Sending Out Flares

“What’re you-” He cut himself off when she wrapped her scarf around him. “Shouldn’t you be wearing this?” Ollie asked worriedly, eyebrows knitting together. Pulling the edge of his shirt-neck up around his mouth and nose, he coughed a few times, grimacing as he swallowed. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. Autumn here is like something out of a story book,” the man said dreamily. “Rarely.”

“No, no you wear it, you need it,” James insisted with a smile as she waved off his worry and then grimaced at his cough. “Poor Ollie you sound awful, come on I’ll buy you something hot,” she offered rounding the corner and fishing in her pocket for her money. She paid for two ciders and offered a cup to Oliver. “Here try this,” she said sipping her own cider and smiling with a crisp ‘Ah.’ She pouted when he said it rarely snowed and looked around at the trees. “The leaves change yeah? That’s just as good I guess.”

He smiled at James and nodded, giving an annoyed look. “Well thanks J, that’s sweet,” he said dead-panned at the mention of how he looked. “Yeah, colds are the worst. You’re not sick enough to really stay home but you’re sick enough to feel gross,” Oliver rolled his eyes and then nodded. “I was actually just looking for some,” the blond admitted before he froze. “Of course, promise,” he laughed. The man sniffled and pulled his sweater closer. “Having fun?”

James giggled and smiled warmly as she took her scarf off and draped it around Oliver’s neck, bundling him up further. “Well let’s just get the chill off your bones,” she started for the stand serving hot cocoa and cider. Her own boots gave hollow little thuds across the pavement as she walked. “I am actually, thanks, I’ve never been anywhere with seasons before. Kincaid lived in Cleveland but I only ever saw him in the summer, I never saw snow or anything like that. Does it snow here?”

“Yeah, I’ve been here since I was like, fourteen. Fifteen, maybe,” he shrugged lightly. “I’m from Italy. I stuck with my roots when I went to go serve, so I just enlisted with the Italian Armed Forces,” he clarified with a smile. “I’ve seen a few familiar faces since I got here. Didn’t expect to see any childhood friends, but I did and I’ll admit it’s nicer than starting over in a new town. Besides, I got to meet you, didn’t I? That’s just as good.”

“Must be nice, everyone I knew is back in the States an ocean away but it’s nice to have a fresh start, a clean break,” she said nodding lightly before looking at Romeo truly touched by what he was saying. She put a hand to her chest and smiled warmly, “Aw Rome,” she said reaching up and brushing his hair back affectionately. “Meeting you’s been awesome too, I’m so glad we got to hang out and become friends. I don’t have many here in Harpoole and I’m honored to call you one of them.”

Oliver loved Autumn, loved the festival and everything it brought with it. But he hated germs.  And currently, he was a sniffling, miserable mess due to all the recent weather changes, along with being back teaching again, allowing his immune system to be assaulted. The mere task of breathing through his pink-chapped nose was exhausting, and if Ollie was being honest, quite irritating. He’d only woken up four hours ago with the cold and yet it felt like a lifetime ago.

There was no way he was going to miss the annual Autumn Festival though, no way in hell. So he’d put on some clean, warm clothes, stuffed a few tissues in his pockets along with a travel-sized thing of hand sanitizer and made his way down to Main Street, walking idly along as he took everything in. He was currently in search of a good hot cider vendor, something warm and soothing for his raw throat. Sniffling again, he noted a familiar face and brightened up some, smiling. “Hey!”

James was taste testing some small cakes from the bakery, enjoying the break from the heat and absorbing everything a season like autumn had to offer. She had grown up in Laguna Beach where summer was year long and had never really had an autumn and winter on the beach it never got very cold because she was so far south. She loved the idea of having seasons and a beach, she was curious to see if it snowed at Harpoole but hadn’t had the guts to ask anyone yet.

She gave a start when she heard a chipper albeit stuffy voice greet her and she looked up to see Oliver. “Ollie! You look awful,” she teased in a concerned manner as she instantly reached for his forehead. “Aw man, first cold of the season? That sucks browski, want some cider? I saw a vendor just around the corner, they have cocoa too,” she offered smiling a bit before wincing playfully. “If I hang out with you and get sick does that mean you play nurse and watch Disney movies with me all day?”

He smiled softly at her remark, almost finding himself missing being called that. Of course he missed serving, but there was nothing quite like having a normal life where he could get out of bed every day and be proud to do so. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a little nostalgic. Came with the label he supposed. The festival was a nice little start to his little life, and who better to spend a little of his time than with James. He wouldn’t admit it, but their meeting was incredibly curious to say the least.

“It’s been a few years since I’ve been to the festival, so I guess I’m a technical newbie.” He wasn’t. “Oh, that’s fine. I’d be more than happy to buy you a drink instead, to be honest.”

“Oh well what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t let you buy me at least one drink?” she asked smiling over her shoulder as she grabbed her wallet and draped her lanyard with her keys on it over her head. She walked back over to Romeo after ensuring her front door was locked then led him out the back and locked up that, too.

“Well I guess we’ll figure out the festival together, I didn’t know you lived here before. Did you leave to serve in Italy?” she asked curiously as she hopped down the steps and into the cool sand. It was a chilly autumn day but not so chilly she needed anything warmer than the jogging sweater she wore with her jeans. “Have you met anyone you knew before here?”

“Someone like that is good to have around,” he pointed out, probably unnecessarily. “No need to apologise, just glad to see you don’t actually hate me just yet,” he chuckled. Standing aside to let James go first, he haphazardly tucked his hands into his pockets, following her. Her last few words struck him oddly, and he wondered if it was by another context or something she’d just said out of dry humour– or maybe she’d actually meant it. Either way, he disregarded it. “Any other plans this weekend?”

James laughed lightly and swung herself out of the hammock and slid on her sandals. She stood and tousled her hair absently, “No I could never hate you, Capitaino,” she teased lightly as she tied up her hair. “Let my grab my wallet and we can head up to the festival and no, no real plans. This is my first year here in Harpoole, I don’t know much about the festival so I’m kinda just going to roam around and see what’s what around this time. I moved in this summer so-” she shrugged and waved for Romeo to follow her inside. “You want a water or anything? I can buy us a drink once we hit Main Street if you want.”

“Well, that’s certainly something I didn’t expect,” he perked his brows in confusion. “Sorry, I just came by to ask if you were coming to the festival, but I can see you’re busy.”

“Oh Rome it’s you, sorry I thought you were my busy-body neighbor. He’s always trying to get me out and about to mingle,” she held a hand up in pause and winced, “Sorry I snapped, I’ve had a really long night. Work,” she explained before smiling. “Let’s try this again- ahem, Hey Rome what’s up? Festival? Sure I could go,” James said in a happier tone once seeing it wasn’t Isaac from next door. “Maybe I can meet ‘The One’,” she said mysteriously as she stood. 

Of course by “the one” she meant a roommate. Since moving to the small little bungalow James had been looking for the perfect person to share it with. She had a spare bedroom and a guest room currently being used for storage and she really liked the idea of reliving her college dorm days where she had a permanent best friend living with her. She just always neglected to think about how the term “the one” came across to others.