CHAPTER 13

On Monday morning,Dylan parked her bicycle along a long line of others.She had taken it as an alternative instead of being driven to school everyday.She was yet to get her license and she didn't want to be the sophomore student who relied on her mother to take her to school everyday.She didn't want to be nicknamed 'mommy's baby', but also because she needed to keep her body fit and exercised.So really,the bike acted most to her advantage.Just as she was about to head to the front stairs,a car drove into the parking lot.It wasn't the car that caught her attention but the people who were inside.There was no mistaking them.She stood there for a while pretending to be still securing her bike and watched sideways not wanting to make it too obvious.It had barely been parked when Carly got out.Threw her bag over her shoulder and walked towards the building hurriedly without even saying a single word to her brother. Dylan smiled.They really didn't get along.At the same time,she wondered why that was the case and suddenly was curious.As far as she knew,twins were the people who got along most.Even though she had no sibling,she always knew that if she had one,they would always be best friends.

She waited until Carly was about to walk past her and stood up fully.Carly looked at her in surprise when she noticed her.Clearly she hadn't noticed her earlier.She was too focused on getting through the entrance of the school as if she didn't want her brother to catch up with her.

   "Hey Dylan!"

   "Hey,"she replied with a smile.

   "I almost didn't see you there."

   "I noticed that.What's the hurry?"

Carly looked behind her where her brother had now joined a group of his soccer friends.She looked back at her and shook her head,"Nothing really.Shall we walk together?"

   "Yeah,"Dylan agreed."So,how was your weekend?" Truth was,she had spent hers thinking about Carly most of the time.Like,where she lived,what she liked and most of all,was she even a little bit gay?What she didn't know was that Carly had also been thinking about almost the exact same thing.

   "Boring.Fighting with my brother as always,"she answered honestly but didn't dare to confess she had been longing for this school day so that she could see her again.The urge was too strong that she regretted why she hadn't asked her for  her phone number at least. "How was yours?"

   "Being new and all,I have no friends so I spent all of it at home with my mom."

   "And here I thought we were already friends,"she teased.

Dylan laughed,"I wasn't very sure about that but also I have no idea where you live plus I don't remember you giving me your phone number."

Carly smiled,"Well,I don't remember you asking."

They both laughed as they headed to class.Dylan threw quick glances at her as they walked along.Was her joke just that or was it some kind of flirting?Did she mean it like an encouragement or was it her nature to talk like that.'Jesus,stop overreacting!'She reprimanded herself silently as she allowed herself to steal another quick glance.Carly's smile was so bewitching,so alluring.As if she felt her gaze,Carly looked at her and when their eyes met,she looked down in a blush.It was then that Dylan noticed the tiny dimple on her cheek.Why did she suddenly want to touch it? 'Oh crap!I'm so in trouble.' She sighed heavily and willed herself to look away and focus on getting her physics book.She learnt then that they would not be in the same class since Carly took Biology.She was both sad and relieved.Sad because she wouldn't see her seated across from her in class but relieved because at least she would manage to concentrate without her distracting her.

   "I'll see you next session?" Carly asked her as she went past her her locker.

   "Definitely," she replied then took her book,banged the locker closed and headed to her class but not staring after her for a few more seconds.Her walk was so graceful and even though she was not wearing her cheerleader uniform today,the blue jeans with white rubber shoes with a black top looked so good on her. She shook her head and murmured to herself,"Don't be such a guy Dylan," then headed to the opposite direction quickly.

           *****

   The day dragged on slowly.At least to Dylan it seemed so since there didn't seem to be another opportunity for them to talk again.They had sat together during lunch but only briefly because her coach called her to his office halfway through.She didn't even get to finish her lunch.But that was not the issue,she had wanted to at least get to know Carly more so it pissed her that they had been interrupted.And now,she couldn't wait for the last bell to ring so she could talk to her,at least get her number before they went home.By luck,maybe Carly would  agree to go with her to the field to watch as the guys practiced.She didn't hear the last parts of what the life skills teacher had said.Her concentration level was too low but also because that was the subject he hated most in high school.Her mind was brought back to her surroundings when the bell finally rang and students began to move.She sat back instead of getting up like everyone else,forgetting to close her notebook.A page she had made a drawing;one of many she had never let anyone see,not even her mother.

   "Nice art,"Carly said and took the book away.Everyone else had already left the classroom.Dylan tried to reach for it but Carly was too quick.She stepped back and held it in the air, "Let me see it, just for a moment."

   "Please give it back,it's so embarrassing."

   "Will you let me see it if I beg?" Carly asked with a crinkled smile and the question sounded more of a challenge.She looked at the angle of elevation of the book and did the calculations of snatching it away but Carly seemed to sense that because she held it further.Dylan would have probably overcome her if she tried and even though she really was embarrassed about the drawing,she didn't want to disappoint her. "Come on,two seconds only."

She gave in," Alright,just don't make fun of me."

Carly smiled and sat down,set the book back on the desk.

   " This is so good,why didn't you want me to see?"

Dylan sighed,"Because it's one of those things that one does for their eyes alone.Like a diary.Even my mom hasn't seen it yet."

   "Maybe so,but this art is meant for the eyes.It's amazing!" Carly exclaimed tracing her fingers along the drawing.It was a drawing of a mountain with a flowing blue spring surrounded by green trees.To complement the whole look,there was a bird patched on a tree branch holding something in it's mouth next to a nest where small beaks protruded wide open waiting to be fed. "I love it!It actually seems so real when you look closely." 

Dylan observed her  expressions.From her exclamations to her lighted up face and the ever present dimpled smile.She seemed genuinely interested in it that she started thinking that maybe they really weren't bad.She looked at her hand traveling along the notebook.The long  fingers with nicely manicured short nails and immediately remembered how good she had felt when their skins had touched the previous week. She almost gave in to touching them but was saved when Carly looked up and gave back the book.

   "Sorry I took more than two seconds," she said with a smile.

   "It's okay.I was just afraid you might laugh or make fun of me." 'And that would have been even more humiliating because I like you.' Not that she wanted to add that just yet,but it was what was going on in her head.

   "I can't even do a sketch of a cat,let alone such an incredible representation."

   "Thanks,"she replied genuinely."Hey,I was thinking of going to the pitch,watch the guys practice for a while.Do you wanna come along?" she asked before she could chicken out.

   "I'd rather not go anywhere near my brother.It's torture enough riding in the same car with him everyday and I think he wouldn't want me anywhere near that place."

Dylan looked down in disappointment since she didn't want Carly to notice the sudden cloud in her face.She however pushed it away quickly and asked the only sensible thing in the situation. "Can I ask what happened between you two?"

   "It's stupid but maybe I can tell you about it sometime," Carly replied. "But if you want,we can walk home together instead. I don't think my brother will miss me.Unless you'd prefer going to see the guys."

   "No,I'll walk with you," Dylan replied relieved that Carly's response earlier wasn't meant to push her away.

                                   *****

  "So,what was it like,the other school you transferred from?" Carly asked as the walked along the road,while she pushed her bike. She was surprised when she realized that she had not thought about it for several days now.Well,except for the basket ball team.That was the only thing she would take a long time to forget or not even forget compared to the current one whose members wanted to be more of enemies than friends.She took a while before answering and Carly went on,"Do you miss it?"

   "Only the B.B team.Their unity and support exceeds everything else I know.They were more like a family and supported everyone,giving a chance to everyone but still never got jealous when a person shone more than the rest,unlike here."

   "Well,if it makes you feel better,even a family can be a pain in the ass.But we keep hoping for a change,so,don't despair.Maybe they'll come around."

Dylan furrowed her eyebrows,"We are not only talking about the basket ball team,are we?"

Carly sighed,"No we are not.It pains me that I can't settle down with Carl and solve our issues.Anyway,enough of my whining,do you have any siblings?"

   "No,it's just and my mom."

   "Your dad?"

Dylan looked far ahead in the distance.What was she supposed to say?She didn't even get to know him.All the memories she had of him were all from what her mother told her. Carly must have noticed the distant look on her face because she touched her lightly.

   "You don't have to answer that."

Dylan shook her head,"It's just that  I don't really know much about him.Only that he was in the army and died while I was only two years old.I have no memory of him."

   "I'm sorry for bringing up a bad topic." This time when Carly touched her,she gave her a little squeeze.Dylan looked down at the hand on her arm.It felt so good,like it was pushing all her fears away and she wanted it to remain right there,even if for a little while.Her wishes didn't come true because Carly suddenly took away her hand just like she had done the previous week in the gym,exactly the same thing because she tucked both arms together across her chest protectively and sighed heavily but didn't say a word further.Was that tension?

     "You wanna go get a quick snack together?I didn't get to finish my lunch and I'm kind of hungry,"she suggested in an attempt to bring back the conversation to lighter topics.

   "Yeah,there's no harm in that.By the way,what did the coach want?"

   "He wanted Alison to apologize for hitting me on Friday and also go through both of our academic reports together so he can determine who should be made captain.Apparently we are his only eligible candidates."

 "How did that go?"

 "The latter part was okay,but the first one if you ask me,I think it might have made things worse.I mean,she's a junior and she might feel humiliated because I'm only a sophomore.I almost told the coach to give her the position but couldn't."

   "You might be right but to me,you don't seem like the person who would just give anything away just because she's afraid of what might happen afterwards if she doesn't."

   "Is that a compliment?"she asked with a grin.

   "I can take it back,"Carly replied in the same tone.

   "I think I'll hold on to it."

They both smiled as they approached a food truck at the first shops that were nearest to the school.