“Sure. I’ll come too.” He opened the door for me.
“Oh. Thanks.” I entered.
The entrance to the first aisle was littered with every type of dog bone imaginable, and a cute, large rabbit which I guessed was the store’s pet and honorary mascot. After petting the rabbit and grabbing a bag of minty veggie dog bones hanging from the wall, I looked in both directions.Where’d he go?I hadn’t heard any steps following me and noticed I stood alone in the aisle.
“Does your dog have bad breath?” Thad laughed as he appeared from the other end of the aisle, almost making me jump.
“I mean. Not really. But clean teeth and minty breath wouldn’t hurt.”
He revealed a squeaker toy and squeezed it. “I’m getting this.”
“You have a dog?” I raised my right brow. He hadn’t mentioned it.
His eyes met mine. “No. It’s for yours.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know.” He turned away.
What is this?Why was he being so nice to me? I looked over as he approached the cashier to check out. But I wasn’t sure what to do. I knew I wanted to get the bag of bones for Frankie. But I stood there, watching him interact with the girl behind the register.I don’t remember you being this animated in class.
After we left the pet shop, Thad walked at such a relaxed pace that I had to force my legs to slow down. I have always been a fast walker. I walk with determination. I’m also one of those weirdos who looks everywhere while walking. I always want to see everything around me, and spot anyone I potentially know before they notice me.
“Hey. What time do you need to be home?” he asked as we neared his parked car.
“I don’t know. I don’t have to work today.” I hesitated before adding, “I don’t think it matters.”Ask me to hang out some more, I hoped.
His eyes met mine. “I have an idea. If you have the time.” He pointed to his car. I nodded.
Thad drove us south down the avenue, then turned left onto Cadieux heading toward Jefferson, the street bordering the lake and the entrance to the Detroit River.
I sat in silence, watching him from the corner of my eye. I found it strange to be driving without music. But it was okay. His presence rendered no need for background music. Like when Dana and I drove together. For the first time in the few short hours we had really known each other, the brick wall I carefully built around me started to fade. His existence in my immediate vicinity was no longer threatening. Instead, I found it somewhat comforting.
Maybe you can be my friend.
Within ten minutes, we were nearing the downtown area of Detroit. To the left of us, the arches of the Belle Isle bridge stretched over the choppy blue waters of the Detroit River. Thad merged into the turnaround lane—we were heading toward the bridge.
Thad threw his arm out in front of me and pulled open the glove compartment to grab his sunglasses, nearly giving me a heart attack when he reached in my direction.
We joined the masses in entering the island that hot summer day, then Thad turned left down a small pathway into a wooded area, far from the sunbathers and picnickers scattered along the beaches. He parked the car on the side of a dirt path, behind a tree so another car could get through comfortably. “Come on.” He opened his door.
“Where are we going?”I asked. He didn’t answer.
We followed the path through thick vegetation for the length of a football field until reaching a small opening, beyond which I saw a patch of clean leveled grass.There’s no way someone came through those woods to mow this one patch.
Thad guided me across the manicured chunk of ground to sit against the thick base of an old tree. “Look at that. Sunny and shady at the same time,” he said, pulling down his sunglasses. His icy blue eyes met mine.
Wow. Like looking into the bottom part of an iceberg.I knew what color his eyes were, but never had the chance toreallylook into them.
Our gazing eyes latched onto each other longer than what would be considered appropriate. Well, appropriate for two guys who were friends, one presumably being heterosexual. He wasn’t just looking at me butthroughme. Like he somehow knew me and had known me for a long time. Wehadknown of each other for a long time, though, hadn’t we? Since childhood, really. Had he been observing me from afar all these years the way I had him? Was I finally not invisible to this person whom I wanted to know for so long? Or was I never actually invisible to him?
We sat against the trunk of the tree in silence, staring up through the shifting leaves and branches at the clear blue sky. My thoughts faded into nothing. And looking at his blank stare, I guess he felt the same. A light breeze from the river passed through the woods, giving me goose bumps as my body became one with the ground.
It was funny. I felt so comfortable and relaxed, considering my shorts and the bottom part of my shirt were probably soiled with dirt. I loved sitting on the ground, but would rather sit on a clean patch of grass or pavement. I’m fussy when it comes to the cleanliness of my clothes. But I didn’t care. And I don’t think he cared either.
How can silence feel so good?I asked myself, thinking about how Dana loved to hang out in the absence of noise. This felt different, though.
He had somehow flattened himself on the ground without my noticing it, so I shimmied myself down further. I felt a light pressure against my right thigh as my shorts bunched up. It was my iPod. I forgot I’d grabbed it with my phone after changing my clothes. I pulled it out and placed the iPod on my crotch so I could reposition my shorts.