She pressed her palm to his lightly. “It’s not that big a place,” she scoffed. “I’m sure you didn’t have any trouble.” Helios rubbed his face along Isaac’s knee as Summer stepped back, gesturing toward the kitchen. “Do you want something to drink? Water, soda? I have lemonade.”
“I’ve got a really bad sense of direction; I’m getting better though.” He stated and then dropped to his knees, fingers tingling at the touch before he reached to scratch behind Helios’ ears. “Sure! If it’s not too much trouble?”
“There’s this thing called gps? It’s in your phone. And they have compasses, too,” she teased, getting a couple of glasses out of a cupboard. “What do you want?” Helios put both paws on Isaac’s knees and started marking his nose. “Ohoh, you’re being has’d.”
“It’s open,” Summer called, then had to clear her throat and say it again, louder, so he could hear her through the door. Helios writhed and squirmed to the floor and bounded over to the door to twine around Isaac’s feet, purring. “Hi.” She got up, more slowly, and lifted a hand to touch his shoulder before remembering and tucking it behind her back.
Smiling with relief at the sound of her voice, he turned the handle and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. Before he had the chance to utter a greeting, Helios was circling around his feet and he ground to a halt, terrified to move in case he stepped on the cat’s tail. “Hey! I got the right place – I was worried I’d gotten the wrong floor,” he stated with a sheepish smile, before he reached out to brush their fingertips together. “It’s okay if I see you coming towards me.”
She pressed her palm to his lightly. “It’s not that big a place,” she scoffed. “I’m sure you didn’t have any trouble.” Helios rubbed his face along Isaac’s knee as Summer stepped back, gesturing toward the kitchen. “Do you want something to drink? Water, soda? I have lemonade.”
She tried not to pace out of nerves. Failing at that, she tried to convince the butterflies in her stomach to settle. That didn’t work either. so she concentrated on steadying her breathing. There was no reason for her to be nervous about a friend coming over — well, except that she didn’t /have/ many friends, and mostly they didn’t come to her place. She sat down and picked up Helios, rocking him on her lap.
Some time later, he mustered up enough courage to knock on her front door, hoping and praying that he’d gotten the address right. It would be just like him to get the wrong place and he’d be all embarrassed about it and leave, too ashamed to pursue a friendship with someone who’d more than likely end up hurting him eventually.
“It’s open,” Summer called, then had to clear her throat and say it again, louder, so he could hear her through the door. Helios writhed and squirmed to the floor and bounded over to the door to twine around Isaac’s feet, purring. “Hi.” She got up, more slowly, and lifted a hand to touch his shoulder before remembering and tucking it behind her back.
Summer glanced around the apartment, checking how messy it was. Quickly she closed up the books she’d been trying to research from and stacked up the photocopies. She looked over the half-wall and decided Isaac wasn’t likely to see her sleeping space, although it was fairly tidy anyway.
[text to: Summer] Okay. On my way!
Packing up what he could be bothered to tidy away, Isaac moved from his bed and tugged on some shoes, muttering to himself as he tried to locate his hoody, finally finding it in a nearby corner. Pulling it on, he called out to Scott to say where he was going, before leaving the house.
She tried not to pace out of nerves. Failing at that, she tried to convince the butterflies in her stomach to settle. That didn’t work either. so she concentrated on steadying her breathing. There was no reason for her to be nervous about a friend coming over — well, except that she didn’t /have/ many friends, and mostly they didn’t come to her place. She sat down and picked up Helios, rocking him on her lap.
The text alert on her phone startled her from her daydreams with a stifled shriek. Helios flattened his ears and clutched the floor, looking around wildly for a moment, and she put a hand on her chest to slow her heartbeat. “I need help,” she muttered.
[text to: Isaac] failing at homework. I could use a distraction.
She studied the message for a long moment before pressing send. Half a minute later it occurred to her to save the number.
Isaac smiled at the text and then laughed, shifting to sit cross-legged as he typed out a reply. His homework lay discarded and forgotten inches away from him on the bed, and it was clear that he had both lost interest in it and would not be returning to it that night.
[text to: Summer] Yeah? Me too. And I can be a distraction – want me to come over?
[text to: Isaac] yes pls
Summer glanced around the apartment, checking how messy it was. Quickly she closed up the books she’d been trying to research from and stacked up the photocopies. She looked over the half-wall and decided Isaac wasn’t likely to see her sleeping space, although it was fairly tidy anyway.
Summer stared at the page of notes she was taking, vaguely irritated. She hadn’t been able to concentrate for the last hour; her mind kept wandering off to Isaac. What was he doing? Would he ever text her? What could she do to get him to smile? He had a great smile.
She shook herself, and frowned at the page. He would do what he would do, and she had no business daydreaming about it. There was a paper to research, and the more she got done now the less she would have to worry about closer to the due date.
Isaac too, was attempting to motivated himself to study, but due to all the comings and goings in the McCall house and his inability to focus on anything academic related for more than a few moments at a time, it wasn’t going all that well.
After a moment, he declared defeat and rummaged for his phone, scrolling down to Summer’s number before typing her a message.
Hey, what’s up? It’s Isaac, in case you wondered. Up to much?
The text alert on her phone startled her from her daydreams with a stifled shriek. Helios flattened his ears and clutched the floor, looking around wildly for a moment, and she put a hand on her chest to slow her heartbeat. “I need help,” she muttered.
[text to: Isaac] failing at homework. I could use a distraction.
She studied the message for a long moment before pressing send. Half a minute later it occurred to her to save the number.
Summer stared at the page of notes she was taking, vaguely irritated. She hadn’t been able to concentrate for the last hour; her mind kept wandering off to Isaac. What was he doing? Would he ever text her? What could she do to get him to smile? He had a great smile.
She shook herself, and frowned at the page. He would do what he would do, and she had no business daydreaming about it. There was a paper to research, and the more she got done now the less she would have to worry about closer to the due date.