Free Silence Is Golden by Laura Mercuri

The whole town thinks he’s the weird one! Obviously I’m not going to say that, but he gives me a questioning look, perhaps wondering why I’m laughing.
    “Sorry, I just thought of something funny.” I steer us back to the conversation. “But I know you’ve been following me.”
    I can tell by his genuine look of surprise that this is news to him.
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
    “I wasn’t scared. I knew it was you right away. Nobody else has golden hair like yours.”
    “How did you know that I didn’t have bad intentions?”
    This time I’m the one who shrugs. “I had a good feeling about you.”
    He shakes his head, but doesn’t say anything. We continue to walk in silence while the darkness sets in.
    “Haven’t you ever been afraid?” he asks.
    “Sure I have. But I’ve learned to defend myself, so I can handle it.”
    I look at his face, but it’s too dark to see anything more than a flash of blue in his eyes. This conversation is probably the most he’s ever said to me.
     
    We arrive at my house all too soon. I open the door and invite him in, but he stays in the doorway. I grab his shirt from the bedroom and hand it to him.
    “Thanks,” he says, taking it.
    “Thanks for coming all this way.”
    He gives me a wide smile and turns to go.
    “Aris!” I call after him.
    He turns toward me.
    “Do you want to stay for dinner?” Luckily it’s dark, so he can’t see how furiously I’m blushing. But his smile fades. Damn it, I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.
    “Thanks, but Dora has dinner waiting for me.”
    “Sure, I understand.”
    “So . . . I’ll see you around.”
    “Yeah. Good night.”
    I assume he gives me his usual nod before disappearing, but it’s too dark for me to tell for sure. I close the door and kick the chair next to the table.
    “Damn it.”
     
    I spend hours brooding over my inappropriate invitation. In the future, I need to trust my instincts more. From the start, I’ve sensed that I have to be cautious and patient with Aris. He comes and goes when he wants, and forcing his hand will only spook him. I don’t know why. I don’t know anything about him, his past, or his relationship with his mother. I’m guessing that his father must not be in the picture, but I really don’t know. I’m still mulling over one question while I drift into sleep: Why doesn’t he call Dora Mom?

CHAPTER TEN
    I’m in a rotten mood this morning. I get to the bookstore only to find Helga on the computer. Amazing! She usually doesn’t even go near the thing. Sometimes I think she’s afraid that it’s always on the verge of exploding. So what is it that made her overcome her mistrust?
    “Emilia! There you are.”
    She always greets me like this, as if I’m always late to work, which I never am. She just always gets here early. Maybe she camps out in the closet or something.
    “You’ve got to help me use this thing,” she says firmly.
    “Sure, Helga, that’s what I’m here for,” I say, taking off my coat. “But may I ask—what made you decide to use it?”
    She presses her lips together, perhaps deciding how much to reveal to me.
    “I want to expand my horizons,” she finally replies, almost whispering. “Paul—er—Mr. Moser,” she corrects, blushing, “showed me something on his office computer, a type of online place where people talk to each other, only they write instead of speaking . . .”
    “A forum?” I offer.
    “Yes! A forum for booksellers. I want to do that.”
    I’m shocked. The things we do for love.
    I hide a smile and sit down next to her. The only thing she knows is how to push the power button. I try to be patient as I start to explain.
     
    After what seems like hundreds of failed explanations, it’s time for lunch. I grab my coat and head over to Emma’s. I’m grateful for the rush of cold air as I step into the street, and I empty all thoughts of the Internet, computer mice, and user accounts from my mind. I