Aurora Magazine 2018

he stammered, recovering himself. “Okay… only me, right?”

“Yeah… Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I’m just…

really busy right now.”

“Right. Okay, sure,” the frown on the girl’s face deep- ened, then disappeared as quickly as it appeared. “Let’s go back down to the river.” “I’d rather not. You can if you really want to.” “No. I don’t want to.” “Then why did you say we should go there,” he asked, his voice growing terse. “I don’t know. I guess I was just wondering if you would go with me.” “Of course I’d go with you. Why wouldn’t I?” flat rock by the tracks. She rested her chin on knees and stared straight ahead, not looking at anything in particular. The man rolled his eyes as he stopped walking. He did not join her, only staring at her in silence. The girl shivered in the breeze as the man let out an exasperated groan. “When will you be free again,” the girl asked, her voice growing thin. “I don’t know. I’m busy all this week though.” “Right.” “Well I am, believe me or not.” “I’ll believe what I want to believe.” “Okay then. How about you get up so we can keep walking,” the man suggested, inhaling deeply. “Maybe I don’t want to walk. Maybe I’d rather sit here F I T T O N “Because you so busy with your… stuff,” she drawled. The girl stopped walking and plopped down on a wide

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