Flat-Out Love - Park Jessica - Страница 30

Julie Seagle

Nah. Just kidding! I love Christmas. Mom covers the entire living room in white twinkle lights and puts real candles on the tree.

Julie Seagle

On Christmas Eve, I slide under the tree and look up through the branches at the lights. Hokey, but my tradition.

Finn is God

Do you lie there and make a wish for the New Year?

Julie Seagle

Exactly. Silly, I guess.

Finn is God

What do you wish for?

Julie Seagle

Depends on the year. Could be to marry some dopey teen idol.

Julie Seagle

Or to get stranded on a deserted island with Prince Charming and an endless supply of sunscreen.

Finn is God

So your Christmas tradition is centered on cute boys, huh?

Julie Seagle

I never said they were lofty fantasies.

Finn is God

Oh, now they’re FANTASIES are they? So you need to be alone for this tradition, I guess… *cough, cough*

Julie Seagle

Very funny. I’ll go with “dreams” then. Not just about cute boys (although I guess that has been a theme), but more about being… I don’t know… generally satisfied. Content. Complete. I don’t know… It sounds lame when I say it. (Or type it.)

Julie Seagle

Dreaming about the future. Wondering what’s ahead for me. Coming-of-age nonsense. Corny.

Finn is God

It’s not nonsense. I think that’s very cool.

Julie Seagle

Very cool until hot wax falls from the branches and burns my eyeballs. That actually happened. Candles on the tree=dangerous fire hazard. But what’s a holiday without a little danger?

Julie Seagle

Oh look! There’s the risk-taking behavior you were looking for!

Finn is God

That’s pushing it, kid.

Finn is God

Maybe you’re not cut out for real danger. That’s OK. Not all my interests run the risk of crashing thousands of feet. Done the Boston Polar Plunge a few times. That doesn’t involve heights.

Julie Seagle

What’s that?

Finn is God

Boston crazies put on swimsuits and plunge into the Atlantic Ocean on New Year’s Day. Rather quick swim due to frigidly cold/awful water.

Finn is God

News crews love this story.

Julie Seagle

*groan* Yeah, this sounds really fun. Unfortunately I won’t be in Boston for this event otherwise I’d totally do it.

Finn is God

Liar! You would not! But it’s awesome. Sucks going in, but great on the way out. A shock to the system in a good way.

Finn is God

Would go this year but will be in sunny Puerto Rico. Leading a white water rafting tour. (And bungee jumping, of course.)

Julie Seagle

Boo hoo. That sounds miserable. Poor you.

Finn is God

I know. Rough.

Julie Seagle

Pit stop in Boston before you go? Celeste is dying to see you.

Finn is God

I could work on a pit stop.

Julie Seagle

Oh, and could we talk about Celeste for a minute?

Julie waited. And waited. It looked like he was going to be as difficult about his sister as Matt was.

Julie Seagle

So, Celeste… Tell me why she made Flat Finn.

Finn is God

Don’t know. She needs Flat Finn’s good looks to counteract Matt’s lack of?

Julie Seagle

Nice try.

Again Julie waited. She stared at the clock on her computer, watching as six endless minutes ticked by.

Finn is God

I can’t tell you.

Julie Seagle

Why? She needs help, Finn.

Finn is God

You’re the best thing for her.

Julie Seagle

How do you know that? I don’t know what I’m doing.

Finn is God

You’re doing great. She’s happy.

Julie Seagle

She’s not happy. She can’t be. She needs you.

Finn is God

This is more complicated than I can explain.

Finn is God

You’ll have to trust me on this. I can’t say anything else. I need you to drop this. OK?

What the hell? Julie stared at the chat window. Things suddenly felt weird with Finn, and that was the last thing she wanted.

Finn is God

Please don’t be mad. I just can’t. I’m sorry.

Julie Seagle

OK.

Finn is God

So… is Celeste the only one who wants to see me?

Julie Seagle

Your whole family does.

Finn is God

Only my whole family?

Julie Seagle

Girlfriend back home who is missing you like crazy?

Finn is God

Maybe.

Julie paused. She hadn’t really thought about this possibility before, but for some reason she didn’t really like the idea that Finn might have a girlfriend. Not that it was any of her business. I mean, it wasn’t like she had any right to be jealous.

Except that she was.

There was nothing more unpleasant than the overwhelming effect caused by jealousy, and she couldn’t deny that typing out the word girlfriend had made her stomach knot up, her breathing change, and her brain swirl. This was not the reaction she would have expected. She didn’t even know Finn.

Well, she couldn’t suddenly go chat silent now. It would look weird. She held her hands over the keyboard, desperately trying to figure out something normal to say. How nice for you. I’m sure she’s lovely.  No, that would sound obnoxious. Crap. Who was this girlfriend? Neither Matt nor Celeste had ever mentioned anything about her. She’s a curvy Victoria’s Secret model with the intellect of a geneticist and the strength of spirit to go cliff-diving, I assume? No. That was both obnoxious and passive aggressive.