Page 85 of Theoretically Straight

We’re really bad at being in public lately.

I weave my way through the packed dining room to the tables that Elise and Harrison have cobbled together. Oliver is here, too, scrolling on his phone. Elise waves as I approach, and I give a small wave back.

“Hey guys,” I say, sliding into the seat beside Oliver. “Thanks for snagging a table. Hope it wasn’t too hard.”

“Nah,” Harrison says with a smile. “We just had to fight off a couple of elderly patrons. No worries.”

“They put up quite a fight for octogenarians,” Oliver adds, looking up from his phone with a smirk. “But once you shatter a hip or two, they get the message.”

Elise leans over the table, reaching for my hands. I let her take them. “Caleb, did you see that they’re making season two ofI Love You Seymore Shura?”

“What? No way! I thought they already covered all of the manga series?”

“That’s just what they have translated. There are, like, five more volumes they’re holding onto for some reason. I’m so excited, though! I even made Harry watch the first few episodes of my re-watch for season one. He didn’t hate it!”

“Why would I hate it?” Harrison asks, adjusting his thick-framed glasses. “It’s got monsters, blood and guts, and a romance side-plot. It’s all the ingredients of a good anime.”

“Don’t forget the cute dog,” I add. “You gotta have a cute dog.”

“The dog is a necessity,” Oliver chimes in.

“What are we talking about?” Theo asks, sliding into the seat next to me. His knee collides with mine, and a wave of warmth washes over my face.

Elise raises an eyebrow. “Anime, duh.”

Theo snorts a laugh. “Ah, how stupid of me.”

“Did you get any more details from Hudson?” Harrison asks Theo.

“Dude, I promise. The minute I get the details, I’ll let you know. But you’ve got to chill.”

Harrison sinks back in his chair. “I just can’t believe it’s happening. You all know what a big deal this is, right? Hudson’s got, like, three million subscribers. I said ‘million,’ people. And he’s coming to Specter!”

“Hudson Schmudson,” Oliver says, leaning forward on his elbows. “I’m only here to talk Pumpkin Fair and all the delicious, deep-fried food I’m going to eat.”

Theo snorts a laugh. “I refuse to ride the Gravitron with you this year. You ruined my favorite sneakers last time.”

“Hey, I’m another year older and another year wiser. I’ll wait at least ten minutes between snacks and rides.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Elise says, tucking a lock of wavy hair behind her ear. “Do y’all usually go to the fair, Caleb?”

“My family used to,” I say with a nod. “But Wren, Freddy, and I have been going together since we were thirteen. My dad finally got old enough to admit the rides just make his back hurt, and Mom is usually buried at work this time of year. Apparently, a lot of people try to wrap up divorces before the Christmas season starts.”

“Eww, did someone say Christmas?” A pair of hands seize my shoulders, and Wren’s head pops into my periphery. “You better be talking about Jack Skellington, or else I won’t hear it. October is a holy month, and I won’t have you spoiling it with your peace on earth and goodwill towards men bullshit.”

Freddy pulls out the chair at the end. “You’ll have to excuse them. It’s their high holy month.”

Elise claps her hands. “I love it.”

“Okay, we’re all here,” Harrison says once Wren has taken their seat. “Let’s talk Pumpkin Fair.”

The Pumpkin Fair–only called that because it used to take over a literal pumpkin patch back in the 70s–is a traveling fair that comes into town at the same time each year. It’s only here for a weekend, so the whole town ends up there at some point or another. It’s sort of a big deal, but that’s only because there’s not much else going on in Specter.

“Elise and I are planning on being there around noon,” says Harrison, taking the role of lead organizer for the group. “Oliver, if you want to ride with us, then you’ll need to be ready by eleven thirty–”

“I’ll be ready whenever and wherever as long as I get deep-fried Oreos. God, I’m starving. Where is our pizza?”

“As I was saying,” Harrison continues. “We’ll be there around noon if we all want to meet up by the Ferris wheel.”

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