. ephemeris

[everett howe]

12:30 PM For a moment, Everett wondered if this information would change Ruby’s opinion of him. With more of him exposed, there was more for her to judge, as if being found out would ruin the charade he was upholding. Of course his parents would be shocked and disappointed, then remind him of all the ways he would need to pay them back; his advisor would be surprised, never having guessed his best student’s heart wasn’t in his work. But as usual with Ruby, this secret could exist between them. “Yeah. And since I ended up NYU for chemistry, I guess it came in handy after all,” he chuckled, making light of their crossed paths. As for their road trip, he couldn’t believe they had made it to Syracuse. “No clouds in sight, it might be our lucky day,” he remarked, eyeing the sky after her assessment of good weather. “I was hoping you'd say that,” he agreed, fiddling with his phone screen briefly to check out the surrounding area. “Have you ever been here before?” he asked, curious if the New Yorker had ever traveled this way. He pulled into a green area slightly off the road that opened to a clearing, and having tried to plan ahead, unloaded two camping chairs he had borrowed from a labmate, setting them up in the shade of the hatchback’s open trunk. Of course he brought their special glasses, but he'd also packed a cooler with a little lunch for them. "Ta-da?" he offered hopefully, gesturing at their impromptu picnic.

[ruby anderson]

ROAD TRIP "Your secret is safe with me, by the way," Ruby sees the wheels turning in his head as they've breached a topic that neither expected. Majority of their questions were lighthearted, thrown in with a mixture of flirtatious manner. It was a good different though, something that seemed to always happen with Everett. Ruby loved to keep this secret only to herself, because with him she found a little bit of her old self coming to the surface. "Hm, maybe I'm not sure actually? I distinctly remember a time we went to Niagara Falls though." Ruby reminisces on the awfully long car rides with her younger brother Spencer asking the same dreaded question of 'are we there yet?' over and over again. Ruby giggles when Everett looks up to the sky and assess the condition for the eclipse. Suddenly he's full of more surprises once they're out of the car. Two camping chairs are placed at the back and a cooler are is now in Ruby's line of vision. "This is..so not what I expected!" The words tumble out before she realizes what they could sound like to him. "In a good way!" She quickly redeems herself and smiles at Everett. "Are these the special glasses? Put them on, I want to take a picture of you please!"

[everett howe]

1:00 PM His secret was safe, and that’s all Everett needed to hear from Ruby to know it from true. She had kept her word so far with everything, especially in the confusion of this relationship they were forging. Instead of worrying about their many secrets lately, he could be more present in this moment with her. Unveiling his surprise, for example. It wasn’t much—the chairs, the cooler, an umbrella just in case, a blanket, the pillow he’d brought for her if she slept during the drive—but it was a small effort from him to show that he had thought about this. Really, he had been since she agreed in the first place. At her first reaction, Everett nearly succumbed to his worry, but her surprise seemed to please her and he wiped the sweat from his brow. “These are the stars of the show,” he nodded, taking out the paper glasses—that looked much like 3-D glasses one might receive at the movie theater—decorated in NYU colors. He flit them on onto his temples and immediately lost sight of her due to the special coating but assumed she would be snapping her pictures. “Your turn,” he said, extending a pair to her and readying his phone. “Should we… take one together?”

[ruby anderson]

ROAD TRIP Everett hands Ruby the special glasses and she's even more surprised. They felt just like 3-D movie glasses, which wasn't she expected. But so it was turning out, none of this was how she pictured it in her mind. Along the side were special sayings and what looked of important things that verified their legitimacy. Ruby smiles when he obliges her request, placing the glasses on his face and she holds her iPhone out to get the photo. "Looking good," she teases him as he gives her a smile and Ruby snaps a couple shots. "Yeah..okay, we should." She nods her head and places the glasses over her own eyes now. She hated the hesitancy that was noted in Everett's voice, but it was to be expected. While this was fun, the reality of the situation hung heavy in the air at times -  that they were sneaking around and must keep this all a secret. Ruby moves in closer, and Everett requests a smile. "I won't tell or show anyone the photos, if you're worried about that too," Ruby murmurs once she's situated in the camping chair. "Let me see our picture though!" She puts her palm out and requests.

[everett howe]

1:00 PM Although he hated having his photo taken, mostly because he never knew what to do with his hands or face, being “disguised” by the eclipse glasses helped Everett enough to loosen up. He heard the camera shutter sounds from her phone, waving off her encouragement. Then it’s pictures of her and then pictures of them together, his hand on her waist drawing her close, their cheeks almost coming together as they offered smiles and silly faces. He couldn’t believe what was happening, and now there was photo proof! “Just not right now, ok?” he clarified, guilty that they even had to discuss this. But he was becoming friends with Mirren and these tangles were becoming harder to manage. “Not yet.” Although he often referenced waiting for after the semester, he wasn’t sure what would happen come May. It was just a few weeks away now, looming on the horizon—so far so good. Would she still be interested in a proper date together? What would be the buzz around a TA dating their former student, besides the obvious speculation into when it had happened? And still unbeknownst to him, what about Dr. Angelo? He's ripped out of his thoughts by her request, handing over the phone with their photos on display. "Pretty cute," he teases, plopping into the chair next to her. "We should start seeing something here soon, then totality in an hour," he relayed, checking his watch.

[ruby anderson]

ROAD TRIP They pass the time with talking and enjoying the little picnic that Everett put together. Again, it's easy and Ruby hates to feel so conflicted about it all. Not about Everett, never about him. Just the way this has come about. Would he even want her in a few weeks when his gig as her teacher's assistant was up? Everett didn't strike Ruby as that type of person, the one she happened to be the previous semester with forbidden Professor Angelo. Everett prepares Ruby by asking her to put on the glasses, that the totality would hit just momentarily. She's anxious with anticipation as she smiles brightly and puts the funny glasses upon her face. He talks her through the minutes before the totality and throughout the entire thing, she feels his fingers loop between hers as he proceeds to give all of the explanations. Ruby squeezes his fingers and her mouth is slightly agape at the phenomena before her. The moment happens so fast she's not even sure if what she saw was a real life experience. "Wow..that was amazing. But it happened so fast!" She feels a signature Ruby pout coming over her features as she notices the crowd begin to clap and holler following the aftermath of the eclipse.

[everett howe]

3:24 PM Totality lasted less than two minutes, but the sight was as incredible as promised. Such a silly thing they were doing, gathering outdoors to gawk at the sky, but as soon as the moon moved in front of the sun, allowing for the bright ring to light up while otherwise darkening the sky, Everett finally understood. People had pulled over desperately on the roads, congregating at parks and schools to whistle and whoop at the astronomical phenomenon. With only some anecdotal knowledge inherited from his ex-girlfriend, Everett tried to narrate to Ruby what was going on, looking over at her more than once to watch her excitement. They had even kissed under the bizarre sky. As totality ended and the shadow began to shift again, their surroundings becoming brighter, Everett assessed the aftermath of their picnic. “Wow, that was so cool!” he exclaimed, still shocked and delighted by the whole thing. “I'll admit it, it was worth the drive. Totality or bust,” he decided easily, although he was nervous to look at traffic going back. “I feel like such a geek,” he laughed, running a hand through his hair, "my heart is still racing." The glasses were perched in his hair now, moving to sit on the edge of the hatchback's trunk. "Did I get sunburned from staring at the sun?" he chuckled, trying to check his reflection in the nearest window. "I'm not in a hurry to leave, if you aren't. We can maybe hang out a bit and see how traffic is."

[ruby anderson]

ROAD TRIP She's thrilled when Everett initiates a kiss during the time of totality. Though he initiated, it was definitely due to Ruby's insist need to be close to him. She moved her chair several times, finding each time to not be close enough. "You are such a nerd," Ruby laughs at the way Everett gushes over the totality they just experienced. "But it really was so cool. I'll give you that!" She lightly nudges him as they are both sitting on the back of the opened hatchback. Ruby watches as the crowd that was viewing with them begins to head into their cars, a line already forming for exiting the grassed area they'd entered. She smiles at Everett's question on whether or not he's been sunburned. She faces towards him, getting a better look herself at the situation he was worried about. "Hmm, I think you're in the clear. I can feel a bit of sun on my cheeks too, or maybe it's your excitement rubbing off on me." She takes the glasses that were perched onto her head and carefully removes them in case they were tangled in her hair. Ruby hands them back to Everett and he's speaking about the traffic. "That's good with me. I kind of expected you to want to rush out of here though, figured you might have something to get back to?" She asks, curiously not wanting to come across as nosey, but maybe a little bit. His school scheduled was entirely different to Ruby's, who felt like she could miss a class or two and be okay.

[everett howe]

3:30 PM Although he had enjoyed the spectacle, he had enjoyed Ruby’s enjoyment most of all. “I thought you said it was cute sometimes,” he countered with a laugh, trying to embrace that word so long as it wasn’t being hurled as an insult against him. On the topic of sunburns, Everett pretended to inspect her beautiful face. “Hmm yeah, just a little right here,” he teased, playfully poking at the ball of her cheek. It might have been from the laughter, though. With ease he reclined onto his back, an arm wedged beneath his head as he recovered from the frenzy. He’s delighted that she isn’t in a hurry to leave Syracuse already, but surprised that she assumed he would be. “Well, I always have a million things to do,” he admitted, he would give her that. “But I’m enjoying as much time as I can get,” he continued, blissfully ignoring the schedule left back at NYU. With Ruby, he was beginning to trust that he could shift things around enough that he wasn’t behind or stressed out. The body was starting to realize that he could try to balance a social life and his work. Letting his eyes drift closed if only to rest, he soaked in the slightly dimmed sun and listened to the clearing around them. “Hey, here’s another something about me I bet you don’t know. I can speak French.”

[ruby anderson]

ROAD TRIP "It is cute sometimes, don't worry." She braves more touching moments between the two of them, and slightly pinches his cheek. The two of them laugh at her ridiculous motions. Everett does the same, touching her face that felt a slight bit burnt from the sun exposure. The winter had been cold, but not the worst they've seen in a  while. The sunshine had been limited, so she wasn't the least bit surprised that a tinge of redness was spreading across both cheeks. There it was, he always had something to do but was making the time for her. She loves the feeling that his words bring her and she secretly hates that a smile has been so permanent on her face today. "Oh? Say something. And then tell me what it means of course. Make it cute." She encourages, and dares him at the same time, as she continues to watch the various cars attempt to leave. Honks and yelling could be heard on occasion. "I feel like it's going to take us a while to get home, isn't it?"

[everett howe]

3:30 PM So much for Ruby’s question game, she was going to learn all about Everett today without much prompt. He felt entirely open and ready to share as much of himself before the walls inevitably closed up again; when that might happen, he didn’t know, but it seemed Ruby had figured out her ways inside. “I mean, I can read it and understand it better than I can speak it. I’m a little out of practice,” he fumbled to explain, trying not to regret this declaration already. “Here goes...” he said, clearing his throat for show. “Tu es très jolie et je t'aime bien,” he emphasized with his best (and most exaggerated) accent, learned from years of school and hearing it at home. “I think I said something like ‘you’re pretty and I like you’,” he offered, though there was no way for her to surely know—unless there was another surprise in store. “My mom’s French Canadian, that’s why I know it.” Noise from the road drew both of their attention, a ton of cars glimmering not too far away from them. “Oh, god,” he frowned down at his phone and the thick red lines starting to form on the map. More people and more cars meant more accidents and bottlenecks. California traffic was a beast in itself, but millions of people taking to the eastern seaboard at once? He watched the ETA continue to recalculate as he considered their options. “We can hang out and keep an eye on things, or hop in line right now. What do you think?"

[ruby anderson]

ROAD TRIP Ruby can't believe that it's Everett who's leading the question game, with not many questions being asked. He was offering information about himself in ways he never had before. Ruby feels like she's sitting on the edge of her seat, pocketing any and all details he was willing to give to her. In their previous study sessions, she shared a little bit about herself. The most vulnerable a person could be though, was airing out their struggles. All of which she'd done the first meeting with Everett, as she begged him to help her even though his office hours were over. She hadn't given up too much of the wall that surrounded her, but every so often she noticed little bits and pieces she did extend to him. He's nervous to speak French but finally does and it sounds beyond natural, even with some nerves settled in his voice. "It sounded good to me," she reassurances and giggles at his explanation of what he spoke. Her lips find his cheek to appreciate his compliment. She hears him murmur the words 'oh god' and looks over his shoulder at the map. Many red lines and even a few black segments. The many of cars and honking were evidence enough that this would be a lot different of an experience than their trip out here. "You're the one driving. We can do whatever you're comfortable with?"

[everett howe]

6:00 PM “Ok, let’s hang out for a little while and see.” A little while turned into an accidental two-hour nap in the back of the hatchback before a stray car horn in the distance jostled Everett awake, his arm prickled with dead nerves beneath Ruby’s head. “Oh shit!” he exclaimed when he glanced at his Apple Watch, seeing how the time had passed. Soon it would be dark, yet there was still a steady stream of cars trickling slowly down the main road. He shot upright to check the status of his maps app: still riddled with thick lines of traffic and accidents. “Seven hours to get back?!” he yelped, doing the math in his head as the ETA continued to shift forward. First Everett felt panicked, then he felt stupid for having miscalculated their adventure. Perhaps if they had been more decisive about leaving right away, they would be sitting in the car right now with some miles under their belt. Although he was happy to have napped, his idealized plan was now turned on its head—and he was hungry, as their junk snacks and light picnic had only tided him over for so long. “Ruby,” he said softly to the girl next to him, trying not to let the anxiety slip into his voice. They needed gas, and food, and now they would have to drive through the night until a horrifying hour. "This isn't looking good. We need to get on the road."

[ruby anderson]

ROAD TRIP The two of them talked for a little bit longer as the crowd continued to grow. Soon enough though, the early morning travel hits Ruby in a wave of sleepiness. Her eyes flutter and she forgets all about their surroundings. She feels warm, the most warm she’s felt in a while and Ruby senses a content smile pulling on her lips. In a distance she hears what she believes is her name. It’s so far, she’s not sure if she actually hears it until it’s suddenly louder. And followed by soft nudge, she makes out Everett’s voice calling her name. He repeats her name one more time before her eyes come open, noticing that it’s way later than their plan. The sun was the opposite side, a few hours away from setting. More honks come from every direction. “Oh no,” Ruby turns her head to fully look at the scene, the realization hitting her. “What time will we be getting home?” Ruby climbs out of the hatchback and starts folding the chairs they’d sat in just a few hours ago. She watches Everett move more things into the hatchback and beckons her to come to the passenger seat. Ruby follows after finishing the chair task. “It’ll be okay. I don’t have classes until 1, I know you might have the more busy schedule.”

[everett howe]

6:00 PM He had not accounted for this, the reality of which was unnerving. Everett had studied maps, weighed different places within the range of totality, read articles and predictions about traffic and weather and cloud coverage. He was good at preparing for everything except human behavior. But this deviated from the expected and it made him want to fall apart, trying to remain level-headed in front of Ruby who was just rousing from the nap. “I didn’t mean to scare you,” he murmured apologetically, helping her to pack everything back in the car. The nap was unplanned, this traffic was worse than anticipated, and their options suddenly seemed very narrow. “Like 2 AM,” he groaned in answer to her question, zooming in and out of various routes. They were back in the car again, the air outside starting to chill, sunset coming soon. “I have to host office hours,” he said, ironic that his star student was currently next to him. “I’m good to drive, I just need some coffee and a little more than candy. And we need gas…” he started, still consumed by his phone screen. He didn’t love the idea of sitting and driving for more than thirteen hours in a single day. All of this for a minute of totality! "We might as well go have dinner and see if anything changes," he suggested out loud, hoping she would help him make a decision.