One Summer

NINE

We're not making out
On a boat in the rain
Or in a house I've painted blue
But there's nothing
Like doing nothing
With you

NORA

It's been a few weeks since the day we slept in the tents. Me and Iven have been getting to know each other quite well

I love his presence and he's good company and fun to be around

It's twelve something in the morning and me and Iven are the only ones awake at this time

We're laying in a light brown hammock he's on one side and I'm on the other

We have a a dark green blanket covering us and he's reading one of my books I brought for us to read

He liked to pretend he was one of them, but he knew he was not. Sometimes there would be Haitians on the train, and he—his hearing, suddenly wolflike, distinguishing from the murmur around him the slurpy, singy sound of their Creole—would find himself looking toward them, to the two men with round faces like his father's, or to the two women with soft snubbed noses like his mother's. He always hoped that he might be presented with a completely organic reason to speak to them—maybe they'd be arguing about directions somewhere, and he might be able to insert himself and provide the answer—but there never was. Sometimes they would let their eyes scan across the seats, still talking to each other, and he would tense, ready his face to smile, but they never seemed to recognize him as one of their own.

I listen as he read the first few chapters of A Little Life by Hanya Yanngihara

I had bought this book a few weeks ago and wanted to read it but I was too scared to do it alone

Everyone would say how heart wrecking this book was and I don't really read sad novels so I decided to try something new

There isn't really happy endings in real life that's why I would read stories with happy ever afters. I know life doesn't really go the way we want sometimes but it's fun to imagine and hope

"If you can't handle sad stories why read them?" Iven lays the book on his chest and huffs out

"Shut up and I can handle sad stories" I defend myself playfully rolling my eyes "You can handle sad stories but your to scared to read it alone" he snickers

"Look I don't wanna suffer the pain and trauma this book is gonna give me alone. I'll have someone to suffer with me" I clap back smiling

And he only chuckles "whatever" he reads another chapter before we ended up getting bored of it and putting it down

We lay in silence watching the bright stars in the night sky

I turn my body around so I am now laying on his chest and he's playing with my braids

"I like your hair" he says continuing to play with my braids and I mumble a thank you

I yawn becoming tired Iven notices and pulls the blanket over me holding me closer to him

He smells good he has a scent of something sweet but relaxed