Counting Paths

Chapter 10.

Sterling

Arabella plays with a straw still wrapped in the paper, dragging it around our plates and drinks as she tells us her story. "Towards the end of the school year, some kid into gaming and codes and shit came to our class looking for an artist for his app. Those who were willing to help stayed behind an hour or so so he could check out our work, and he picked me." She smiles proudly. "I showed him my personal work on my Ipad and the boy fall in love! He's actually going to use one of my creatures as his players. He doesn't want to change one thing about it. It's fucking awesome."

"Arabella," Tobias says.

She ignores him. "It helps that he's working around my schedule too. Like a few weeks ago, we were working on the game while we were at Alex's practice."

"And what about now?" I ask her. "You know, it's summer."

"I work on his idea of the game and when I'm done, I just sent it to him. Whatever he doesn't like or wants to change, I do."

"And Alex is okay with you spending so much time with this boy?" Tobias wonders.

She laughs softly, shaking her head. "They play the Xbox while I'm working on the damn game. They're like best friends now. It's freaking annoying. Plus...Adam's gay...or bisexual...either way, he's more into Alex than he's into me." She turns to me again. "I know it's still early but are you thinking about college?"

I nod. "I want to be a writer. I want at least two books published by the time I'm twenty-eight." I feel my smile falter a bit. Talking about the future can be a sensitive topic sometimes when I can barely see myself living next week.

"I love it!" Arabella exclaims happily. "And you have a goal! That's good."

"Hey." Roland places his hand on the top of my head. I turn and look at him, and I can tell he noticed me hesitate. "You alright?" He whispers for my ears only. I nod, but he looks away and pulls his hand away. "How's your sister?" He asks Tobias. "Do you still keep in touch with your stepbrother?"

"He's my godfather!" Arabella says proudly. "They're at the house every weekend with my godsister, and he and my lovely godmother are expecting soon!"

"My sister just gave birth to twins too."

"Whoa," Roland breathes. "A lot of new additions to the family, huh?"

Tobias nods agreeing. "And I have the smallest house but the entire family decides to meet at my place every freaking event. Even Alex's parents come over for the holidays."

Arabella raises her hand. "It's because of me."

Tobias laughs at her and the waiter comes with the check.

"I got it." Before the waiter can walk away, Roland pulls out his wallet and fishes out a couple of hundred dollar bills. "Keep the change," he tells the waiter. She thanks him happily then walks away. "Let's go, kid." He pats my head, rising to his feet.

I do the same and smile at Arabella and Tobias. "Thank you for coming out and seeing us. It was nice meeting you."

"You too," Tobias smiles. "I hope we can do this again."

Arabella jumps up and hugs me. "Can I keep her?" She asks Roland.

"I'm telling Wanda," her father chuckles.

She draws away from me, rolling her eyes. "Snitch," she hisses at him.

"Here." Roland grabs her hands and places in her palm what looks like a few hundred dollar bills. "Happy late birthday." He grabs me by my shoulders. "Be safe."