[This story is free again]
A social klutz and certified bookworm, Autumn Lyne is content with having just books as companions--that is, until her extrovert of a sister drags her out to meet her band. But nobody has expected that this would mark the...
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He and I decided to meet on a Saturday.
I was sweating profusely, partly because of the fading afternoon heat and partly because of anticipation. I was glad to be in the shade of a tall apartment building. Fanning myself with my hand, I felt a presence watching me, and I turned to my right to see Finn. He was in a simple long-sleeved shirt, faded jeans, and white sneakers, and he was carrying a plastic bag and a paper cup holder in one hand.
When we were close enough to hear each other, he said, "Hey. Did I make you wait long?"
"Not at all," I said.
He lifted the items that he was carrying. "I got us some food. Meat sandwich and hot cocoa."
That reduced the tension in me. I smiled in amusement and narrowed my eyes in confusion. "So... you prepared that, and you wanted us to meet here. What is this all about? What are you up to?"
"Nothing," Finn replied in his most innocent tone. "You said you wanted us to talk, so that's what we'll do... in a while. There's a perfect place for it." He cocked his head at the towering structure next to us. "Are you afraid of heights?"
A moment later, we found ourselves in an elevator moving up to the highest level of the apartment building. He and I didn't talk until we reached the rooftop, where my jaw fell to my chest. Standing near the railings, we could see the view of the downtown area and the park. It was like a garden of orange and golden trees from up there. Some stores had begun to put up Christmas decorations, a reminder that autumn was ending. Closing my eyes, I breathed in the calmness and beauty of my hometown.
"My dad always brought me up here when I was a kid," Finn said, which made me open my eyes. "And he'd tell me stories about the town."
I felt a pang of envy upon hearing about the kind of childhood he had, but I tried not to show it. Instead, I smiled at the view and breathed again. "That's nice. I've never been on the roof of a building before, so this is an interesting experience for me," I said.
"I'm glad that it is."
We sat in a shaded part of the rooftop, got out our sandwiches and drinks from their packaging, and began to consume them.
"I still don't get it, though," I said, tucking my hair behind my ear when the wind blew. "Why the food and this place? Did you just... trick me into going on a date with you?"
Finn stopped blowing on his drink to give me a flat look. "Autumn. If this was a date, I would've chosen a fancier place and dressed more appropriately."
We smiled at that and even chuckled a little. However, while both of us were relieved at how easily we could talk about it now, I could tell that it was a possibility that he'd been tossing and turning in his mind. I was sure that he was consumed with all the what-ifs and what-could-have-beens—because he and I were the same.
He shook his head. "I just thought it would suck if we talked at school. Too many distractions and people spreading rumors around."
