She pressed the shirt into her eyes again. It felt cold and wonderful, and smelled so good. “Thank you.”
“Is that better?”
“Yeah, it’s better.”
“Good,” he said. “Just keep your eyes closed for a while.”
“Do you wear contacts?”
“No, but I’ve had an eyelash stuck in my eye, and I always make it worse ... How’d you manage to losebothcontacts?”
“I don’t know,” she said into his shirt. “Blinking.”
“Next time, get the blink-proof kind. They’re a little more expensive, but they’re worth it.”
Julia laughed. She pulled her head out of Wyatt’s shirt, blinking carefully. Her eyes felt raw, but tolerable.
“You want some more ice?” he asked.
“No, I think I’m okay.” She looked up at him. His face was a silvery blur without her contacts in. He might be smiling?
“Okay,” he said seriously, “you’ve gotta tell people that someoneelsegave you two black eyes and made you cry.”
“Is it that bad?”
He laughed. “Yes and no. Youarestill crying.”
She laughed with him. “Sorry. I feel so ridiculous.”
“Can you even see me?”
“I can see that you’re there.”
“How bad are your eyes, normally?”
“Terrible.”
Wyatt laughed again. “Sorry I’m laughing. That’s not funny.”
“This is so embarrassing,” Julia said.
“You don’t have to be embarrassed. We’re strangers, remember?”
She smiled at his smudged watercolor face.
“Will you be able to find your friend’s car like this?” he asked.
“Yeah.” Julia had a pair of emergency eyeglasses in her pocket. Her mom made her carry them.
There was no way she was putting them onnow. In front of Wyatt Hardy.
He’d make the connection soon enough. Monday morning. When he saw Julia in class. Or in the hallway. Sometimes you just needed to see people in context to recognize them. She was going to hold on to this secret awhile longer ...
Wyatt waved his hand in front of her face.
“I can see that,” she said.
“Can you see me?”
