STAY

8.

For a second we both just stood there staring at each other. I'm sure he was as shocked as I was of seeing me there. Neither one of us was expecting this to happen. Both of us, under the same roof in less than a week. It had to be a record. I lose my focus for these few seconds when we stare at each other, but he seemed to recover quickly from the shock, smiling politely at his guests and greeting them all with a handshake, even me. As his warm hand strokes mine, I can see that his dark brown eyes were looking deeply into mine. I'm speechless. I don't know what to do or what to say. This was not expected. At all. Meeting him at the library was only a coincidence, but being at there at his home? I would never have seen that coming in a million years.

All of us walked into the dining room that me and Jacob had passed before. I was sitting next to my mom with Jacob between us. Michael's parents didn't have a baby chair, so me and my mom would take turns in having him in our lap and feeding him. Anna took Michael with her to get the food that was going to be served. He seemed so polite and different from how he usually behaved in school towards other people, it made a strange feeling grow inside of me. I wasn't sure how to control it, I was just so shocked, I didn't manage to say anything.

As the night went on, there were many different topics discussed at the table; about them moving to our town, work and past fun experiences at the hospital, but I didn't manage to say one word during the whole dinner, and neither did Michael. However, during dessert, the conversation started leading towards school and education. They were discussing what a great high school both me and Michael went to. Finally Jorge spoke to me;

"So, Olivia how is it to be in Junior year. Only one year left, before senior year and graduation. How does it feel?"

"It feels good", I say and smile avoiding to look at Michael. "I'm actually really excited for college!". I could see Michael looking up at me with curiosity, but not saying anything.

"Really? What are you planning on doing after high school?", Anna asks me.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure. I would like to study old English literature, but also study about new modern literature". In the corner of my eye, I can see Michael smiling a half crooked smile, probably thinking about our encounter at the library, before he took another bite of his desert.

"Aha, another literature fanatic here at the table then!", his mother said." Michael here also enjoys literature very much. I've always told him to become a literature teacher, he loves old English literature"

"Really?", I exclaim without thinking, as I look over at him with raised eyebrows. That I didn't know. He meets my gaze for a long time, before he realizes that he needs to say something.

"Ehm... yeah that's true. But I'm not so sure about the teaching part...".

"Nonsense", his father interrupted him which gave Michael an annoyed face expression. "It would be great if you could do that. You understand literature in a way that other young people your age don't. The future society could use someone like you, showing them the meaning of old literature and what it can give them in life"

"Well it's important for you isn't it, to find something to do", my mother started. "You're after all in the last year, you must have something on your mind, don't you?"

"Well, I'm more the type of person that doesn't like planning. I would rather see something unexpected happen, than plan my way around life. In that way it doesn't get boring". At that last part, he looks over at me and I can feel the heat rushing to my cheeks. Was that an insult? If it was, no one but me seemed to notice.

***

They were all still sitting around the table, but Jacob had escaped the crowd and tried walking away from everyone else. I excused myself and got up to go after him, making sure he wouldn't break anything or hurt himself. As I walked behind him, his small hands holding two of my fingers each, I could hear the others enjoying their conversation, but I also heard steps coming from the table.