Clearer (J.HALE)

07

I gripped the toilet bowl and leaned forward, the clammy ceramic slippery under my sweaty hands.

"You don't regret it, though, right?"

"No," I groaned, wiping my mouth with some toilet paper and sitting back on my ankles. "He's just...so...." I gestured vaguely as Aunt Meg quirked an eyebrow.

"So what?"

"I don't know," I sighed, flushing the toilet.

I slowly stood up, holding out my hands as a wave of wooziness tilted my vision, and moved toward the sink. I washed my mouth out and splashed my face with cold water.

"Then what's wrong?"

"I don't like it when people are smarter than me."

"He graduated a year early and volunteered to tutor you—what do you expect?"

"Nothing," I said. "I'll get over it. He was perfectly nice, really."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "There's something else."

"No, there isn't."

Her lips broke into a grin at the speed of my reply. "Yes, there is. You know there is. Come on..."

"There really isn't-

"Don't bullshit me, young lady, you're in my house now."

"There's not..." I trailed off and sighed in defeat. "He's just so...beautiful."

She let out a triumphant laugh and clapped her hands together, wiggling in delight. "I knew it!"

"It's so distracting," I mumbled, burying my face in my hands and trying to suppress the giggles rising in my chest.

"If he's anything like his dad, I can imagine," Meg said, standing behind me and wrapping me up in a hug. "It'll get better, honey."

I groaned.

A loud knock on the front door distracted me from my self-pity. Both of us looked out of the bathroom door into the hallway but didn't move to go downstairs, glancing at one another. Visitors were rare, I'd learned in my short stay. But the knock sounded again, and we were forced to acknowledge that we hadn't just imagined it. Jacob Black stood on the doorstep, wearing tatty shorts and a faded t-shirt, an unsure smile on his face.

"Oh," I said, stepping away from the door. "Hi, Jake."

"Hey," he said, eyes flickering between my face and Aunt Meg's. "Are you busy, Imogen?"

I blinked. "Not really. Why?"

"We're having a bonfire tonight. On the beach. Wanted to invite you."

My chest warmed a little. "Oh. That sounds fun."

His smile gained a little assurance. "Great."

"When should I come down?"

"Uh...now?"

I glanced over my shoulder at Meg, who nodded in confirmation, before looking back at Jake. "Give me two minutes. Come on in."

Aunt Meg bustled him inside and proceeded to talk his ear off as I leapt up the stairs. I wasn't nauseous anymore, and the idea of gulping down the salted air sat by a fire on the beach sounded blissful. I dug through my limited clothes and pulled on the largest t-shirt I could find and old sports leggings, adding layers to protect me from the frosted wind. I didn't have time to be embarrassed by my lacking wardrobe and was down the stairs again in under a minute.