Eden

 

“Where did you want to go,” Dylan asked as soon as I got into his truck. I was halfway regretting asking him to take me around to get job applications. It needed to happen, but I was exhausted after a test in Algebra and a pop quiz over the first five chapters of To Kill a Mockingbird. Plus, I was starving. Today’s lunch was some kind of rubbery meat disc drenched in a thick paste of something that was supposedly gravy. Just looking at it robbed me of my appetite- I couldn’t even eat my apple.

“Are you hungry? Let’s drive-thru.” Please be hungry. Please be hungry.

Dylan smiled, glancing at me with an amused expression. “Lunch didn’t do it for you today?”

“It was so bad! Please. Can we get shakes at least?” I was desperate!

“Sure.” He turned toward a section of town that had several fast food restaurants. “Other than the gross lunch, how was your day?”

“Well, mom, I had a test in Algebra I’m pretty sure I barely passed. And a quiz over a book I have to force myself to read. Lunch was disgusting, and I had to run a mile in gym. It was peachy.” Closing my eyes, I let my head fall back to the headrest.

“I am so glad I don’t have to worry about that shit anymore,” Dylan said. “Don’t worry, though, we’ll get you a chocolate shake and you’ll be fine.” He reached out to pat my knee, the contact sending tingles up my thigh.

Ugh. Why couldn’t I convince my body I hated Dylan like I wanted to?

“Chocolate will make it all better,” I agreed.

Dylan pulled his truck into a burger joint and ordered one large chocolate shake and a large fry.

“Just one,” I pouted as he drove to the window to pay.

“You’ll share won’t you,” he asked as he handed the girl at the window his debit card with a wink. She blushed. “The shakes are huge.”

“I can buy,” I offered feeling like a mooch for asking him to take me and then letting him pay. The girl swiped Dylan’s card and had to wipe the drool from her chin before handing it back to him. Goodness.

“Don’t be dumb,” he said to me as he smiled at the girl. She looked like she might swoon.

“You should be illegal,” I said before I could think better of it.

“What,” Dylan laughed, his whole body shaking with amusement. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Didn’t you see that girl? You’re like some illegal drug. Tempting and highly addictive. You should have a warning label.” Why was I saying any of this to him? Talk about feeding his ego!

“You think I’m tempting,” he asked, accepting our shake and fries from the guy at the next window. At least it wasn’t another girl.

“Are you kidding?” He had to be.

Dylan shrugged. “I know girls like me, Ed. I just didn’t know you did.”

Oh, dear. “I didn’t say I like you.”

Dylan glanced at me through his upper eyelashes. “You kinda did. Open the straw.”

Taking the straw from his hand, I ripped half the wrapper off and then blew the other half off, so it hit Dylan in the face before dropping to the floor.

He grinned. “Better pick up that trash.”

I snorted. Dylan’s truck was a disaster. At my feet laid the remains of many a fast food meal. My one half of a straw wrapper would not make a dent in the mess. After pushing the straw through the lid on the shake, I wrapped my lips around it. It took several tries to get the thick substance up through the straw and into my mouth, but once I did it was so worth it.

“Oh, hmm. That is so good,” I all but moaned as my eyes slid shut. I so needed that. Chocolate could fix anything. After another long draw, I finally opened my eyes to find Dylan staring intently at me lips.

“Do you want some?” My voice cracked. I cleared my throat and held the shake out to him.

He took it without glancing away from me. His eyes met mine as he put his lips to the straw. Strange things happened in my heart as Dylan’s lips touched the straw where mine just had, which was weird because we’d shared drinks a million times in the past. In fact, he was always stealing my pop can or water bottle, especially if he and Josh were engrossed in whatever they were doing.

But this was different. The air between us fairly crackled with electricity. Just like the night we danced at JJ’s party.

No.

Dylan was leaving.

Soon.

Lifting my hand, I rubbed at the spot on my chest over my heart and glanced away from him breaking the spell, but nothing could stop the pounding of my heart.

“Are you alright,” Dylan asked, and I realized I was still rubbing the sore spot in my chest that ached knowing he was leaving soon.

I nodded and dropped my hand. “I guess I’m still hungry.”

Dylan reached for the fries and held them out to me.

I wasn’t hungry anymore.

I took a handful and ate a couple.

“We should go. I don’t want to take up your whole afternoon.” Reaching for the fry container, I propped it in the cup holder between us then deliberately faced forward. My cheeks felt flushed and my body felt overheated.

This was ridiculous. This was Dylan. My brother’s best friend. My arch enemy. Stealer of Doritos. My heart couldn’t race for Dylan. His heart didn’t race for me. I was just setting myself up for all the heartbreak I’ve always known I didn’t want. Besides, I wanted Marshall. Didn’t I?

“Where to first?” He handed me the shake and shifted gears until we were out on the main drag through town.

“I just want to run into a couple of salons and pick up applications. That way I can fill them out all at once and turn them in at the same time, too.” There were five salons I was interested in. One of them was only a block away. “Here. Just park here and I’ll run in.”

Dylan pulled up to the curb and I hopped out of the truck and made my way into the salon. It smelled of product and chemicals. A middle-aged woman with bright red hair sat at the desk holding a cordless telephone to her ear. Her acrylic nails tapped against the appointment book in front of her. When she saw me, she held up a finger for me to wait.

“Uh-huh. Sure, honey. You come on in at 2 o’clock and we’ll fix you up. Thanks. Yep. See you then.” She hung up the phone and gave me an exasperated look. “Laws, that thing’s been ringing off the hook today. What can I do for ya, hon?”

For some reason I loved this woman almost immediately and hoped there was a position at this salon for me. My gaze took in the whole place with wonder.

“Two things. First, I was thinking about getting a haircut. Do you have any openings?” That was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but it was the right one.

The red-haired lady eyed my long black hair critically. “What are we doing to it?”

“Short.”

Her brows rose in surprise but then she nodded slowly. “It will take a while. I could maybe fit you in with one of the other girls, but if you want me to do it, it won’t be until next week.”

“That’s fine. I can wait.” We discussed times and dates. I’d have my license by then, so I wouldn't have to worry about getting a ride from anyone.

“Great,” I said as she handed me a small appointment card with the time and date printed on it in her curly handwriting.

“‘Kay, what’s the second thing?”

“Are you hiring?” Her forehead wrinkled for a second before clearing and she offered me a smile.

“Well, I wasn’t planning on it, but maybe you’ve talked me into it.” Her smile was wide and toothy behind her lipstick.

“I’m in high school, so I can only work after school and weekends and breaks.” Was she going to hire me on the spot? I was giddy.

The lady studied me, her eyes traveling over my face and hair and the top I was wearing that she could see over the edge of her desk. “Wouldn’t be anything glamorous. Sweeping and cleaning up. Answering the phone. That kind of thing. Minimum wage. Part-time.”

My smile was so big my cheeks hurt. “That sounds perfect.”

The lady stood up and leaned over with her hand extended. “My name’s Judy and you can start on Monday.”

I took her hand and gave it a little shake, so excited I was trembling. “I’ll be here at four. No! Three-thirty.”

Judy just smiled. “Four will be just fine, hon. We close up at seven, so you should be done just after that, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you so much!”

I practically skipped to Dylan’s truck. He was on his phone playing some game, but he looked up when I opened the door.

“Any luck?”

“I got a job!” I hopped into the passenger seat and bounced up and down a few times I was so excited.

Dylan appeared dumbfounded. “Really? Just like that?”

I nodded. “And I’m cutting my hair.”

His eyes widened. “What?”

“I’m gonna chop it all off.” For some reason this seemed important. I couldn’t wait to cut my hair. I wanted it all gone yesterday. “Not until next week, though.” I wish Judy had an earlier opening. I should have told her I could come in if she had a cancellation between now and then, but I didn’t think of it. Oh, well.

“You’ll have to send me a picture.”

And just like that all my excitement disappeared as fast as my birthday money at the mall. I was getting my hair cut next week and Dylan wouldn’t be there to see it when it was done. I’d have to send him a picture.

“I don’t think I can have a phone or use the computer, so you’ll have to send me a copy in the mail.”

The mail? Did people even do that anymore?

That did it.

He was really leaving.

I wouldn’t even be able to text or call or email?

Crazy as it was to have Josh gone, he called or texted almost daily. What would it be like to not see or hear from Dylan for weeks?

“You’re really leaving, aren’t you?” I hadn’t meant to say that, either. What happened to my filter around this guy?

Dylan’s expression sobered, and he nodded. “I am.”

Sitting back in my seat, I stared out the window. From the corner of my eye, I saw Dylan do the same. It sucked how much life changed sometimes. I knew things would be different when Dylan and Josh graduated, that hit me hard as I watched mom and dad drive away with Josh and all his crap loaded up in the family SUV. I guess since Dylan’s still been home all this time, I’ve known he was leaving, but I’d never internalized it until that moment when I realized I was going to chop off all my hair next week and Dylan wouldn’t see it because he was going to be gone.

“Wow,” I sighed.

“No kidding.”

“I’ll send you mail so you won’t get homesick.” I thought about what I just said. “I mean, I know your parents will and your brother and sister, but...I just thought, ugh.” Stop talking, Eden. Just. Stop. Talking. I closed my eyes.

Wow.

His hand touched mine. It felt warm and callused and he squeezed gently, and I knew he wanted me to look at him. But I couldn’t. At least, not until my cheeks stopped giving off enough heat to melt steel.

“Ed.” He tugged on my hand. I couldn’t ignore him.

His eyes were filled with warmth and affection and a hint of amusement.

“Sorry.” For what exactly I didn’t know.

“Don’t be sorry, Ed. I would be excited to get mail from you. That would make my day.” He was sincere. My shoulders relaxed.

“Well, then that’s what I’ll do. I’ll make sure you have more mail than you know what to do with.”

“Just remember to send a picture of your new haircut.”

“For sure,” I agreed.

Dylan nodded like it was all settled and then released my hand. “Well, since you got a job I guess you don’t want to go to any more salons?”

I shook my head, still not believing I’d landed a job at the very first stop. “Nope. We can go home. Thanks again, Dylan. I really appreciate you giving me rides these last few weeks.”

“No problem.” He shifted and pulled into traffic heading toward our street. “I’d offer to get a treat to celebrate your new job, but we already had a shake.”

The empty cup in the console proved him right.