “Look, I barely know you, so-”
“Then get to.”
“Excuse me?”
“If you hardly know me, and don’t trust me, then get to know me. Pretty simple.” He said, simply. I groaned.
“It isn’t that simple.”
“Actually, it kinda is.” He smiled, mischievously. I pressed my hand to my temple.
“So, you want to get to know me?” He asked. I hesitated, then remembered the text from Saige when I woke up.
“Well, let’s start by exchanging numbers.” I said, holding up my phone. Andrew hesitated. “What?” I asked.

“I don’t have one.”

“You don’t have a number?” I asked, surprised. He shook his head, embarrassed. I winced.

“Do you have an email?”

“No.” He said. I winced again. This was getting more and more embarrassing.

“Oh. Sorry. Um, I should probably go now.” I murmured. The situation was getting awkward.

“No, please. I just don’t have any of that because my parents like to live like farmers, without any internet or telephones…I mean, you could send me letters, or possibly a telegraph, but I think it’d be quicker to keep meeting here.” He explained.

“Wouldn’t you use computers for school?” I asked.

“Homeschooled, remember?” He said simply.

“Oh. Right.”

⚘⚘⚘

I texted Saige, saying that I saw Andrew. And that I didn’t get his number. In response, she called me again.

“Why didn’t you get it?” She complained.

“Well, I did ask.” I muttered.

“So, then, what happened? Why wouldn’t he give you his number, was he, like, paranoid or something?”

“No, Saige.”

“Then what?”

“He didn’t have a number to give me.”

“Oh. Email?”

“Nope.”

“Seriously, why?”

“Well, he’s homeschooled, and his  parents enjoy living in the eighteen hundreds, apparently.”

“Huh.”

“Yeah…that was my reaction too.”