CHAPTER 12

    Carly wasn't the kind of person who fancied newcomers.Not because she was mean or anything but she preferred remaining in her old core which was mostly alone or with the cheerios.The weren't the best friends she would have loved,but they gave her a sense of belonging.None of them would be called her closest friend because in all honesty,she didn't even like them that much.The only thing that made her be on the team was because her mother made her,saying that she needed to be around the classier girls who for some reason,her mother thought they provided a sense of security.Her excuse was that she had been worried that if she didn't join such a group,she would be bullied just like in middle school.She forgot that Carly was no longer  the littlest girl in her grade.She had finally crawled out of her shell and grew out.She didn't have the strength to refuse so she just went with it,especially because she had no one else.Back then she had her twin brother but after their grandfather's death just before they got into high school,they had grown apart,fighting at every chance they got.

    Back to the present,Dylan looked just like the person she would want to be friends with.For the first time in her life,she had looked at a new comer in a different way.She didn't know if it was her looks or her very impressive first achievements about everything.She had scored almost a perfect score in the history test,the highest in the class,she had become really popular in the basket ball  team and rumor had it that she might be made captain.That was not uncommon since even the cheerios had a sophomore captain.In that school,leadership was not always based on age.

  Anyway,maybe it wasn't all about that but there was something about her that attracted Carly.For her,it was just that;an attraction,not romantic but more of a friendship thing.At least that's what she thought while she was seated on a bench in the gym,reading a book on Friday afternoon while waiting for the other girls for cheer practice.She looked up once in a while observing her as she played exceptionally as if she had done it all her life.Passionate,is what she gathered from her.She didn't struggle,she didn't even seem to tire and then there came the time to score.This time she stared a little more as Dylan jumped and threw the ball over the ring quite easily then landed on her feet lightly.From her strong,muscular legs due to regular practice and the toned arms that held the ball.It was then that something deep inside clicked.Tiny but she became aware of it immediately.Dylan looked really more of a tomboy in her shorts and sleeveless  basket ball shirt.She always tied her hair in bun while she practiced and even though she always wore clothes slightly bigger than her size during the other school hours,the long black hair was always down.No style,no make up.She didn't realize she was overthinking and stared too far until the coach shouted.She had been looking but she hadn't really seen what had happened.Call it absent mindedness.Dylan was bending over holding her lower abdomen in pain.