The Easy Part of Impossible - Sarah Tomp Page 0,11
to help her achieve basic proficiency for graduation and then she’d be free before lunch. Free to practice and work out in private lessons. Free to dive. Which she didn’t do anymore. She was completely free. And completely lost.
Seven
After she’d finished her few classes, Ria sat in her car, letting the not-yet-cool air blow hard across her face. Her phone buzzed from the cupholder. Another text from Sean.
She replied now: Minimum schedule. Ask Maggie. Then, as if she was worried he’d try to stop her, or ask her too many questions, she turned off her phone. She put her car in drive and let school shrink in her rearview mirror. The sun shone bright, the music played on her radio, and she could go anywhere. Only she wasn’t sure where that might be.
As she turned onto the main road, she immediately recognized the tall figure at the town bus stop. Cotton.
She stopped her car a few feet past. She eyed him in her mirror, waiting for him to react. He stood behind a dark green metal bench, slouched against the sign. He had terrible posture. He looked at her car, but she couldn’t tell if he knew it was hers.
She put it in reverse and backed up along the edge of the road until she was parallel to him. He stepped back, away from the street until he was almost in the bushes.
She rolled down the window. “Do you want a ride?”
“What are you doing, Ria?” He didn’t move from his spot.
“Stalking you, obviously.” He didn’t laugh, so she added, “I thought you might want a ride.” It didn’t make sense that she suddenly felt guilty. Like she had to make excuses and explanations. It must be the look on his face. It was as if he couldn’t believe she would do this—whatever this was—to him. “Never mind.”
As the window almost reached the top again, Cotton said, “Wait.”
He opened the passenger door and looked inside. Then at her. “Are you sure?”
“It’s only a ride.” She now felt as unsure as he looked. She’d obviously missed some part of ride-offering etiquette.
He pulled out his phone and started tapping. “This is a blue Subaru, correct? Four doors.” He was obviously sending someone her details. But then he got in.
He took up most of the front seat. His head almost touched the car ceiling. He seemed made of arms and legs in every direction. After he buckled his seat belt, Ria asked, “Is everything okay?”
“Yes,” he said. Then, after a pause, “Thank you?”
“Blue Subaru enough info? Do you need my driver’s license, too?”
“No, thank you. I always tell someone where I am. For safety.”
“Because of Esther.”
“Yes.”
“Did I scare you when I stopped my car?”
“Yes.”
It was hard to believe he worried about someone scooping him up from the side of the road. He was far too big for scooping. His hands were the biggest she’d ever seen. Ria fought the urge to measure hers against his, by clutching the steering wheel. “Where should I take you?”
“Home. I live at 6571 Quartz.”
She pulled back onto the road. She wondered why he had a minimum schedule, but if she asked, she’d have to talk about her own reason, which didn’t exist anymore.
“These need water.” He’d picked up her wilted bouquet from the floor.
“I guess so,” she agreed. “My boyfriend gave them to me.”
“Sean.”
She wasn’t surprised that Cotton knew Sean. But she hadn’t known he’d noticed she was dating him.
“So it doesn’t really matter if they wilt,” he said.
“It doesn’t?”
“No. Because that won’t change their function. He gave them to you to show affection. They’re already dead.”
Ria laughed to hear him say what she’d been thinking. Then she felt guilty, like she was making fun of her boyfriend who’d only tried to . . . show affection.
Cotton didn’t live far from her. The streets required a few twists and turns, but by the time they looped back and around, she recognized the part of the trail that ran behind his house.
He opened the car door as soon as she stopped at the curb. His house was big, with pots of brightly colored flowers on the porch. He turned to her and said, “Thank you for the ride. I’m sorry I thought you wanted to kidnap me.”
As he got out of the car, she did, too. She met him as he shut the door, careful to leave plenty of space between them. “I want to go caving.” To clarify, she added, “Today. Now.”