Before long we're strolling
outside licking multi-coloured ice creams. It's different to ice cream I've had
before. More refreshing, like having the coldest drink on the hottest day.
We
sit down on the edge of the fountain.
Graham
is on my right and Yates in on Elle's left, meaning they're as far away from
each other as they can be. I want to know if it's Yates being rightfully
annoyed or Graham being Graham.
'Tense
evening,' Elle says.
'Why
were you here, Elle?' I ask.
'What
do you mean?'
'I
just bumped into you as I came barrelling out of the hotel, and you came with
me. I never asked why you were here in the first place. You could have been
visiting a sick relative for all I know.'
'Just
wandering,' says Elle. 'Seriously, seeing all the places I wanted to see.
Finding strangers to have adventure with.'
Maybe
I've been hanging around with too many people like Teague, but I don't trust
her words.
'I
say we help you find Penny,' she says.
'You
guys don't want to be doing that,' I say.
'We
want to help, Easton. We were talking about it when you were gone.'
'Even
Graham?' I ask.
'Oi,'
says Graham. 'I'm not evil, you know.'
I
hit him and he nearly falls back into the fountain. His arms flail around and
splash the water. The remaining tourists in the square turn to look.
'Oh,
that's not going to get old,' Graham says, poising his arms to splash the water
again.
Elle
rolls her eyes and reaches across me. One sharp shove and Graham falls into the
water, backside first.
A
few people start. No one screams. They must just think the fountain's
malfunctioned.
Graham
surfaces and ejects water from his mouth. 'Was that necessary?'
'Completely
and utterly,' Elle smiles as we crack up laughing, licking our ice cream in
Rome on the perfect evening.
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