Counting, Part 1

Spencer had fallen for five different girls in his life. The first was the cute girl who lived in the same neighborhood as him. The second a popular girl who he thought he had no shot with, and thus never entertained the possibility of them being together. The third was a girl he met in passing, on a ferry across lake michigan. They spent only three hours together but he still dreamt of her time and again. The fourth was the storybook highschool sweetheart. For two and half years they dated. A steadfast couple in the quagmire of adolescence that collapsed in an instant. And the fifth was the girl he had just laid eyes on, sitting by the lake as the sun went down. 

Spencer had been biking home as he had done hundreds of times before, rounded a curve and was awestruck. A young woman sat reading on a bench facing out over the lake that peeked through a small gap in the trees. The glossy cover of the book caught the light, matching the glare of the sun on the still waters of the lake. The girl’s hair framed her face in loose curls, and the warmth of the sun gave her a glow that bordered upon divine to Spencer’s eyes. His legs, once furiously pedaling away, lost all their strength, and Spencer’s bike coasted to a stop next to the bench. 

“What’re you reading?” Spencer asked before he could think about what he was doing. Spencer had acted before he had a chance to be nervous. Once the words had left his mouth, doubts immediately crept in. 

“It’s an Octavia Butler novel, about surviving the future collapse of America.” The girl turned towards Spencer as she spoke. Her eyes locked with Spencer’s, the brown of her irises made the color of honey in the light. 

<---> <---> <--->

Eloise had been in love four times. Her first love was words. Reading, writing, speaking, listening, anything to do with words. Her second love was the girl that sat behind her in history class in ninth grade. Her third love was the boy she dated for fifteen months during her sophomore and junior years. And her fourth love arrived out of nowhere on a bicycle on a warm evening in July. 

“What’re you reading?” a voice asked. The voice was warm and gentle, harmonizing with the setting sun and the soft breeze. Eloise turned to reply.

“It’s an Octavia Butler novel, about surviving the future collapse of America.” She immediately questioned her phrasing, worried that it would come off wrong. She instant her eyes finally made contact with the person behind the voice, all doubts evaporated. Sparkling obsidian eyes belonged to a tall but unimposing figure who stood straddling a bicycle. 

“Can it still be considered Science Fiction if it happens to come true?” the boy smirked. Eloise furrowed her brow and thought for a moment. 

“I think so. Either way, beyond the collapse of America I don’t see the events of the book so far coming true.” Spencer nodded his head and smiled fully. 

“Fair enough, fair enough.” He dismounted the bike, popping off his helmet and extending a hand. “I’m Spencer by the way.” 

“Hi Spencer, I’m Eloise, it’s lovely to meet you.” 

“Lovely to meet you too.”