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Finding time to read with Mary-Beth has been a priority ever since you joined the gang. She always has recommendations that make you want to avoid even the excitement of Dutch’s jobs. She also happens to be good company, quiet until something exciting happens and very willing to talk about the books you’re reading.
“What’s that face for?” She asks.
She gave you this book a few days ago. It’s good, but two characters you were hoping would get together have had another frustrating close call.
“They’re idiots.” You sigh, closing the book and tossing it on the ground in front of you where you sit. “They’ve almost kissed six times.”
Mary-Beth picks up your book and reads the title to remind herself. “Oh, those two .”
“It’s like they’re clueless, like they can’t feel it.”
“Wonder what that’s like.” Mary-Beth says in a tone that makes you look at her in confusion.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She blushes, looking down at the fabric covering the dirt you both sit on. “Nothing, nothing at all.”
“You’re not getting away with the shy girl routine, Miss Gaskill.” You lean forward, interested now. “What’s so interesting.”
She looks up at you. “I… I may have given ya the book because they remind me of some people in camp.”
You knit your eyebrows in confusion. “Who?”
There’s no one in camp that comes to mind. Most of the feelings in camp are out in the air and have been long dealt with or avoided at all costs.
She waves her hand dismissively. “It’s nothin’ ya gotta worry about-”
“Yes it is.” You urge. “You gave me the book and put me through all of their annoying pining, so who in camp-”
“You and Sean!” She blurts, covering her mouth right after she says it.
You have to process for a minute before you laugh in disbelief. “Me and Sean ?”
She nods, hand still covering her mouth.
“Are we talking about the same Sean?” You ask, raising a finger to point at her. “Words this time, Miss Gaskill.”
She sheepishly lowers her hand and places it with the other in her lap. “I’m sorry! I just read the book and they reminded me of how you to are always runnin’ around actin’ like ya don’t wanna fall in love-”
“Us?” You stifle a laugh. “I’ve always thought you were a funny girl, Mary-Beth, but that has to be the funniest thing you’ve ever said.”
“Ya don’t see it, just like Edward.” She sighs. “And Sean keeps playin’ around, pretendin’ it ain’t real, just like Elizabeth.”
You shake your head. “I think you’ve finally lost your mind.”
“I have not!” She tosses the book back to you. “You keep readin’, you’ll see.”
You scoff. “The day I see anything like that about Sean is the day you can put me out of my misery.”
“Just read, you!”
You open the book again and continue with the story. Now that Mary-Beth has brought it up, you can’t stop imagining yourself and Sean in place of the characters. Sean is just as annoying, loud-mouthed, and stubborn as the girl and you happen to fall very much in line with the man. All of it makes you think back and you do see it. All the times you’ve come shockingly close to kissing Sean, every stupid smile that you recall having a flutter reaction to that you wrote off as sickness, that annoying bounce Sean has in his step and the silky look of his hair.
“Damn it.” You mutter.
Mary-Beth is smirking when you look at her, hardly paying attention to her book. She can see Sean over by the fire as he occasionally glances up from his whittling to look at you. Straight out of her romance books.