The Matchmaker

Chapter 2

On the way to the café Shannon and Brian chased each other while Nathan just followed behind idly. It was a hot day yet despite the heat, nothing fazed them. Deep down Nathan was glad school was over, he just didn't show his excitement as much as the other two.

The café came into view. Shannon broke into a run, eager to be in an air-conditioned room. A few seconds later she burst through the door with Brian following closely.

"Ah the air conditioning!" Shannon exclaimed. "I'm sweating like a pig."

Brian chuckled. "Nice one, Shannon. You know how to impress a guy."

"Who's there to impress?"

"Good point; you're just one of us." Brian looked over to a group of jocks and pointed. "So what about those guys? You don't want to impress them?"

Shannon scrunched up her nose. "Are you serious? I'll give you three reasons why I wouldn't go near them. First and most importantly, why would they look at boring old me? Secondly, they're jocks and totally up themselves. Thirdly, they're just so not my type."

Nathan walked in and sat down at a table. Brian and Shannon joined him and placed their orders.

Finally Brian said, "Well I'm glad you don't fancy them, I think I'd drop you as a friend you if you did. That aside, there is nothing wrong with you, Shannon."

Overcome with a sudden feeling of self-consciousness, Shannon started playing with her ponytail. She stared down at the table and just shrugged in response.

Nathan sighed impatiently. "C'mon Shannon, I don't see why you have to go to such great lengths to get a compliment."

Shannon glared at him and stuck out her tongue. "I don't see why you have to sit there like a lump on a log. You're so boring, Nate."

"At least I'm not immature."

"Yeah? Well at least I don't spend my holidays studying!"

"At least I'm not going to fail high school."

Brian held his hands up to quieten them. "Okay you guys, quit it."

"Don't stand up for her. She started it." Nathan complained.

"Did not! You just assumed I was after attention when I wasn't."

At that moment the waitress returned with their milkshakes which immediately quietened them. They often had little arguments like that but they were never fazed by them. Nathan opened up his notepad, started jotting down poems and just went back to being himself while Brian and Shannon continued to banter.

When they finished their milkshakes Shannon said, "We should go to the pool. I need to swim."

"I'm in." Brian replied as he stood up. "Nate?"

Nathan shook his head. "You know I burn easily."

"Don't you want to come and just sit in the shade?" Shannon suggested. "You can always write or something?"

He looked thoughtful then smiled and said, "Fine I'll come." Brian and Shannon high-fived but Nathan quickly said, "But I don’t want you throwing me in to the pool. I remember what you did last summer."

Shannon started laughing. "Oh c'mon, Nate that was hilarious!"

"Oh yeah real funny. I was only in the water for five minutes and I got so burnt it took me days to recover." Nathan was never one to forget those things. "You remember how flaky I got when I started to peel."

Brian laughed. "You looked like you were growing gills!"

Nathan huffed but a small smile played at his lips. He couldn't be all seriousness around Shannon and Brian even if he wanted to be.