Love Along The Paperclip novel Chapter 2

"Forty-seven uses to do what with a paperclip?" I ask.

"Who knows? That's just what I hear."

"You seem to hear a lot."

"I keep my ears open."

We're silent for a moment and it occurs to me that I'm sitting on the dirty hallway floor with Colton Pearce and it's actually not so bad. Many girls might even be envious of my position. I suppose his green eyes and brown hair aren't so bad...

I realize I am practically complementing Colton's looks, so to distract me from this I ask, "How could someone do harm with a paperclip?"

"Many ways, Dear Carlson." Colton adopts a pompous, Sherlock Holmes-type voice. "One could simply pop the eyeballs out of their sockets with a flick of it."

Images of eyeballs hanging from sockets appear in my mind. "That's disgusting Pearce."

"So it is. Do you have a better idea?"

"Maybe he was in love."

"Was this a sordid romance?" Colton raises his eyebrows at me, looking slightly amused.

"Well, the woman was engaged and her family didn't approve of Mr. Emerson."

"He isn't a very approving guy."

I ignore Colton's interruption. "But they would secretly meet."

"And how does the paperclip fit into all this?"

"Maybe they would shape it and each shape meant something."

Colton nods. "Would they use the shaped paperclip to keep their love notes closed when they would send them to each other?"

"Yes." I gather my hair and manage to get in into a messy bun on the back of my head. I smooth down the frizzy bits on the side and wish I didn't have such red hair. "A heart would mean 'I love you'. A curlicue would mean 'I miss you'. And-"

"And then Mr. Emerson used the paperclip to kill his girlfriend's fiance and they lived happily ever after." Colton finishes.

I frown; apparently Colton isn't the best with fairy tales.

"Right."

We lapse into another silence. I slouch down even further down the wall and Colton hums under his breath.

"I'm sorry, you know." He says suddenly.

I jerk my head at an awkward angle to look at him. Rubbing it, I say, "For what?"

"Getting you kicked out of class. I just," He smiles slightly, as if enjoying his own private joke. "I can't control myself around you."

I let his words soak in. Colton Pearce just apologized. Well. Make a note on the calendar. This is a special occasion.

There's that catch.

Grapes and Agreements

"What would we have to do?" Colton asks.

I'm glad he asks; I am wondering the same thing. Knowing Mr. Emerson, probably something unpleasant. Visions of Colton and I picking up trash alongside a busy highway enter my mind. Possibly wearing orange jumpsuits. Then I realize that would mean we're criminals and quickly try to erase the image from my mind.

"Clean a house. My grandmother's, to be exact." Mr. Emerson clasps his left wrist with his right hand behind his back and moves to the window. Colton and I stay where we are, standing in front of his desk.

"Why does it need cleaned?" I ask.

Mr. Emerson sighs. "Because my grandmother's health is failing and no one in my family wants the task of cleaning her house. They were, however, very generous in giving me cash to hire someone. Or, two someones, to be exact." He eyes Colton and I.

"Right now we are in the process of moving her to a nursing home. That should be done before the week is over. After that, her house needs to be ordered. Things cleaned, boxed. And that basement," he shivers. "My older brother used to tell me monsters lived down there. And I still believe it. It's truly creepy."

"So," He suddenly claps his hands, making me jump. Colton snickers. "What do you say? Do you want to spend your summer cleaning some old lady's house?"

I share a look with Colton. He seems pretty sold, especially when Mr. Emerson tells us how much he is planning on paying us per week. Which, I have to admit, is a very nice sum of money.

"Alright," I finally sigh, after Colton begs me with green puppy-dog eyes. He beams and I make a mental note to make sure he loses an argument, just to even up the score.

Mr. Emerson grins (there's a large thud outside the door as a passing schoolgirl faints from its brilliance). "Excellent."

"Yes. Nice doing business with you." Colton moves forward and gives Mr. Emerson's hand two solid pumps. "Well, I've got to be going but I'll see you tomorrow. And you," He turns and smiles at me. I'm hit with both his green eyes and his dazzling smile, which makes my heart flip-flop once-again. "I'll see later." He winks and is out of the door, steeping over the fainted girl, who has gathered a fairly large crowd by now.