Page 29 of Safety Net
Ellis gave the treehouse a once-over when he cleared the ladder. “Was it always this tiny?”
“We’re adults now," I reached for the bag of food. I couldn’t remember the last time I ate. It’d been before the sun came up. Now, it was setting.
“Damn it.” He bumped his head while trying to move around.
“Knees, it’s the only way,” I said around a mouthful of fries.
“I’m trying to preserve them for next season.”
I scoffed. “One crawl won’t ruin your chances to finish your program.”
“Maybe not, but to lift?” He sighed. “That’s a whole other story.”
While I marveled over musicals, my cousin found his place at the ice rink. He was tall, lanky, and the most graceful person I’ve ever met. He was conscious of perfect lines before he put on skates. Determined to accurately mirror the ballet dancers inSwan Lakebefore he’d even taken a class. Like with me, his mom saw potential and fed his flame. He started competing and winning in middle school. And now, he was on track to place on the Olympic team…if his injury was adequately cared for.
“What have you got for me?” I wiped salt from the corners of my mouth.
“A go for Halle,” he said. “All-in. I had to give her full control of all our music choices next season to get the yes, but it was worth it.”
“Thank you, thank you.” I grabbed him for a hug.
“Don’t get too excited.” He laughed, hugging me back. “She wanted the last word on our costumes, too. I told her you had a story to tell, and she promised she’d adhere to it if it didn’t include too much pink and too little sparkle.”
“Deal. The woman can have whatever her heart desires.”
Halle was a performer, through and through. I’ve never been brave enough to try to befriend her, but from every interaction we had, she’d been kind. Very quiet. But not my brand of quiet. Halle spoke when she had something to say, no more, no less.She was the kind of silent I wish I could be. While nervous energy swirled around me whenever I spoke, a steady calm and confidence buzzed around her.
“Perfect,” Ellis said. “Now, formydemands.”
Here we go. I offered him a fry in hopes a delay would evolve into a distraction. He turned it down. “How are my chances with Naomi looking these days?”
I gave him a look. Ellis had a crush on Naomi for years. She never returned his feelings but did have a soft spot for him. They bonded most when we were teens, and they both became more comfortable with talking about their bisexuality.
“She’s locked in.”
“Same guy?” he asked.
When I nodded, he groaned and fell back onto one of my pillows.
“They were roommates,” I reminded him. “He knits her cardigans and fixes stuff around the house for her. He built her a desk and has plans on building a custom display case for all her games and streamer gear.”
“Shit.” He sighed, placing his hands behind his head, and stared up at the glow in the dark stars on the roof. “That’s cute. And he plays hockey?”
I nodded. “He’s shy. And holds her hand whenever he gets anxious.”
Ellis sucked the back of his teeth. “I can’t compete with that.”
“You truly can’t, and I’m sorry.” I rubbed his shoulder. When I offered a fry this time, he accepted it.
“I’ll get over it…one day,” he said. “He’s on the team with Lincoln, right?”
“Yeah, do you know him? Because he said he knew you.” I watched my cousin’s face closely, trying to pick out the telltale signs of a crush. He had been in as many relationships as I had, but something about the fantasy of it all really hooked him. Ellissaid he didn’t go past the first date because he didn’t have time. Figure skating was an all-consuming sport. But, still, there was something more to it.
“We’ve seen each other around,” he said with a one-shoulder shrug. “He’s cool. Sometimes hard to keep up with in conversation, but fun.”
I nodded, and a weird sense of relief blossomed in my chest. I credited it to the project. If Ellis liked Lincoln and we all had to work together for the summer, things would inevitably start to get awkward. I wondered if I should consider implementing a no-dating policy for the cast and crew until after the musical was over.
“Celeste?” Ellis' voice brought me back from outlining a no-fraternizing clause.
