From England, With Love

Kicks and Trips

At 9:45 the next morning, I arrive at the small car park. A few elderly couples enter and exit the park with dogs, and the air is light. The sun is shining; however I wouldn't say it's warm. I'm glad of my coat, and keep my hands firmly in my pockets.

I glance around for a while, wondering where Pete will appear from. Through the park? Down the hill, toward school? Up the road from the left? From the supermarket to the right? Even though I'm early, I can't help but shuffle on my feet a bit in impatience. I barely slept last night, and I've been up since dawn. Since yesterday, I've had this buzzing sensation underneath my skin, almost like adrenaline but sweeter. Excitement, maybe? I'm not sure. Either way, I feel like I'm shivering and I don't like it.

I run a hand through my hair, something I don't usually do, as I continue to think about the reason for my hyper behaviour, when, in the corner of my eye, I spot Pete.

He's dressed in a baby blue button-up shirt and a tan coloured jacket. His legs are clad in grey and move gracefully as he walks. He hasn't seen me yet – he's on the other side of the road and I can tell he's very focused on walking. What? Is he scared he's going to fall over?

I realise the irony in my thoughts as he steps in to the road just as a car comes veering around the corner at the bottom of the hill, not in Pete's sight. My mouth opens to shout, and my heart rate goes through the roof as my body takes an involuntary step forward. The tires of the car screech as the driver slams the breaks, halting the vehicle inches in front of Pete, who freezes.

I run into the road and grab his arm, pulling him to the safety of the pavement before traffic begins to flood the lane. In the hurry, Pete's foot catches on the curb and he trips into me, his arms flying around my neck instinctively for support, and our noses bump.

"... You okay?" I ask, not moving my face. I forgot how pretty his eyes are.

He nods in response before slowly unwrapping his arms and retreating into his jacket, a pinkish red forming on his cheeks.

Good start. He's embarrassed. Ugh, I hope the rest of this trip isn't awkward because of this.

I run a hand over the back of my hair, unsure of what to do. Pete stands, in his usual awkward fashion, clearly waiting for instructions. To my surprise, it is Pete who speaks first.

"Are we going to catch a bus?" He says, in a small voice and his eyes pointed at the floor. I have to read his lips to catch his words over the noise of the traffic, and I find myself still watching them as I nod.

Soft.

I clear my throat and toss an arm in the direction of the bus stop, "it's this way." I look him in the eyes and he smiles, purely his acknowledgement of my words but I find myself tearing away my gaze and fixing it ahead of me; on a car, a bush, a leaf, anything that isn't Pete. It's not that... it's not that I don't like to look at him, because I do, I just feel... uneasy.

We walk to the bus stop and after only a minute or so the navy blue double-decker pulls up to the curb. The doors open and I instinctively hang back, allowing Pete to get on first when I notice he doesn't move. I glance at him and he's already looking at me. I laugh.

"You going? It won't wait forever." I say, gently taking his elbow to encourage him forward, but his hand covers mine to stop me.

"I-I don't..." He stutters, and without thinking, my fingers clasp around his and I lead him through the doors after me. He doesn't say anything, and I ask the bus driver for two tickets, dropping the appropriate money into the receiver. The printer beeps and spits out two small pieces of paper, which I take before leading Pete to the back of the bus. It's busy, so I direct him to the window seat. I try to do it gracefully, but as I release my grip on the back of someone else's seat for balance, the bus moves forward, throwing me on top of Pete.