to be content

04

August White

One pin after the other there knocked down and I'd gotten a strike again, "It's not that i'm scared or anything but, I can't particularly like someone I don't know."

"So his fingers weren't enough to get you both acquainted." Novah questioned walking over to the lane for her turn.

"That's not fair, it's not like I expected to get in that situation. Plus, we have nothing in common whatsoever." I walked by Novah grabbing a french fry off the try we were all sharing.

She turned from the lane to look at me. " There's plenty of ways to get acquainted with that man and a date is the start."

It was as if he was being forced on me and I couldn't understand why. We'd only had a handful of interactions none of which prompted this enthusiasm. " What's your deal with me and him, is he a weirdo or something and you're trying to dump your friend on me."

"To be quite honest she's only on this because she's trying to distract herself with issues other than her own." Novah murmured irritated at her friend's dedication about their love life and not focusing on herself.

"So not true."

***

We all sat on the patio at the boys place sipping margaritas watching as Luca tended to his garden and Onyx and Brazen were playing a basketball game 1v1.

"Day drinking is definitely something I never thought I would just casually do." I said while working on a math assignment.

Luca turned to laugh with crinkled eyes "With those two, get used to it."

"A marg never hurt anyone and i've got to calm my nerves, I feel like i'm drowning in homework." Novah sighed.

"Once again, every time I tell you about finishing your work early you never care to hear it." Eva huffs in annoyance.

"That's past me, present me is ready to listen now."

Everyone went back to what they were doing until Riley spoke up, "Onyx where do you go at one in the morning?"

Onyx stopped in his tracks looking at her "What?"

"Where do you go?" she reiterates her question

"I just like going for a drive, that's a crime." he insisted rubbing an arm on the back of his neck.

"No, I was just curious." Riley had dropped the subject when she noticed his dismissiveness to the question.

"There's gonna be an exhibit for my classes' portfolios and some upperclassmen too, would yall care to come? We can make an outing out of it; Novah, Auggie we can take cute aesthetic pictures too!"

We shook our heads in agreement "That sounds like fun, your portfolio will be on display too?"

"Yeah, except the piece I'm working on now, I just don't know what it's missing." she hummed, biting her thumb in thought.

It was my fifth time looking in his direction and our third making direct eye contact the whole time. We both hadn't forgotten that I had been avoiding him and with the determined look on his face I could tell it would end this very evening.

"August, you'll help me cut some fruit up?"  Brazen urged.

"Are you sure you'll need help? I figure it's a one man job-"

"It's a lot of fruit to cut up, you won't mind will you." he stood in front of me blocking the sun.

"Well all you've got is time-" no sooner than I tried to finish my sentence, I was thrown over his shoulder gasping. "I mind, I fucking mind Brazen!"