“You’re making it out to be worse than it really is, you know.”
“Well, do you talk to them often?
“Not since I blew up at them.” Thinking back, that probably wasn’t the smartest way to go, but it did work.
“I may not know all my limits, but I know being with everyone all at once wouldn’t do well with me right now. Maybe by the end of the summer.”
“At least try, okay? Or maybe have your brother come visit. Or your mom.”
“I’ll think about it,” I said.
“That’s at least a start,” he said, squeezing my hand. “Today, we are going to be making it all about you, though.”
“Oh no you aren’t.”
“Yeah, I think I am.”
“Zevon…..”
“Okay, fine. Only slightly all about you then. You need to have fun. When was the last time you did something like that?”
“Never.”
“Exactly. Having you pick something fun to do would entail being stuck inside your apartment all day. It’s my mission to make you open your eyes.”
“If I don’t enjoy it, then what?”
“Then we will at least know what you don’t like.”
I shook my head but went along with it anyway.
“Need to make one lasting impression on you before I disappear into my own life issues, you know,” he said, turning a corner. The farther we walked, the more people there were out and about. The town park was just a little way up ahead. As more people appeared, I feared this would end up being a bust for me. Me and people didn’t mix too well, even on a good day.
“You know you can’t get rid of me,” I joked back, hoping to hide my increasing anxiety.
Before long, we were on the outer edge of the park. The grass was thick beneath my sandaled feet. Tables with canopies were lined up in rows. They certainly weren’t straight, but it was organized. A few food trucks were on the other side of the park, lines already forming.
“Ace told me about this,” Zevon said, letting me take it all in. “And I thought it could be fun. Now, I’d much rather go to a carnival, but I figured you wouldn’t be up to that.”
“Just thinking about those kinds of rides makes me dizzy,” I said, my eyes bouncing everywhere. I was also mentally preparing myself to get bumped into, and possibly put on the edge of panicking. My shoulders were already tense with the stress. I knew, though, that I couldn’t always hide away in my own world. How did I survive high school? Kids hadn’t bothered me, but now mere strangers certainly did.
“Come on,” Zevon said, pulling me towards some of the booths. “Let’s have a look around, shall we?”
“Okay.”
We started where there weren’t as many people, slowly easing into the crowd. The first few booths had homemade items. One had kettle corn popcorn, which Zevon was quick to buy a small bag of before we went to the next booth. I was too on edge to attempt to try a bite.
He pulled me up to a table that looked like it was filled with nail polish.
“Looking for anything in particular?” the lady asked. She wasn’t too much older than I was, dressed in a flowing tank top summer dress.
“How do these work?” Zevon asked, not letting go of my hand.
“Color Street Nails are strips of nail polish that go right on your nails. Really easy to put on, and they stay on for a good two weeks, or longer, depending on what you do. They come in many different colors. I can show you how to put them on, if you want?”
“Scarlett?” Zevon asked. “What do you say?”
“Sure,” I whispered.
