Page 43 of This I Know
“You saved my life,” I say to Mara, taking my seat at the lunch table.
“No problem,” says Mara. “But it looked like Ethan Harrington saved your life, not me. What was that about?”
My breath stops at his name. “I don’t know. It was nice of him, though.”
We leave it at that.
We finish our lunch surrounded by normal, pleasant conversation between ourselves and the friends who have joined us. I’m actually able to forget all about the embarrassing moments of the day and my inability to cope.
I walk to the garbage and throw away the remains of my lunch. I didn’t eat much. I turn to head back, and then I see him. Ethan is standing to my left, at the vending machine, examining the buttons in deep thought.
Now’s my chance. I take a deep breath.
I’m trying not to limp when I arrive behind him, just the machine drops his chosen drink with a loud clang. He reaches inside, fishing for it. I’m about to tap him on the shoulder. I start to extend my arm, finger pointed out. He turns, as though somehow expecting me.
I freeze. Like a deer in the headlights, still all giddy over this one beautiful boy despite my best efforts.Really, Avery?
He looks me over, his eyes rising and falling across my body, and with the soda in his hand he says, “You fell. Again.”
The words echo in my ears, bouncing around in there in the perfect rhythm with which he said them.
I stand up straight. I say proudly, “I didn’t fall the first time. I was already on the ground, trying to get my pen, and I was run into. My pen was what fell. Not me.”
Duh.I’m pretty sure my face visibly falls.
Did I really just say that?
Is it possible for one person to sound so dumb?
But he doesn’t think it was dumb. I can tell by the way he’s looking at me, that slight smile of his creeping up his face. He’s actually admiring me.
No one’s ever admired me before.
“Your pen,” he confirms, raising an eyebrow.
I cross my arms. “Yes. And if the door hadn’t just so happened to open at the worst possible time, you would have never even seen me.”
“Oh, I doubt that.”
What the hell does that mean?
“What the hell does that mean?” I ask.
He calmly walks a short ways to a nearby table, gesturing for me to follow. I do, but I’m keeping my arms crossed. I want him to know I’m not here for the niceties, and if he thinks he’s being cute, well … forget it.
He sets the can down on the table, then turns back to me. He slips his hands into his pockets. “Well, then it’s a good thing it did.” He corrects himself quickly. “The first time, not the second time. That looked painful.”
“You’re not getting off that easy. What did you mean?”
He shrugs. “I notice you, that’s all.”
Oh, my God, he’s such a flirt. Seriously, will he flirt with anything on two legs? Or less than two, since I barely meet that requirement at the moment? This time, I raise my brow at him.
He shakes his head. “That came out wrong.”
“Uh huh.” I’m beginning to think this is pointless. I scan the cafeteria for any sign of Mara. If I can make eye contact with her, and she sees what I’ve gotten myself into, she’ll call me over and give me an out.
“I meant to say I’m glad you’re okay.”
