Page 2 of How We Fooled

“Guess I’m walking down.” I pick up my bike and motion to where I was heading. “Are you walking this way?”

“I was actually. Mind if I join you?”

I nod my head in that direction, and we start making our way down. I’ve never spoken much, but admittedly, I’m more tongue-tied than normal, and I can’t think of a thing to say.

“Sorry about your bike,” she says.

I shrug it off. “It’s an easy fix.”

“Do you ride here often?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you from here?”

“Yeah, Leighton River.”

We walk a few steps more, and she laughs. “Man of few words, huh?”

I grin with a chuckle. “Yeah. Sorry.” I stop and hold out my hand to her. “I’m Eli.”

We shake.

“Well, Eli, I’m Liza.”

“Liza? That’s a pretty name.” I start walking back down the hill.

“It means God’s promise. I always thought that was cool. My parents just wanted a name from the Bible.”

I chuckle under my breath. “Our parents are the same. Hence Eli.”

She smiles, and I see the warmth behind it. There’s something genuine about her darker features that bring out her cheekbones and jaw. Her dark brown hair is pulled up in a ponytail with many loose strands, which are flying around her face, yet she’s not trying to fix them or redo the ponytail.

She tucks a few strands behind her ear as she continues to walk.

Suddenly, I’m the one who wants to talk. “Where are you from, Liza? I’ve never seen you around.”

“I just moved to Mason Creek. My aunt and uncle live here, so they invited me to stay with them.”

“Where are you from then?”

“California.”

I laugh out loud. “And you moved here?”

She looks forward, lost in her thoughts for a moment. “I wanted a fresh start. Go where no one knew me.”

“I get that. It won’t last long here though. In these small towns, everyone knows everyone.”

Her lips tilt up into a smile. “I like that idea though. I moved here from Stockton. It’s a big city that’s definitely up to no good. I needed to get out of there. My aunt said they are always looking for teachers out here so”—she opens her arms up wide—“here I am.”

“You want to be a teacher?”

She nods. “Yep. Just finished my teaching credential program.”

“What grade are you looking to teach?”

“I’m up for anything, but I’ve always seen myself in elementary, maybe second or third grade. That’s what I taught during my student teaching program back home. We’ll see what happens. What is meant to be will be,” she says with a sense of finality, like she’s just going with the flow of what her life will be. “How about you? Did you go the college route or start working right away?”

---