Page 60 of Pictures in Blue
A few minutes later, I feel a pat on my back and warmth to my right as Elias leans in. “You know, you can always go in after her instead of standing here, wishing she’d reappear in that spot,” he points to the tracks her shoes left.
I shove him off with a grunt and make my way inside, with Elias, Ethan, and my parents following. The bar is the only place large enough for most of the town to meet and has become a designated place for the town meetings every month, much to Frank’s disappointment. He loves good business, but he absolutely hates town meetings. He thinks they’re pointless and most of the time they are. Really, they are just one big excuse to get everyone together in one place to listen to Tom air out his issues, and then drink and socialize the rest of the night. I don’t mind the drinking. It is the socializing I vehemently try to avoid.
The circular tables are moved off to the side to make room for the rows of chairs in front of the bar, Frank behind it cleaning glasses and preparing everything for when the meeting ends. A wooden podium stands at the front, Tom fussing with the microphone protruding from the top, Cordie and Fran on his left trying to get his attention.
“Why are you even here?” Elias asks behind me. “You never come to meetings.”
“Avery left her camera stuff in my bag this morning. I came to give it back to her.”
“Ahhh,” he says knowingly, like he just fit the last piece of the puzzle into place and is finally seeing the full picture of me.
“What ‘ahhhh?’” I ask.
“Hudson.” He levels me with a look before moving closer, out of earshot from my parents who found seats near the middle of the crowd. “You may be oblivious, but I’m not.Andas much as you wish it right now, I’m not blind either. You literally just carried that girl here. And even if you didn’t, you could have given her the stuff and went straight back home.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m tired, okay? I’ve been working all day and I don’t feel like walking back, so I figured I’d hitch a ride from you after this is over.”
He settles in his seat next to Ethan and without looking my way, he responds in a sarcastic tone, “Suuuuure.”
Ethan leans far enough to catch my eyes and a wide grin spreads across his features. “You sulking because you’re losing, Uncle Hud?”
Shit. In my rush to throw myself into work to avoid any thoughts of Avery, I haven’t had time to look for his flag. Or even wonder where to start looking for it for that matter.
Before I can respond, Elias chimes in. “Nah, he’s sulking over a girl.”
“Shut up,” I send a glare his way. Avery is sitting two rows ahead of us, but he said it loud enough for her to hear. I can tell, because at his words, she tilts her head ever so slightly and brushes her hair behind her right ear.
“What are you doing here?” I turn to see Axel bending to sit in the seat behind me.
“He’s sulking over a girl,” Ethan echoes.
“Oh, is he now?”
“Shut up, Axel. I will throw you to the ground. I can take you.”
“You willnot.” Now my mom is chiming into the conversation. “You will behave,” she says firmly. “And, stop sulking over her and ask her out,” she adds with a sly smile.
“Listen to your mother, Hudson,” Dad adds in a tone I’m all too familiar with from childhood.
A short laugh escapes Avery and I catch her eye before she quickly turns her head to the front as Tom bangs his gavel, waits for the chatter to die down before speaking.
“I call this town meeting to order! We have a few things on the agenda. First of them being the fence on second street. A few posts are rotting and it’s dangerous. It needs to be fixed as soon as possible. Any volunteers?”
No hands go up because that fence just so happens to be separating his property from the park and it is probably on his property line and he just doesn’t want to be responsible for fixing it.
“That’s on your property, Tom,” says Elias, echoing my thoughts.
“No, it’s the town’s property,” Tom argues.
“I know the property lines of the town, Tom. That fence is on your side.”
“Well, I don’t have the tools to fix it nor do I have the hands.” He holds up his aging hands and he hesitates before he adds shaking for good measure.
Elias rolls his eyes. “I’ll be over to fix it later this week.”
“Okay, that matter is solved. Now, the next issue is roadkill.”
“Roadkill?” Cordie chimes in.
