Hey Monday

a q u a r i u m s

-noah-     

Isn't it funny how life can be one thing, and then, in an instant, everything changes?

That's how it was for me on the day that I rediscovered Evelyn. She'd always been there, in the back of my mind, sitting shyly like the new girl in the back of the class. 

And then, in Chicago, Illinois, I rediscovered her. I saw her standing there, angelic as ever, with wispy blonde hair and rosy red cheeks, and I really do think that it was love at first sight. Well, second sight, I guess. 

I was standing outside of the Shedd Aquarium alongside Ellen and Logan, obsessing over the way Evelyn parked her white car. It was an adorable thing, how she cautiously looked behind her with her lips slightly parted- she had such a nice profile- and how she eased the car exactly where she wanted it. 

I glanced at Ellen. "Is she perfect, or is it just me?"

Ellen narrowed her eyes and popped out a hip. "Gee, I don't know, Noah." 

"I think it's just you," Logan piped in. I saw Ellen shoot him a grateful look, but I ignored them. Logan would side with Ellen on almost anything, and that was something I'd learned to live with. 

Evelyn walked up then, looking lovely as a raindrop. Her hair was drifting around in the slight breeze, and she was a little flushed. "Hi, everyone. Sorry I took so long." 

Logan and Ellen stayed silent. I lightly jabbed Ellen with my elbow, and she hastily replied, "That's fine. We didn't wait that long anyway. Besides, I love waiting!" 

Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "Oh. Um, that's good. Anyway, let's go see some fish, shall we?" 

She shyly slipped her hand into mine and we walked into the aquarium together. I saw Ellen cast a firey glare at us, but then she sighed and her shoulders drooped. Logan put an arm around her and they too walked in as a pair. 

The Shedd Aquarium was massive and breathtaking from the moment you entered. It was a stately marble building that was both sophisticated and welcoming at the same time. The air had a slightly rubbery scent that I couldn't quite describe, but it wasn't necessarily unpleasant.

The four of us paid for our admission and walked around for awhile, admiring the sea life. There were lots of kids, something I didn't particularly mind, but Ellen sure did. She detested kids with almost every ounce of her being- I wasn't sure why, she just loathed them. One time, when we were at a park together, she called them "ungrateful little leeches". We got some dirty looks from a variety of mothers that day.

 "Look, a shark," Evelyn giggled, pointing to a gray lump swimming lazily through the water. It was actually kind of disgusting, it didn't look like a shark to me at all. 

"Are you sure it's a shark?" I asked uncertainly. "It looks like a..." 

"A shark," Evelyn replied surely. "It's a basking shark. I took a marine biology course in high school." 

"Well, they're disgusting," Ellen decided. 

Evelyn furrowed her brow. "Not really. Their mouths open very wide because-" 

"Oh my god. This thing is adorable." 

Ellen had completely interrupted Evelyn and was making a beeline for the beluga whales. I rolled my eyes and threw a casual arm around Evelyn. 

"Sorry about that. El's very, er, headstrong," I said apologetically. Evelyn smiled and said nothing. 

The four of us made a lazy lap around the aquarium, pointing out things we found interesting or funny or whatever. Logan showed us this thing called a frogfish- it looked like a grumpy old man and it could change color to match the coral. We watched it for a solid half hour, narrating its movements like it was human.