Alice's Umbrella

Chapter 14: Gale asks the Monkey

"I'm just saying-I think it's weird that I probably have less body hair than any of you chicks," Noah said, shaking a fry at them. Alice and Maya made a face, but Jade just snorted.

"Do you wanna do a comparison right now?" she challenged, arching her eyebrow as she gestured to herself, but Annie shook her head, blushing furiously.

"He's right," she mumbled. "He shaves everything."

Elliott groaned, covering his face with his hands. "More than I ever wanted to know, dude."

Noah scoffed at him, popping the fry into his mouth. "I'm a swimmer. Don't tell me you don't shave for wrestling," he said wryly. All the girls' heads swiveled in Elliott's direction then, and he flushed in embarrassment.

"I mean, some, yeah-not everything!" he said defensively. Alice squinted at him quizzically. She'd seen him in his wrestling outfit, and she'd seen him shirtless and in swim trunks. His chest always looked baby smooth yet exquisitely sculpted, and his body hair was so blonde and fine, it was hard to see most of the time.

But now she was wondering if his junk was shaved, and that was such a bizarre thought, she didn't know what to make of it. She shook her head to unhinge the image and turned back to her lunch-a tuna salad sandwich.

Jade, who sat on her right side, elbowed her to get her attention. "Hey, so Gale was asking me about you."

Alice balked at her, blinking stupidly. "Huh?"

Jade smirked at her slyly. "I think he was kind of taken with you at that party. What did you think of him?"

She felt flustered suddenly, and she stared at her sandwich. "Uhhh, he was-I mean, I guess he was fine. I don't know. Yeah. He's cool. He likes science."

Jade snickered. "I thought you might like that. He's broody. You're broody. I think it could work."

Alice furrowed her eyebrows at her. "Work? What do you mean?" she asked. Jade rolled her eyes.

"God, sometimes I'm convinced you might be the densest person alive, Young," she groaned in exaggeration. "I mean-can I give him your number? He wants to talk to you."

Her entire face flamed with heat, and she could feel everyone's eyes on her. Especially Elliott's. What was he thinking? She was afraid to look, and that made her feel even more agitated-why did she feel like she needed his approval to date somebody?

"Ummm, I...yeah, I guess-okay, that's fine," she stammered, nervously tucking some hair behind her ear. Noah whistled loudly then.

"You're such a fox, Young," he teased. "Snagging a college guy. I didn't think you had it in you."

"Fuck you," she snapped, feeling choked by the rush of emotions she suddenly felt, but everyone just laughed.

Except Elliott. He was surprisingly silent, and she risked a glance at him. He was eating quietly, but when he sensed her look, he met her gaze and flashed her a tight smile. Then he just went back to eating, not even cracking a joke at her expense.

Which was even weirder and more confusing.