I take a sizeable gulp of my drink before turning to walk away, drumstick still in hand.
We find a small, empty table and quietly put our drinks down. I rest my elbows on it as Elliot runs his free hand through the back of his hair. I break the silence, pointing at the drumstick.
‘Shall we deposit it in my bag for now?’ I ask.
He lets go as if it’s burned him. ‘Yeah.’
‘Feeling self-conscious?’ I can’t help but ask. Self-conscious just doesn’t seem like a thing Elliot can experience.
‘A little,’ he admits. ‘Are you not?’
‘No, spent enough time feeling self-conscious,’ I reply with a laugh, then decide to not let the comment hang for longer than it needs to when his expression turns from guarded to concerned. ‘There is something about being known as the “drumstick couple” on Twitter that is a bit uncomfortable, though.’
‘I think it’s uncomfortable to be known asanythingon Twitter.’
I flap a hand at him. ‘It’s fine, people will forget we exist by the end of the weekend.’
‘Yeah,’ he agrees uneasily, casting a nervous glance around the tent.
‘Hey,’ I murmur, tapping his arm more warmly. ‘Are you worried?’
‘Sorry,’ he frowns down at his glass. ‘I just… I’m a private person. I don’t like the idea of people discussing us on the internet.’
‘Don’t worry, we’re hardly going to become famous. We’ll elect a winner between us before that happens.’
His face lights up again with that familiar quiet smile. I bask in it, taking in his long eyelashes as they’re illuminated under the red lights.
‘Oh, really?’ he says. ‘And who would you vote for? I’m intrigued.’
‘Well, give me a moment.’ I pause for a second, resting my fingers on my temples and closing my eyes in concentration. ‘Okay. I’ve had a long, hard think. I’m considering voting for myself, unless I’m suddenly, gainfully swayed.’
‘Surprising.’
I tip my drink at him before taking another generous sip. ‘You’re not a social media fan then?’
He shakes his head and leans his elbows on the table, resting his chin on his fist. I try not to stare at it, and the way he gently runs his thumb across the edge of his jaw. ‘You?’
I swallow. ‘A little bit. It’s kind of as fun as you make it, if that makes sense.’
‘Sure,’ he agrees. ‘I guess I never saw the point.Orhad anything to say.’
‘You have plenty to say,’ I say disbelievingly. ‘It’s done a lot of damage, I know. But it’s brought a lot of people together as well. Online communities are a godsend. People find a lot of comfort and safety in them.’
‘Have you?’
I stare at the table for a moment. ‘Yeah, I have. It’s been a healthy place for me. Community is kind of important for me, you know? And for any topic on earth, you’ll find a passionate community for it. Sourdough, wire organisation, washi tapes…’I start to worry I’m giving away all of my interests and change tack. ‘Uh… badminton? Anal?’
Elliot suddenly covers his mouth, and I think he might be choking.
‘That last one came a bit out of nowhere,’ he says, his eyes watering.
‘Well, it probably exists. I’m just demonstrating the range of communities online.’
‘I’m sure it does exist, I don’t doubt that.’ He fiddles with the rim of his glass. ‘At least people can express themselves somewhere.’
‘Exactly.’ I take another sip of my drink. ‘And you know what, if more people are being honest about sex, good.’
What am I saying? What??
