could end.
DAY 41
Asher
I always imagined if Sidney blindfolded me and drove me somewhere, it would mean it was the end of the line. I’d finally pushed her over the edge, and she was driving me into the wilderness to drop me off for dead. I never imagined I’d be excited to be blindfolded. Of course, I never imagined that in this scenario she’d be taking me out on a date. Our fourth, her second. But this is our first date as an actual couple.
“On a scale of one to ten, how weird would you say I am?” Her voice is teasing, but this feels a little like a test, and I can’t help but wonder what I’ll miss out on if I get this wrong.
“Honestly?”
“Honestly,” she says, then quickly adds, “unless it’s higher than an eight. You should definitely lie to me if it’s anything higher than an eight.” She laughs and I relax a little—maybe this isn’t the serious thing I thought it was.
“A six.” I keep my voice serious. “But a hard nine for however long it took you to cover my bed in lemonade while I was drunk and defenseless.” She pushes my shoulder roughly just as my smile breaks through. It’s not as easy to keep myself in check with Sidney anymore. I feel like everything I’m thinking must be written across my face these days. “And if we’re being honest, then you were a straight-up twelve when you were hiding dead fish parts under my bed.”
“Well, the only reason I’m even going to show you this is because I know now what a weird little nerd you really are. Mr. Board-games-in-the-basement.” I wish I could see her face right now. Sidney talks with her face, giving away everything she’s actually thinking. It’s how I always knew she didn’t actually hate me. Or at least, that there was something under all of it that wasn’t hate.
She smacks me playfully across my arm and I think I’ve passed this test. I will live to see another day.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“No.”
“The blindfold was probably a bit much.”
“I thought you’d like it.” There’s teasing in her voice. It sounds like something I’d say to her.
“I’m not saying I hate it.” I pull at the fabric across my eyes. “It would be cool if it wasn’t covered in flowers, though.” I poke at the soft material. “Something a little manlier.”
“Sorry, my blindfold stash is surprisingly limited. I figured you had the self-confidence to pull off one of my mom’s scarves.”
We drive for another five minutes and I try to picture the turns as we make them. The trees passing us, the bridges we cross. In my mind is a map of where we are in town, and when the car comes to a stop and Sidney pulls the fabric away I am … not even close. We’re in a little parking lot with trees on one side, and a small park on the other. Sidney pushes out of the car without a word and I follow a few steps behind her as we enter the park.
“Are you taking me on a picnic?”
“Cold.”
“Frisbee golf?”
“Freezing.” She shakes her head at me as she continues to walk ahead of me, as if Frisbee golf is the most ridiculous thing she’s ever heard.
“Are you going to tell me?”
“I was going to, but this is kind of fun. Keep guessing.”
I run a few steps to catch up to her and grab her hand. She stops us directly in the center of the small park, next to a little fountain with three brass frogs spurting water. Sidney tugs my hand and turns us around, the water dribbling noisily at our backs.
“You asked me what I did with all of the rocks. And where I sneak off to sometimes.”
I wait in silence, wondering if she’s going to tell me she spends her time sitting in parks. I’m not sure how I’d feel about her thinking that’s a better option than having to be around me all these years. “And this is it?”
“Kind of.” She fidgets next to me, like even now, in the midst of her confession, she’s not sure she wants to make it. “It’s stupid.”
“I bet it’s not.”
“You tell me a lot.” It’s such a weird change of topic that it makes me look at her. But she’s right, I’ve been pouring myself out to Sidney the last few weeks. It’s almost embarrassing, how much I want her to know