Not Without You

twelve

Aria

It's enjoyable to watch Leo's reaction to the wondrous world of Whistler. It's also interesting to listen to him discuss just how different the East Coast is from the West Coast; he goes into detailed descriptions about the effects of the Atlantic Ocean on the eastern climate and vegetation. There are a lot of terms that he uses, such as jet stream and continentality, that are entirely lost to me, but I enjoy watching him discuss these concepts of what I'm guessing are related to geography. He reminds me a bit of myself when I discuss hockey: passionate and knowledgeable.

"This has to do with geography, right?" I ask after he's stopped to take a sip of water.

He nods.

"So, is that what you're going to university for after this summer is over?"

Instead of nodding, he shakes his head, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I'm going to Dalhousie for environmental sciences, but I will cut you some slack because geography does play a large part in that area of study."

"Jeez," I mutter, looking down at my half-eaten sandwich. "That sounds like a lot of work and expensive."

"It's not bad when you're on a full scholarship."

Leo's words sound so carefree that I'm almost positive he didn't mean to say them at all. And, when he looks up at me, his mouth open and his cheeks slightly pink, my suspicions are only confirmed. It seems as though Leo never fails to carry secrets with him.

I cock an eyebrow. "And what, exactly, is the cause of this scholarship?"

Leo sighs, setting down his water bottle. For a moment, he stares out at the view of the aqua-coloured lake before us. The scenery surrounding us is serene and is potent with the scent of alpine air and vegetation. It's vast and breathtakingly beautiful — even for someone who has been here multiple times.

"Golf," he replies, fidgeting beside me.

Surprise takes hold of me and I turn to look at Leo. Not that I'm judging him by his physique but he just doesn't seem like the type of person that has an interest in sports. He's skinny and a little scrawny. I'm one-hundred per cent positive that I could demolish him in a round of arm wrestling. Also, sports usually require the ability to deal with everyone's attention being focused on you — especially a solo sport like golf. Leo seems like the type of boy that would very much prefer to have a spot on the sidelines rather than be in the spotlight. It's...surprising.

Leo chuckles, a small smirk on his lips. "Wow. Way to hide the look of shock, Aria." 

I pull my bottom lip between my teeth, still attempting to wrap my head around this. He must be excellent at golf if he's managed to obtain a full-ride scholarship. "Sorry," I reply timidly. "I didn't mean to disrespect you. It's just surprising, that's all. You're kind of..."