“What about you?” I say, changing the topic because discussing Henry and I dating makes my heart wince. Besides, I don’t want to bore Eve and I don’t know much about her.
“What about me?”
I shrug. “Are you dating anyone?”
“Oh. No. I’ve never dated anyone.” She watches me and rolls her eyes. “I know you can’t relate, Mr Popular.” She looks up to think. “I think my problem is my personality. Or maybe it’s that I’m not very attractive to the opposite sex.”
“Maybe it’s the fact that you use the phrase ‘the opposite sex’ like it’s the 1800s.”
“The phrase ‘the opposite sex’ is quite contemporary.”
“I’m joking. I don’t think you have any problems that are cock-blocking you.”
“You don’t have to be nice because I complimented you before.”
“I’m not being nice. You’re … good looking.”
She raises a brow.
“Well, not bad.”
“Gee, thanks. That’s what every girl wants to hear.”
I sigh. “I’m not doing a very good job of this, aren’t I? Look, you’re pretty, Eve. A lot of girls are pretty. I’m pretty sure I read this statistic that the average girl is more good looking than the average boy.”
“That’s a weird statistic,” she says.
“Besides, you have other qualities. You’re smart. And … confident.”
“Confident?”
“Yeah, like assertive and stuff.”
“So you mean bossy.”
“Well, you came up to me and demanded that I don’t cheat on your test. How many people would do that? I wouldn’t do that.” I’m not assertive at all. I hate conflict. And take Henry and me, for example — he could do whatever he wanted to me, and I would let him.
“If anything, you could stand to be more approachable.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’ve bitten my head off several times because I got your name wrong.”
“You got my name wrong several times!” Eve exclaims. “Do you know how depressing that is?”
We stare at each other for a couple of seconds before apologising at the same time.
“I was a dick for not knowing your name,” I say.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that like I did.”
The words are awkward and clumsy, and we smile at each other.
“I’m serious, though.” I nudge her. “You’re okay.”
Her smile disappears. “Thank you,” she says. “That’s kind of touching.”
We slow our pace. To my surprise, we’re already on Eve’s side of the lake. She gestures to a nearby brick house, the garden filled with rose bushes. “Here’s mine,” she says.
