Page 78 of Psync
“I’ll just—don’t pick at it—try to wash them off in the shower later.” Eli pushed Haruka away to stop him from poking at his face. Then he pulled up his hood and said to Alice, “You owe me!”
“And I appreciate it! Love you!!!”
Eli snatched up his bag from the table seconds before Haruka could take it. Ha! Score one for Eli.
“Bye, Eli!” The rest of the room chorused.
He waved a hand as he made a hasty exit, Haruka in tow.
“Did anyone else see you?”
“I don’t think so, why?”
“No reason.”
“I don’t need any more attention than I already have, thank you. Unlike some people, I don’t need a fan club.”
“I would sell my fan club for a dollar, and you know it.”
“I wonder.”
“Eli . . .”
Eli’s phone rang. “It’s Jace.”
He hadn’t talked to his friend in over a week. The last he’d heard, Jace would be stuck on the farm until harvest season was finished, and that was still about two weeks away. He hit answer eagerly.
“What’s up?”
“I hate to do this to you, but . . . I’m not going to be back until the spring semester.”
“Really?” Eli chewed on his lower lip. Jace’s dad must be doing worse than he’d thought.
“They need me for the Christmas tree season too. There are only a few weeks between harvest season ending and the beginning of the Christmas rush, so there’s no point in going back.”
“What about your classes?”
“I’ve worked it out with my professors. Some of it I can do online, and the rest I’ll just have to play catch-up with in the spring.”
“That sucks.”
“It does, but, hey, at least I’ll get to see you when I come to pack up my things next month.”
Eli smiled. “That’s better than a kick in the ass, I guess.”
Jace laughed. “Try not to get any weirder while I’m gone, okay?”
“I doubt I could get weirder than you, shrink-boy.”
“Whatever, shorty.”
“You’re only two inches taller than me, shorty.”
“If I’m short, that makes your height truly tragic.”
“Shut it, or I’ll shut it for you.”
“Try it, shrimp. I’ll take you down.”
