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I pulled the hood of my sweater over my head and looked at my friend beside me as he did the same with his coat. It had started raining a little, and the air was starting to feel a little chillier. Farkle and I were walking home from school together, and had just been debating which area of science was better – biology or chemistry. Since Farkle and I had completed that one chem. project together, and I had made it clear that I wanted to be more involved in things such as science, we had had a lot of great scientific debates that really made me feel like Farkle saw me as an equal in the lab. I really appreciated him for it.
“Riley. How can you seriously prefer biology over chemistry? Chemistry is matter, and matter is everything. Atoms, molecules, what you can create when mixing different chemicals...I mean, it’s just never ending. The possibilities in the field of chemistry are never ending,” Farkle explained his side enthusiastically.
I loved the way his eyes lit up when he spoke of his passion. He seemed so full of energy, and you could tell just how happy he was when he was talking about what he loved.
“I’m not saying I don’t like chemistry, all I’m saying is that biology holds more interest for me. Biology is literally how the human body works, how any living thing works. How we breathe, how our muscles work together to create movement...it explains you and me.” I stated back to him.
He sighed. “Fair enough. Your point is valid, though I still prefer chemistry,” he said with a grin.
“Fair enough,” I said, grinning back.
All of a sudden it seemed, the rain came down much harder than before, pitter pattering on the side walking, and seeping in through my light sweater. I let out a shiver as my teeth began to chatter slightly.
Farkle turned to me, his eyebrows furrowed. “Are you cold? Do you want my jacket?” He started taking off his coat before I could respond.
“No no, it’s fine,” I hurriedly said, shaking my head. “First of all, if you give me your coat, you won’t have one. Second of all, that’s like a super cliché boyfriend-girlfriend thing. Have some originality, Farkle!” I laughed.
He continued to shrug off his coat and offered it to me saying, “Well Riley, the way I see it, it’s just me looking out for you, which you’ve never had a problem with before. You’re my friend, and you come first.”
I stared hard into his eyes and could tell that he really did want me to take the jacket. I sighed and reluctantly took it, quietly saying “thanks”. After slipping on his coat which was only a little big for me, I looked at him again. He was staring at the ground, his hands in his pocket, his reddish-brown hair shaggy and dripping onto his nose. All of a sudden, he was staring back at me. I gave a nervous laugh and smiled guiltily from being caught. He gave a nervous smile back, and I wondered why, until I felt him slip his fingers through mine. Despite the chilly weather, his hand was warm, and I could feel that warmth radiating through my whole body. I almost didn’t need his jacket any more. I wasn’t sure why Farkle had taken my hand, but I decided I was glad he did. We walked the rest of the way home in a peaceful silence, listening to the rain around us, our fingers still intertwined.