Read Out Of This World for Free Online

new direction of our conversation because for the next half hour she talked non-stop about it. I was able to get a reprieve when I went to the counter to purchase a latte for Celeste and myself.
    I don’t know how Hollie manages to be charming and witty when all she does is talk about herself, but she’s an expert at sharing funny little anecdotes and normally sucks everyone into her sphere.
    Celeste remained quiet and sipped her coffee—humming softly. I was beginning to recognize her humming as an indication of her pleasure when tasting something new. I wondered what rock she came out from under not to have ever experienced a latte. There was a Starbucks on practically every corner in the larger cities. Coffee shops sprouted up like weeds in the smaller towns that dotted not only the Pacific Northwest, but every other state in the nation. Celeste was an odd one, that’s for sure.
    Sydney kept stealing glances in my direction. I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, so I guzzled the rest of my drink and made an excuse to leave.
    “Sorry Sydney.” I refused to address Hollie, the bitch. “Celeste and I need to leave if we’re going to North Bend and then get back at a decent hour.” I hastened to clarify that we would not be joining them for dinner. “We have a lot of shopping to do, so maybe a rain check on dinner.”
    “Do we need to check for rain before going to dinner?” Celeste asked.
    I gave her a nudge in the direction of the door. “She’s such a jokester.”
    Celeste scrunched up her face in confusion, but followed me out the door.
    I practically ran out of the coffee shop and only felt remotely calm when I reached the sanctuary of my car. Celeste followed more slowly and I was ready to peel out the minute she shut the door and buckled herself in. It’s a damn good thing there weren’t any cops around as I burned rubber in my haste to get as far away from Sydney as I could.

    †

     
    I didn’t want to be angry with Celeste and I certainly wasn’t prepared to confront her, so I just casually remarked, “Um I’m not exactly…”
    I didn’t know how to finish the sentence and Celeste finished for me. “It was not a good thing that I mentioned what I learned in your book, was it?”
    “No. That kind of teasing and joking around isn’t very helpful to someone like me.”
    “Is it forbidden?” she asked.
    “Uh no, it’s just that Sydney and Hollie can get away with being open about their relationship because they’re so popular and attractive. I’d never hear the end of it and I’m not that interested in being harassed until my last dying day.”
    She tilted her head. “I have so much to learn. I do not understand yet, but perhaps I will in time.”
    I spent the next hour telling her trivia about Snoqualmie Pass and pointing out various landmarks.
    She acted like a kid turning her head this way and that, remarking on the beauty of the mountains. “We do not have this where I come from. It is very beautiful. I think I would like to explore these mountains.”
    I wondered where she was from. I started thinking that maybe she’d led a very secluded life—never exposed to other parts of the US. I’d heard about people who were homeschooled and protected from the outside world. I wondered if her parents were nutcases and that’s why she was so unusual. I’d read about people, called empaths, who were sensitive to others. Of course instead of getting accolades for their special skill, they were isolated and shunned. I would just consider it my moral obligation to introduce her to many varied experiences, starting with a refreshing trek in the mountains.
    “Well, I’m not much of a hiker, but I do own a pair of hiking boots and I could probably handle an easy hike or two,” I offered.
    “I would like that.”
    I didn’t want to jinx anything because I was really enjoying Celeste’s company, so I carefully broached the subject. “Um, Celeste, how long are you planning on visiting