Chapter Eight Artemis
Chapter Eight
Artemis
I don’t know why my heart pounds as I wait for Ryan’s response. It’s not like I asked him on a date or anything. And why do I turn into such a blabbermouth when I’m around him? That’s never happened before.
Did I mention he looks so good, with his long hair falling into his eyes? And he smells pretty good, too.
He slides his hands out of his pockets, his eyes roving over the different activities. “Sure.”
My stomach lurches like butterflies are flapping around in there. “Really? Cool. I mean, that’s great. What do you want to do first?”
He shrugs. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
I gesture around. “Do you like carnival games? Rides? Want to get your face painted? It’s kind of for kids, but no one really cares. I do it every year and always choose something new.” I press my lips together. There I go rambling again.
He has no expression on his face as he continues looking around. I always come to the festival as a third wheel to Jenna and Jason, but maybe things will be different this time. Assuming Ryan wants to hang out with me. It’s hard to know anything because he’s so confusing and mysterious.
Why did he even come? A part of me hopes it’s because of me, but I know I’m being silly.
“Okay,” he says after a few minutes of me arguing with myself. “I guess we can paint our faces.”
I lift a brow. “And you’re not going to be embarrassed to walk around like that?”
“Will you?”
“No.”
“Then I won’t, either.”
I just stare after him as he walks in the direction of the face painting booth. He’s so…ugh, I really wish I knew what goes on in that head of his.
He turns around. “Coming?”
Like my legs are charged with energy, I’m at his side in an instant and we make our way to the booth. Like usual, there’s a line of kids with their parents, but I don’t mind and it seems like Ryan doesn’t, either.
We’re just standing there, him looking around and me looking at him. The place is crazy loud with all the kids shouting, so even if I wanted to say something to him, I’m not sure he’d hear it.
“Ryan!” a voice calls over the others. Whirling around, I catch Brianne Crawford strutting our way. She’s wearing heels that look painful and her hair and clothes are perfect as usual.
She pushes her way to Ryan, knocking me back like I don’t exist.
Clutching tightly onto his arm, she bends close to whisper in his ear. Her pretty hair falls down his face, just like it did in the cafeteria last week.
“Excuse me,” I say. “The line is that way.” I point with my thumb to the crowd gathered behind me.
She hardly looks my way. “Come, Ryan,” she says in a smooth voice. “You don’t really want to get your face painted, do you?” She tugs him. “I’ll show you where the fun activities are.”
He pulls away from her hold. “I’m good here.”
Brianne stares at him. So do I. He continues to gaze ahead as if she’s not standing there. I can feel her shock shifting to anger as she watches him. Then her eyes move to me and her features harden. She forces a smile, flips her hair over her shoulder, and stalks off.
“Wow,” I say as I watch her form grow smaller and smaller. She meets up with her friends, and they huddle together, probably talking about what happened. “Do you have any idea what you just did?”
He lifts a brow.
“She’s Brianne Crawford,” I point out.
“So?”
“Well, she’s pretty and popular and all the guys are into her.”
He doesn’t say anything as we move up the line. We’re closer, but it’ll be a while until it’s our turn.
“I mean, the guys at school would do anything to just have a conversation with her,” I continue. “Clearly she’s into you.”
“So?”
I search his face. Is he really that clueless? “So if Brianne Crawford is into you, you jump at the opportunity.”
His eyes slowly move to me. “So I have to go out with her because she might be into me?”
I’m about to answer, when a kid behind us yells to his friend at the front, and plows through the crowd. I’m hurled into Ryan, my face smashing into his chest. A buzz of electricity zaps all over me, like it did at the dance.
I recoil like I touched a pot of boiling water. Was that static again? “Sorry.”
Gosh, he smells even better up close. Like soap and laundry detergent and guy. And his shirt is so soft, like a cloud.
Ryan slides his hands into his pockets. “No prob.”
We look away from one another. I really need to talk to my mom about that static. Maybe I need new clothes or something.
“What’s with your obsession with Brianne?” he says after a few minutes of silence.
I quirk a brow. “What do you mean?”
He shrugs. “Seems like you care a lot about who she’s into and all that.”
“No, no. It’s not like that. I’m not, like, spying on her or anything.
But she is popular and kind of makes a big show when she has a new boyfriend.
” I stop to take a breath. “Looks like she chose you. If you want to hang out with her, I won’t mind.
” Lie, but I know guys who look like Adonis would rather spend time with their equal counterparts.
“Nah.” That’s all he says.
I gape at him. “Why? I mean, she’s Brianne.”
“That doesn’t mean anything to me.” He slips forward. “We’re up.”
The artist, Patty, an older woman who’s been painting faces as long as I can remember, smiles at us. “Hey, Artemis.” Her gaze glides to Ryan. “Who’s this?”
Oh, gosh. Does she think he’s my boyfriend? I might have complained to her last year as she painted me into a cat that no guy gives me the time of day. I was into the Cats musical back then, which kind of annoyed the heck out of my brother because I wouldn’t stop singing “Memory.”
And now Patty’s forming all these theories and conclusions about Ryan and me.
“This is Ryan Rogers,” I tell her. “He moved here a few weeks ago.”
Patty smiles. “Nice to meet you, Ryan. So what’ll it be, kids?” She motions toward the sample pictures on the table.
“You choose, Ryan,” I say.
He picks up a paper with different options. Most are different animal faces, but she’s got many emojis, characters from movies, books, or video games.
“That’s okay, you choose,” he says.
“I don’t mean to rush you, but you need to decide quickly,” Patty tells us. Yeah, the line behind us seems to have doubled in the last five minutes.
I pick another paper off the table. This one is Star Wars themed. “Yoda is cool.”
Ryan looks at me. “You’re into Star Wars?”
I roll my eyes. “Not by choice. I mean, it’s cool and all, but I’m not very into it.
Ever since we were little Jason made me sit through all the movies when we had movie night.
So I know a thing or two about it.” And I made him sit through a ton of romance movies when it was my turn to pick.
I wonder if that’s why he’s such a good boyfriend to Jenna.
“I’ll be Yoda, too,” Ryan says to Patty.
He wants to match with me? Does he know that’s something couples do?
A bright smile lightens Patty’s face. “Two Yodas coming right up.”
All I can think about when she’s dabbing my face with green goo is that we’ll match. No matter how many times I tell myself it doesn’t mean anything, a part of me is hoping it does. Ryan is so confusing and mysterious, but that just makes me want to get to know him.
Is he trying to send me some sort of message? That he wants to get to know me, too?
Ugh, I’m definitely reading too much into this.
“All done,” Patty says after a few minutes. She holds up two mirrors so we can look at ourselves. Wow. Pretty neat as usual, but there’s something different about it. Or maybe it’s me.
“Thanks,” Ryan says, reaching into his pocket for his wallet.
Patty waves her hand. “No payment needed.”
“Everything at the festival is free,” I let him know. I turn to Patty. “Thanks.”
She holds a huge grin. “You have fun, kids.” There’s this twinkle in her eye as she beams at me, then calls for the next person to sit down.
Ryan brushes his hand through his hair. We’re a few feet away from the booth, but it’s still too loud to hear myself think.
A few girls from school pass us and whisper to one another as they take in our matching faces. Ugh. Who made up this stupid rule, anyway? And why didn’t I tell Ryan about it? Unless he did it on purpose?
I clear my throat. “So…how about some food?” I point out the different food stations, like hot dogs and pretzels and everything.
His gaze sweeps the area. “You choose.”
“But I’ve chosen everything so far.”
He shrugs. “I’m fine with whatever.”
“Okay, Master Yoda. I guess I’m in the mood for a hot dog.”
“Lead the way, Mistress Yoda.”
I can’t help the giggle that flies out of my mouth as we make our way to the hot dog stand. It’s so loud and embarrassing and I have no idea where that came from.
The more people we pass, the more insecure I feel by their stares. I really should have thought twice before getting matching face paintings.
“Why are they staring?” Ryan asks as we stand in line for the food. He glances at the teens ahead of us who are gawking like they’ve never seen two people hang out before.
“I don’t know,” I say nonchalantly.
The line’s moving, but at a snail’s pace. The kids’ stares have shifted to whispers and I kind of want to disappear. And when Brianne passes by and notices us, her body goes rigid and she gives me the biggest glare in the world. Her friends yank her away before she’ll probably bite my head off.
“Am I missing something?” Ryan says after a few minutes. “Or do I have something on my face?”
My lips curl into a teasing smile. “You mean other than a green dude with pointy ears?”
“Yeah.”
“I guess they think you’re hot.”
“They’re staring at both of us.”
I sigh, averting my eyes because I’m the worst liar in the world. “No, it’s you.”
That satisfies him for maybe a few seconds before he shakes his head. “You’re lying. What’s the big secret?”
I take in a deep breath, then let it out. “It’s stupid and doesn’t really mean anything, but everyone thinks it does and that’s why they’re staring.”
He looks like his head is spinning. “What?”