THREE
Eric looked up at the girl from where he laid on the ground. She was brown-haired like the colour of mahogany and had freckles on her cheeks.
–Not to mention the judgemental look.
"Uh hi!" He greeted with a wave and a nervous smile.
Nervous?- he was rather embarrassed.
"What are you doing on my driveway?"
"Ugh ... you see," Eric picked himself off the pavement and set down the toolbox so he could dust off his pants.
"Don't tell me you were taking a nap there." Said brown-haired girl, slightly annoyed.
"No! No, no. I'm actually ... the repair guy." He explained.
She nodded slowly and did an "O" with her lips.
"Yeah I just came to check on your car. Your parents were at my workshop the other day."
"You own the workshop?" She arched a brow and switched the large grocery bag he didn't notice she had been holding to the other hand.
"Can I ... help you with that?" He asked– just trying to be polite.
"Oh. No. I'm home already, weirdo." She replied.
Eric had to pretend not to hear that last part since it was said in a whisper.
"Alright." He replied in a murmur. "I'll see you around." He blurted and began walking away.
"Weren't you gonna check on the car?!" Yelled brown-haired girl.
He stopped in his tracks and clenched the handle of his tool box in displeasure.
"My bad. Sorry." He muttered and rather dragged his feet to the Rodriguez' garage.
All the while he serviced the car, Eric kept looking up from what he was doing; searching for blonde girl.
He figured that if this was the Rodriguez apartment and blonde girl lived here, then brown-haired girl was probably her sister...
But each time he looked up, brown-haired girl was standing right there, either wearing a puzzled, annoyed, suspicious or bored expression on her face.
Though she offered him cookies– they were great.
"Thanks." He said as he gulped down the glass of milk she'd served.
"Don't fall asleep on my driveway again." She muttered.
He heard her again.
Eric thought brown-haired girl was mean.
"Just changed the oil. She's as good as new." He explained.
Brown-haired girl just nodded– expression still very blank.
"Ugh..." He wanted to ask but couldn't find the words ... or courage.
"Do you have a sister?" Oh, so he did!
"What!" Brown-haired girl exclaimed.
"You know ... like a female sibling or something?" He explained in his hum‐like tone.
"I know what a sister is, now leave." She shoved at him. I was right; she is mean, he thought within himself.
But there wasn't much he could do ... especially with the door slammed shut in his face.
Gina– the brown-haired girl turned away from the shut door and blew hot air through her lips.
She turned around and got quite jumpy when she saw her sister who was already there...
She always was.
"Are you going to do something about all that frizz or the nightgown?" Gina scolded, taking few strands of her sister's blonde hair in her hand.
"Help me." The later muttered in her small, nasal voice.
"You're sixteen. Grow up." She scoffed and took her by the hand– headed for the bathroom.
"You're going to have to learn to be nicer to people. I overheard you bullying that poor guy." The younger scolded.
"I'm sorry, goldilocks." Gina teased.
"Stop it! ... did you find any bible study clubs around?"
"I heard there's a church in town... but I'll keep looking."
●●
Like he always did whenever he was sad or disappointed, Eric took his evening stroll at the field.
He didn't want to see it all over again but he went anyways because seeing it meant he was getting closer to a reality where blonde girl existed.
His heart and legs were tired. He didn't think he could stroll today...
But he did so anyway; nearly the entire field until he got to the spot again and saw the sunset and everything else that had come with it; the baggage, blonde girl...
Eric heaved a sigh and crouched down on his knees, playing with the grass.
Then he looked up and spotted something he didn't see before..
A girl! "A girl." Yes, a girl. He was too sure it wasn't all in his mind this time.
It still remained a silhouette but he could have sworn someone was sitting there- a girl, reading a book.
She sat on the mound of dried clay inhabited by goat weed and sugar ants with her face buried in a book.
Eric's breath ceased for a few seconds. He gasped as his heart followed the same pattern‐ it skipped.
She was real.
Eric saw the way her blonde hair shimmered in the golden rays of the sun, despite that all he could see was her silhouette.
"Blonde girl." He mused.
His legs stiffened on the spot, heart raced, hands numbed.
All he needed to do was walk up to her ... but his legs and the rest of him had other ideas;
He ran.
He ran till he got home and decided to convince himself that it was just another daydream...
IS ERIC CRAZY, DAYDREAMING OR JUST LOVE SICK?? 😅😅
