Can't Get You Out of My Head (please get out of my head I'm begging) (bxb)

16 | the cemetery is obviously the perfect location for a first date

The pretzel stand at the edge of town has a red and white striped canopy. The scent of freshly baked pretzels hits us as we draw near.

Kai leans against the stand, talking to Christoph whose hair has grown out to shoulder length. I haven't seen either of them in a while since they live on the other side of town. Kai has a new piercing through their left eyebrow. But then again, they have a new piercing each time I see them.

Christoph looks up as we approach, kohl lined eyes widening. "Hey!" It's been a while, I go by Christine now!

"Hey Christine. Kai." I wave at them. "How're you both doing?"

"Great!" Christine beams. I heard there's a new boy in town...one who has a crush on you, Lukas! Is this him?

Kai gives voice to her thoughts. "You must be Ethan." Lukas, man, you're on a date? I never thought the day would come.

It's not really a date. I frown in their direction. Anyway, I've been on dates before. Why does everyone think I haven't?

"Oh, yeah." Ethan blinks. "I work over at the bookstore, have you come by?"

"Ah, no." Kai realizes their mistake and backtracks. "I just heard you were new to town. We don't have a lot of visitors."

"Pretzel?" Christine asks, before Ethan can question it too much. She nods towards a row of golden-brown pretzels, twisted and sprinkled with coarse salt. Well, I think it's cute, Lukas! You're going on your first date!

It's not my first date! "Yeah, two please," I say, and she hands them over.

We hang around the stand, chewing on them. Ethan is still humming that song in his head but it gets worse as silence falls upon us.

What is that awful song? Kai wonders, swallowing the last of their pretzel. They start humming along with the tune in their head.

Oh my god, please stop! Christine tries to think of a different song to cancel it out but nothing comes to mind. She inadvertently starts humming the tune too. Lukas, please take this guy away before he starts an epidemic.

I let out a breath, trying not to laugh. We lost all our customers so I'm taking him to the forest. No one will hear him there.

Good! Take him FAR away, DEEP into the woods! Christine conjures up an goofy image of her holding up a cross to protect herself from the curse of Ethan's singing.

One of the more challenging aspects of living with telepathy is that a particularly catchy song can worm its way into every mind in town. As soon as someone manages to get over the earworm, they will only catch it again as soon as they step outside.

Remember that Gangnam Style epidemic of 2012? Christine shudders. Those were dark days indeed.

Kai joins in the silent conversation. Wait haha Lukas, just take off your shirt. Ethan will have a brain reset and no more Oompa Loompa.

It would be worse for the town to hear THAT! My cheeks burn and I duck my head.

Ethan munches on his pretzel, oblivious to everything. Oompa, Loompa, Doompa-dee-do. Crystals of salt decorate the tip of his nose and scatter around pink lips.

Bro, you're really staring hard at this guy's mouth. Kai grins at me cheekily.

I sigh internally. Not them too. "We'll get going then." I toss my empty pretzel bag in the bin and turn to Ethan. "Do you want to see the forest?"

"Yeah! Sounds good." Ethan smiles. "See y'all later!"

There's an old trodden path into the forest. The trees grow denser as we walk, sunlight sifting through the branches. It dapples on Ethan's face and dances across his dark curls.