The Space Between Us(7)

“Are you doing really cool farm things over there in Oklahoma?”

“Uh, I guess. It's just really hot and I am outside most of the day. Lots of lifting heavy things and wrangling animals. But, I'm not bored, so there's that.”

“Sounds fun,” I said sarcastically.

“What have you been doing?” He asked.

“Not a lot,” I sighed into the phone. “Reeve is dragging me to the mall a lot. We sit in the food court while she checks out guys. We sit on her lawn in the front of her house listening to her stereo. Honestly, we don't do much. She listens to the radio and reads, and I draw. We talk. That about sums up my summer. Oh, and sometimes we go to The Range.”

“Are you in your bathing suit?” He asked quietly.

“Right now?” I asked, confused by the question.

“No. When you're sitting on her lawn.”

“Uh, not usually. She is most of the time. I don't know.” I didn't know how to answer his question. I didn't want to lie to him, but I felt like if I told him that I had been in my swim suit on her lawn it would make him angry for some reason. I didn't want to make him angry, especially not when he's so far away. I just wanted him to smile. “This summer would be much better if you were here,” I said quietly. There was a long and silent pause. I'm not sure why I said what I did, or why it felt like it was really important but it was. And for another reason unknown to me, whatever he said in response was really important too.

“I miss you too, Charlie,” was his answer and a smile immediately spread across my face. “I'll be back in just a few weeks. We'll start high school and I will save you from Reeve.”

“Meh, she's not that bad. She's just not you.” Another sentence that seemed to come from nowhere. “Anyway, thanks again for calling for my birthday. Have a good rest of your summer over there in Oklahoma.”

He didn't call me for the rest of the summer, and even though I would always want to talk to him, I was ok with it. Our last conversation was confusing enough, I didn't want to feel weird talking to him. I knew when he came back home and everything went back to normal, all the weirdness would melt away.

I sat by the phone, trying not to look like I was waiting for him to call. My dad walked by every once in a while and gave me a small smile.

“Charlie, his flight might have been delayed. Or maybe, his parents want to spend an evening with him. After all, they haven't seen him all summer either.”

“Dad, I'm just drawing. If he calls, he calls,” I said as I shrugged my shoulders. It was the least convincing thing I'd ever said, but my dad did a great job of nodding and walking to the other room. The phone suddenly rang and I jumped.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Charlie. Wanna go to the mall?” I rolled my eyes so hard I was sure I was going to lose one in the back of my skull.

“No, Reeve. I don't want to go to the mall. Go ahead without me.”

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing, just drawing.”

“Well then, come with me. I need someone to talk to while I guy-watch in the food court.”

“No thanks. I'm in the middle of this drawing and I really want to finish.”

“Oh fine. If you change your mind, I'll be at the food court.”

“Ok,” I said, knowing I wasn't going to change my mind. “Have fun.” I hung up the phone and returned to my pad of paper that had the worst drawing I had done since grade school. I was distracted and nothing was flowing from me. It was just a big jumbled mess of lines. The phone rang again and I rolled my eyes.

“I haven't changed my mind. I don't want to go anywhere,” I said, exasperated.

“Oh, that's too bad,” I heard a voice say on the other side that definitely wasn't Reeve. “I was hoping I could see you for a little while tonight.” My darned heart was doing that beat-so-fast-it-might-pop-out thing again.

“Asher?”

“Yeah, it's me. Were you expecting your other best friend to return from a summer away today?”

“No,” I said. His voice sounded different - deeper. Maybe it's just the phone. He'll probably sound the same in person. “I just wasn't sure if you were going to spend the evening with your parents or not. I'm sure they've missed you.”

“Yeah, but I can squeeze you in,” he said, making me smile. “Meet me outside?”

“Now?”

“Do you want to wait any longer?”

I shook my head.

“Charlie?”

“No!” I almost shouted once I realized he couldn't hear me shaking my head. He laughed.

“Ok, I'll meet you out there.”

I tried not to run to the door to put on my shoes, but I was definitely walking fast. My dad saw me dashing down the hallway.

“Did he call?” He shouted from his office.

“Yup!” I shouted back.

“Be home for dinner!”

“Ok!”

I reached the door and stopped at the mirror hanging in the entry way. I studied my face, making sure, for a reason new to me, that I looked ok. What did 'ok' look like? Was my hair crazy? No. Did I have anything on my face? No. I guess this was as good as it was going to get. I shook my head at myself; I never cared before what I looked like when I saw Asher.