Free Things I Know About Love by Kate Le Vann

yellow-haired boy sitting in between us.
    “This is Krystina’s brother,” I said, as an explanation, not an introduction.
    The boys both said “hey” to each other. Adam looked around for another chair, but I knew there wasn’t one. Kyle started telling a long story about a friend of his getting drunk last week and just left Adam standing there, while I looked helplessly at him and didn’t know where he’d go or what I should do. Could I have stood up next to him, leaned on a wall, and carried on where we’d left off before Kyle had turned up? Kyle was just going on and on, not seeming to notice the seating problem, or even that Adam was there.
    I asked Adam if he wanted my seat. “I’ve been sitting for ages,” I said.
    Adam looked embarrassed. “No, no, I have to go actually, I just, you know, was on my way to the counter and saw you, so…”
    “Oh,” I said, nodding. “Well, if you have to go…” I didn’t want him to go! He stood there for a minute, his eyes not leaving mine, and I couldn’t think of anything else to say. I was feeling mortified that Adam had had to buy us drinks and then we hadn’t talked to him, just thanked him and carried on listening to Krystina’s brother telling his stupid story about drunk guys doing stupid things. I didn’t know if Adam was going because he felt he was in the way, or whether he was upset or angry with me, or whether he only came over and bought us both drinks because I’d waved and smiled when he came into the coffee shop because I’d thought he was the person Krystina had invited. The perfect girly day had turned into a disastrous boy day. And I was sad that I didn’t like Krystina’s brother as much as her, because I like her so much. Shopping with her yesterday was fantastic fun. I must try harder to like Kyle.
    I might talk to Jeff about some of this when he wakes up, although I shouldn’t tell him how I’m beginning to feel about Adam—they’re friends, it’d freak him out. It’s a breathtakingly beautiful morning—at this time of day, before it starts to get really hot, the sun is clear and the daylight is a sort of shell-pink color. Everything seems shiny and clean and unspoiled, and it’s easy to hope the things I did yesterday that were messy will just be swept away today.

blogplace: Inside Adam
    JULY 29
    IT’S NOT exactly unexpected that someone as attractive as Livia is going to be surrounded by blokes, but she is always surrounded by blokes. I walked into the coffee shop yesterday and she was there. I thought I’d get a chance to have a bit of a chat with her and her friend, maybe try to be a bit funnier than I was the last time I saw her, stretch out the old Adam charm, you know. It is there; it’s just resting. So I went to get her a drink, and by the time I’d got back—we’re talking three minutes?—some Brad Pitt is sitting on a chair the wrong way round and laughing at her jokes. The weedy English bloke at the gallery was one thing, but I’m starting to think she’s well out of my league. The fact is, I don’t know if she’s into either of them, so I’m not going to give up. Anyway, I’ve already e-mailed Jeff to ask if they fancy coming out this evening. Jeff said they’re going to see a movie at six but he and Livia can be back in town for about nine. So that’s good, right?

july 29: part 2
    I was getting ready for Krystina and Kyle to turn up to take us to the pictures—trying to straighten my hair to get it as shiny as Krystina’s—and Jeff came in eating a carrot like Bugs Bunny and said, “Oh, hey, I told Adam—d’you remember Adam, that bloke you —?”
    “Yes, of course I remember Adam! What?”
    He chomped on the carrot for a few annoying seconds. “Oh, yeah, I told Adam we’d maybe meet up with him for dinner after the film, if that’s okay with you. If you’re tired, it’s no problem. It’s just I’ve had to turn down seeing him a bit recently and I’d like to catch up. But it’s