Out of the Blue

Chapter 15

I'm not sure my mind was capable of working through all the events and emotions thrust upon it in the last week. Sawyer's admission on Wednesday had me reeling. He wanted more than friendship, but I had to wonder if he actually felt that way or if Justin's appearance in my life was the cause. Perhaps he only thought he wanted more because it seemed like somebody else did.

According to Sawyer and his jealousy, there was someone else interested in me, but as I sat alone in the campus café on Thursday, I began to think he was wrong.

I spent my lunch break scheduling the following week in my date book. All the important events, like work and assignment due dates, were listed already, but I enjoyed organizing my days by the hour. It ensured I had enough time for studying, breaks, even cooking. I liked knowing what was ahead.

I was working on time blocking when I flicked back to check my class schedule. That's when I noticed I had 'coffee with Justin' pencilled in for today. I rolled my eyes, took an eraser, and rubbed it out. It was a silly thing to do. It's not as if these coffee meetings were agreed upon. They just happened.

Justin still hadn't spoken to me. To be fair, I didn't have the guts to message him either. So perhaps all these pent-up emotions were my own doing. Every spare moment I had in the last month went to thinking about men. 

I needed a distraction.

Who better to provide one than my lovely best friend? We hadn't spent time together for a while. Work didn't count. Neither did the camping trip or nights at the Uni Bar. We were always with other people then.

Sascha and I needed a girl's day.

I managed to get hold of her that night and was pleased that she agreed. It had been so long since we'd hung out, just the two of us, so we made plans for the coming Saturday. We were working together in the morning and decided to spend the rest of the day doing things we use to love.

By the time Saturday rolled around, my thoughts of Sawyer and Justin had slowed. Only a little, but at least it was something. Thankfully, Sawyer had the day off, so I didn't need to dodge awkward questions if Sascha noticed any unusual tension.

We went for lunch, but instead of going to a restaurant like usual, we did something we hadn't done since we were in school.

"These are still the best chips in the world!" Sascha exclaimed before popping one in her mouth. She almost spat it out, her lips opening slightly to blow out the steam from the hot potato.

"And you're still the most impatient seagull in the world," I laughed. She'd done it countless times before and clearly hadn't learned her lesson.

"It's not my fault," she whined. "I can't wait. They're too good."

"At least wait until we find a spot to sit. Let them cool a little."

Her shoulders slumped. "Fine. Let's go out to the dock."

"Which one?"

"Coney Island," she confirmed and turned in the right direction.

We were at Luna Park, a frequent haunt of our early teen years. Hot chips, slushies, and gravity defying amusement rides were all things Sascha loved.

We found a spare bench by the edge of the water, overlooking the harbour in the warmth of the mid-afternoon sun. There were a lot people walking about--couples, teens, and young families--all enjoying a fun-filled day at Sydney's most famous amusement park. 

"I'm so glad we did this," Sascha admitted before digging into her chips.

"We've both been busy." That was the truth. School, work, boyfriends, and not-boyfriends. They took up a lot of time. "And speaking of busy," I continued slyly. "How's Dale?"