Disclaimer: The following is a prequel to Choices The Freshman and The Sophomore stories. It is a fictional adaptation. I do not work for Pixelberry Studios, the game developer or own the rights to the characters Chris Powell, Jo, Kyle or Nicole. All of the characters, story line and events were originally developed by me, some areas in part with @maxattack-powell, in conjuction to her adaptation of The Freshman.
Author’s Note: Contains strong language.
Chapter 19 (Part II): Good Girl
Reaching up and rubbing his eyes, Matt lets out a slight groan. He flicks the tip of his tongue over his upper lip. The metallic taste of blood flows over his taste buds and he sees red. His own blood in his mouth is like gasoline on a fire. Matt bit into his lip when he hit the pavement, his body only now recognizing the pain burning into the cut flesh, as other aches and sharp pains radiate from his skull down through his legs. His neck grows hot as he feels his anger burn.
“What the fuck Powell!” he shouts up from the ground.
The storm door on the front of the café opens and slams back into place with a loud rattle. The hasty steps of sneakers pounding hurriedly over the pavement can be heard. The sound stops somewhere near his head.
Matt looks up and what was one towering figure above him is now two. Ethan stands beside Chris, ready. He is ready to do whatever is necessary for both Chris and Morgan.
They had watched the scene with Morgan and Matt unfold from their table next to the window. Chris was up and out of his seat before Ethan could fully react inside the cafe. When Matt gripped Morgan’s face in his hands, Chris did not think; he only reacted. He jumped up from the table, thrusting his chair back with a loud scrape over the floor before it fell down behind him. He swung the entrance door open wide and jumped down over the stairs, flying as fast as his feet could carry him over to the truck. Ethan watched as Chris grabbed Matt’s jacket, lifted him into the air like a rag doll and slammed him down on his back.
Chris’s hands are now balled into fists as he stares down Matt, who is still struggling to get up onto his feet. He slowly sits up on his elbows, wincing as his head spins and a sharp pain erupts between his ears.
“I’m gonna beat your ass,” Matt announces.
Chris’s head tilts back slightly, his mouth tight and his jaw clenched. His heart pounds in his chest from the adrenaline. His breathing is shallow and uneven as his anger seethes. His expression is a dare for Matt to follow through on his threat.
Ethan’s eyes move from Chris over to the stunned young lady easing down off the tailgate of the Matt’s truck. Morgan is stupefied. Her face is wet with the beer Matt poured over her mouth. She wipes her face on the back of her sleeve but seems unaware of her own movements. Ethan does not know from the look on her face if she is scared, shocked, or anticipating the breaking point of this quickly escalating situation.
Matt’s defiance is enough to get him up to his feet. His vision is still slightly blurred and his head is starting to throb, but he is not about to surrender to pretty boy Chris Powell. He brushes gravel and dirt off his clothes.
“I should beat your ass right now. Do you hear me?” Matt says and forces himself to stand up straight. His face twists with fury as he speaks. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“You put your damn hands on her! It was pretty obvious she didn’t want you to,” Chris says in a restrained voice. “You’re lucky I don’t knock your ass out right here, right now.” He feels the confrontation brewing and a vein in his neck appears as he tries to suppress the storm inside himself.
“Oh, come on!” Matt says with a sardonic laugh. “I was just playing around. I was joking. We were playing, right Morgan? She knows it was a joke. You were having fun, right sweetness?” he says with a smirk and looks over to her.
Her lips part, her eyes dance wildly and she looks to Chris. His eyes remain on Matt, not trusting him for even a split second to look away. Matt has never backed down from a fight, he’s usually the instigator. He also doesn’t believe in fighting fair, a fact that Chris is well aware of.
Morgan only shakes her head no silently. Matt’s eyes narrow at her.
“Morgan,” Ethan says trying to keep his voice gentle and comforting, but there is an urgency to his tone. “Come here. Stand behind me,” he says stepping in between her and Matt. She does as he says and peers around him at Matt. He laughs again and shakes his head.
“Nicole said you were a bitch who can’t be trusted. No sense of loyalty with you. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised, really, huh?” he says looking back over at her. Ethan takes a step forward.
“Watch your mouth,” Ethan says in a low, slow voice.
Matt’s head lulls from the left to the right and he realizes he is now standing between Chris and Ethan. There’s no chance he is going to let preppy boy Powell and the altar boy Clark whip him. He knows between the two of them, he has to take one out first. Ethan watches Matt stare down at the pavement for a minute knowing the wheels in his head are turning. He watches as Matt slowly balls a fist, his shoulders and neck tightening as he gets ready to swing. Matt turns towards Chris but before he can lift his arm, Ethan’s voice halts his movements.
“You might want to think again about doing that,” Ethan says in the same, calm, low voice. Matt looks at him from the corner of his eye. Ethan’s face is as calm as his voice, but the eyes that typically lift at the corners in contentment are now veiled with a menacing threat.
“You two boy scouts ain’t gonna do shit,” he scoffs, his hand still in a fist. His head jerks back as he makes the comment and another pain strikes his head. He staggers a bit but straightens himself.
“You know who’s not gonna do shit?” Chris says and steps directly in front of Matt. “You.” With his chest lifted, he waits for Matt to react. “Best thing for you to do is get in your truck and leave.”
“That’s right,” Ethan nods and takes a step in closer to Matt as well. The two football players are not much taller than Matt but they suddenly look like giants compared to him. “You want to know why?”
Matt sucks at his teeth, his head back and glares.
“Let’s think about this for a second,” Ethan says eyes narrowing. “Assault of a minor, giving alcohol to a minor, underage drinking….” Ethan cocks his head to the side and eyes Matt.
“Let’s not forget also that you are 20 and hanging out with a 17-year-old high school girl. That’s more than a little creepy and there’s going to be a few questions about that,” Chris frowns. “No one in this town likes you. Including every girl your own age.”
“Fuck you,” Matt says irritated and puts his hands into Chris’s chest to shove him back. Matt pushes hard, but Chris does not budge. Instead, Matt bounces back from Chris’s body bracing against the impact.
Surprised, Matt looks from Chris to Ethan again. The frown lines in Chris’s forehead deepen and he takes a step forward, ready to retaliate when suddenly the café door opens.
“Chris? Ethan?” Ray calls from the doorway. The four standing in the parking lot turn to look at him. “Everything alright with you guys? We heard some commotion from the back?”
Chris looks at Ray, then turns his attention slowly back to Matt.
“One phone call,” Chris says. “One phone call and you are done.”
Matt looks from Chris, to Ethan, to Morgan, to Ray. He blows out a breath and shakes his head before turning and bumping his shoulder into Ethan’s. “Whatever,” he says and walks to his truck. He flips the tailgate up and grabs the bottle of tequila from the bed.
Morgan, Chris and Ethan watch as he climbs into his truck, starting it up, the brake lights glow but only for the blink of an eye. They all but jump and out of the way as he backs up in a hurry, his truck stopping dangerously close to them, before he puts it in drive, spinning the tires and races off up the highway.
“It’s cool Ray,” Ethan says. “Nothing to be worried about.”
Ray studies the three teenagers and then notices the broken bottle in the parking lot. He is reluctant to turn away but nods slowly and goes back into the café, the door closing behind him.
Morgan’s head remains turned, her eyes following Matt’s truck until the red taillights are no longer visible.
“Morgan…” Chris says looking at her. She does not respond. Her eyes are still on the road even though there is only blackness ahead.
Chris glances at Ethan concerned, then looks back at her.
“Hey, Morgan,” he repeats and he touches her arm. She flinches, jerking her arm away for a moment and then blinks. She frowns deeply but then when she looks up at Chris, it’s suddenly as if she recognizes as old friend.
“Chris,” She says softly.
“Are you okay?” He studies her face. Her hair is wet in spots and he can smell the beer that spilt on her clothes as well. “Let me see your face,” he says and reaches up. He gently presses the fingertips of both his hands under her chin, guiding her face to turn from side to side as he checks for red marks. Morgan’s eyes are cast downward, feeling embarrassed and ashamed.
“There’s a small spot near your cheek, looks like a scratch,” he says and frowns, feeling his anger return. He swallows it down and sighs. He continues to hold her face in his hands. Morgan finally lifts her eyes to his. They stare at each other silently for and then Chris drops his hands. He is very aware that she probably does not want to be touched, specifically not by him.
Ethan looks back and forth between them and senses this might be a time to give these two a minute.
“I’ll go get our jackets,” Ethan says and turns and heads into the cafe. Once inside, he looks out at Chris and Morgan, standing barely a foot away from each other. He picks up the chair Chris knocked over and sits it upright, taking his jacket off of it and waits.
“Thank you,” Morgan says after a few moments. “For…jumping in there like that,” she nods and looks down at the pavement.
“I just…I saw what I saw and it looked like he was hurting you. I wasn’t going to let that happen Morgan,” Chris admits. “The main thing is that you are okay. Are you?”
She nods slowly and her eyes lift to search his face. She sighs and shakes her head at herself. “I should have known better.”
“No way you could have known he would pull something like that. This wasn’t your fault,” Chris says seriously. She shakes her head again and he puts his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him again. “It’s not your fault Morgan,” he repeats.
She gives a tiny head nod and locks eyes with him. “Thank you ….”
He pulls his hands back and they stand in silence, both trying to think of something to say to the other. Neither can find the exact words.
“You sure you’re okay?” He questions again. His eyes continue to focus on the red scratch mark on her cheek.
“I’ll be fine,” she nods.
“If he comes back around or tries to call you or anything you let me know, okay?” He states with a deep frown.
“You don’t have to…to do that, protect me,” Morgan says. “I should be able to take care of myself and make better decisions.”
“I look out for the people I care about Morgan,” he says earnestly.
“Chris….” She looks up into his eyes and exhales. “I know that I’ve been keeping my distance from you and that…you’ve tried to apologize more than a few times for that night and I blew you off,” she licks her lips and takes another deep breath. “It’s…it’s okay now,” she nods. “We’re okay now.”
“Really?” His voice lifts in surprise. He clears his throat. “Seriously?”
“Yeah,” she says softly. “I mean, you just WWE’d a guy for me Chris. Complete acts of chivalry are number one on the forgiveness chart.”
A slow smile stretches onto her face despite her unsteady nerves and he smiles in return, chuckling lightly. “I would have done that to him weeks ago then if I had known.”
Morgan chuckles but it fades as she becomes serious again. “I mean…I realize that you do care. That’s what I’m saying. I had convinced myself, after…after what happened between us, that I meant nothing to you and my feelings didn’t matter. I didn’t want to hear from you or anyone else otherwise.”
“I know and I’m sorry I made you feel that way, like you were just a body that was there,” Chris says pained. “That’s never what it was Morgan. I…trust you…and I do care about you. You, you are the only girl I would have ever felt safe enough to try and move on with because I know you have a good heart and you say what you mean and feel. I wasn’t ready. I let what people said to me convince me I was.”
“I think being mad at you Chris was the only way that I could find to move on from you,” Morgan says and shrugs and then looks at her shoes. She frowns. “The only way I could think of to change what I felt for a long time was to tell myself that I hated you. But of course I never did. I don’t think that’s possible with you Powell. You’re just that guy,” she looks up at him.
His eyes meet hers and he isn’t sure if he should speak the words but after a brief hesitation he does. “If Nicole and I had never been together,” he licks his lips. “If Ryan didn’t have feelings for you….If I had been really ready for something real, I don’t know Morgan, maybe there would be an us. I don’t say that because I want to get your hopes up, I just…I needed you to know that. I needed to get that off my chest that…I do see you.”
Morgan blinks and stares back at him silently.
The door to the café opens. Ethan walks out with Chris’s jacket in one hand and wearing his own.
“Everything good?” Ethan asks looking back and forth between them.
Morgan looks at Chris and gives a tiny nod. “Yeah, we’re good.” He nods too.
“Good. So, uh, how about Morgan, I take you home?” Ethan says and looks at Chris with raised eyebrows. Chris knows the motivation for this. It’s still best he and Morgan not spend time alone together. “Is that okay with you?” he asks her.
Chris looks at her and she nods in agreement. “Yeah, thanks Ethan.”
Ethan pulls his keys from his pocket and begins walking towards his truck, Morgan following.
She abruptly halts her steps and turns around. “Chris!” she calls out to him.
He turns and faces her. “Yeah?”
She takes a deep breath and walks over to him, she stretches out her arms. He opens his and pulls her against him, squeezing her tightly to him. He holds her for a moment, rocking her slowly, laying his head on top of hers. She pulls back and looks up at him. She nods her head and pulls away, walking back to Ethan’s truck.
Ethan stares at Chris, his eyes questioning. Chris holds out his hands and shakes his head, a gesture to convey the innocence of that moment. Ethan nods and unlocks the passenger side door and holds it open for Morgan as she steps inside. He closes it and jogs around the truck, but Chris stops him.
“Hey,” Chris says and then drops the volume of his voice. “Ryan can’t know about tonight. Ever.”
“I agree,” Ethan nods.
“Thanks for having my back,” Chris says and bumps his fist to Ethan’s.
“Always, you know that,” Ethan nods. Chris turns and walks to his jeep as Ethan unlocks his door and steps into his truck. He and Morgan buckle up and Ethan starts his truck, briefly glancing over at Morgan and checking his rearview mirror. He watches Chris climb inside his jeep.
Ethan backs out of the café parking lot and onto the road, turning on his headlights. Morgan turns and looks to Chris in his vehicle, lifting her hand to wave as she and Ethan drive away. He waves goodbye back to her.
She lets out a long, slow breath of relief and sits back in her seat.
“You sure you’re okay?” Ethan asks heading up the highway towards her home.
“Yeah, yeah….” She nods slowly. She runs her fingers through her hair, pausing at the damp spots. She lifts a few pieces to her nose and frowns. “I smell like beer.”
“Your parents going to be up?” He asks as he heads up the highway.
“Yeah, but I can get up to my room pretty quick without them noticing. I hope so at least,” she sighs. She flips down the sun visor in the car and through just enough light coming in from the moon, inspects her cheek, seeing the red scratch there. She huffs and flips the visor back. She shakes her head again, her disgust more with herself than Matt.
“I’m sorry he did that to you,” Ethan shakes his head.
“Yeah, but…maybe I need to make better choices when it comes to the guys I hang out with. Not really doing too good in that department as of recent. Present company aside,” She looks over at him and Ethan smirks.
“Chris just wasn’t himself. He’s beat himself up pretty bad for what happened,” Ethan explains.
“I didn’t make it any better for him.”
“Wasn’t your job to,” Ethan says looking over at her briefly before turning his eyes to the road. “But you guys are cool now?”
“Yeah,” Morgan nods. She thinks for a minute as they drive along. “What did Chris say to you back there about Ryan? I heard his name,” Morgan looks over at Ethan. The jaw muscle in his cheek flexes as he clinches his teeth, blowing out a breath through his nostrils.
He does not immediately reply.
“Ethan?” She questions, clearly not letting it go.
“We agreed that Ryan didn’t need to know about this,” Ethan said. “So, I’d say the same thing to you too Morgan. Ryan doesn’t need to know,” Ethan keeps his eyes on the road.
“I wasn’t planning on telling him or anyone for that matter. Not one of my finest moments,” She says. “But…why was Chris worried about Ryan?”
Ethan runs a hand over his hair and scratches at the back of his head. “ ‘Cause…neither of us wants to see Ryan locked up in jail, that’s why.”
Morgan stares at him in silence. He can feel her eyes boring into him as he drives, questioning the meaning behind his statement.
“Ryan’s just…very protective when it comes to you, I’ll say that much,” Ethan voices with caution
Questions swirl in Morgan’s mind and she presses her tongue to her teeth about to bring one of them to life but as she watches Ethan’s profile, the sudden tension she can see in his neck and shoulders, she hesitates.
“Did…something happen with Ryan and Chris?” She asks. “After…that night?”
Ethan only gives a small head nod. He releases and then grips the steering wheel, cracking his neck as he does, his eyes straight ahead.
“Oh,” she says softly and sits back in the seat. She turns and looks at the window. The highway lights every few yards do little to illuminate the dark road towards her subdivision, the blackness of the night seeming to fit the odd events of that evening. “Was it bad?” She asks softly.
“Bad enough,” Ethan says vaguely. “So, unless we want to find Matt impaled against a tree in the middle of the woods, best to not say anything. He’s friends with Chris. He can’t stand Matt. I can’t imagine that ending well.”
“Where was he tonight? I’m surprised he wasn’t with you guys,” Morgan says.
“Said he had some things he had to take care of. I am actually really glad he was not there now,” Ethan admits.
Morgan lets out a hmph and shakes her head turning her attention back to the road.
“What?” Ethan asks curiously.
“What, what? What do you mean?” She frowns.
“That noise you made and that look said you were thinking something….”
Morgan pauses and then looks at him wordlessly.
“Okay, truck rule, what gets said in here, stays in here,” Ethan nods.
“I trust you Ethan,” Morgan says. “It’s cool.”
“So, what’s up?”
“I was just thinking about Ryan, how…how different he is now,” Morgan says slowly.
“Different in what way?” Ethan cocks an eyebrow.
She blushes slightly and looks out the window. “I don’t know. I guess, I mean he’s so sweet…and can be really caring. He’d do anything for people he’s close to. He’s funny and just a good guy.”
“You know…that’s really not anything new about him Morgan, you’ve just gotten to see that side of him. Most people first meet Ryan and think he’s just a dumb jock and a party guy but, Chris and I and now you, know better,” Ethan shrugs. “I know he used to flirt and come across as a jackass to you, but…the Ryan you know now is the Ryan he’s always been. He just let you close enough to see that.”
Morgan smiles faintly and is quiet again. Ethan is no fool. He senses something in her comments. “So, this new found respect you have for Ryan…?” He glances over at her.
“Go ahead and ask,” she waves her hand and sighs.
“You like him?”
Morgan looks over at Ethan. If he were anyone other than Ethan she would never voice her feelings. But with him, she knows his word is iron clad. “Yeah, I do. A lot actually. There was a point where, I really hoped we could have something.”
Ethan raises his eyebrows. “Wow…and Chris?”
Morgan shrugs. “I don’t know. It’s…it’s not the same. I think a part of me will always feel something for Chris. I just don’t know on what level. It’s not like before. But…I really did believe I was in love with Chris all these years. That’s…not something that just goes away overnight. Like I said, it’s not the same though. I think, for me, he’s that guy that there will always be an attraction to.”
“Morgan,” Ethan says slowly, “with Ryan and Chris being best friends-“
“I know,” Morgan interrupts sadly. She looks down at her hands in her lap. “I know. Ryan knows too. It just seems kind of impossible with everything that’s happened. I think that’s why I wanted to hang out with Matt. I knew it was a bad idea from the get-go, but…I liked the attention. I liked the idea of being able to be out with someone that liked me too. It was dumb though.”
“I’m glad Chris and I were there,” Ethan says flatly.
“Me too,” she nods. “Thank you.”
“When you are at college next year, you’ve got to be extra careful. You are really sweet and want to see the good in people. Guys will try to take advantage of that.”
“I feel like part of me is changing though. Believe me, I’ve learned that riding in cars with boys leads to trouble,” she shakes her head and Ethan laughs.
“Present company aside,” he adds.
“Of course,” Morgan smiles. “You excited to head to Boston College next fall?”
“Oh yeah,” he nods. “I fell in love with that campus when I visited. Great place and looking forward to going there. What about you? What’s your plan for next year? Have we ever even talked about that?”
“Nope. I applied to Carnegie Mellon, Penn State and Duke actually,” Morgan says. “I didn’t do early admissions, so I won’t know till April, but I’m hoping.”
“Morgan that’s awesome! I had no idea that’s where you wanted to go. Why’d you pick those schools?”
“They have great performing arts programs and I really want to continue to study dance. I thought about opening a dance school one day, that’s my dream. I’m not good enough to perform with a company, I know that. But I’d like to be able to teach,” she explains. “Being captain this year showed me that.”
“That’s incredible. I had no idea. Does Ryan or Chris know that?”
Morgan shakes her head no. “Nobody’s really ever asked me what I want Ethan.”
He looks over at her and she locks eyes with him. “Well, I think it’s awesome. Do you think you’d come back to Cherryfield and teach dance?”
She shrugs. “Maybe someday, but…I’d really like to see the world. Travel to different states and places and live somewhere other than here for a while. Like some place warm, you know? ”
“Yeah, I do. There’s not much to offer here in Cherryfield.”
“It’s home though,” Morgan nods. “Okay so Clark, we’ve discussed the pit of despair that is my love life,” she laughs and Ethan joins her. “My career plans…but what about you? Any Cherryfield girls on your radar?
“Good god, no,” Ethan quips.
Morgan lets out a loud laugh and claps her hands. “Why not?”
Ethan shakes his head. “Are you kidding me? Look at Ryan and Chris? Hell, look at you! Relationships are trouble. I’m just hoping to get out of here alive at this point.”
Morgan laughs harder. “Yeah, but girls at school love you.”
He frowns. “No, they don’t. Why do people keep saying that?”
“Because it’s true you blockhead!”
Ethan shakes his head.
“Really? There’s no one?” Morgan says as they pull into her subdivision.
“There was a girl, but she’s long gone from C-H now,” he says solemnly.
“Kendra?”
Ethan only nods.
“I liked her, she was always cool and really nice,” Morgan says as Ethan stops his truck in front of her house.
“Yeah, she is….”
“Career?” Morgan asks.
“I’m planning to go prelaw. I’d like to do something representing kids in court cases . I studied up a little on it when I took speech and debate. BC has a great program.”
Morgan stares at him and smiles. “That’s the most Ethan thing ever.”
“What?” he laughs a little.
“You doing something so selfess and heroic to help kids. That’s who you are Ethan. Superman. “
He smiles a little to himself and glances over at her. Morgan’s smile is big and bright.
“Well, thank you, for everything tonight and for listening….It’s good to talk to you.”
“Anytime,” he nods. “And hey, maybe when you open your dance studio, you can teach me some things because I swear my two left feet have left feet.”
Morgan laughs and smiles at him. “Ethan, with all of the incredible things you are going to do with your life, dancing will be the least of your concerns.”
***
“Come here,” Ryan says. He is sitting sideways on the motorcycle seat in Tay’s garage. She steps to him, smiling shyly. He reaches up and brushes her bangs back from over her eyes, an arm sliding around her waist to bring her closer.
She wraps her arms around his neck and leans in as he kisses her lips tenderly, letting his index finger trail down from her temple, to her cheek and under her chin. It is Tay who parts her lips, slipping her tongue between his and letting them collide. He tastes her and feels the warm wetness of their deep kiss. A tingle runs through is body.
She pulls back and presses her forehead against his. Ryan slides his hands around her waist and then takes her bottom gently in his hands.
“Hey,” she says with smiling eyes and a light laugh.
“Hello there,” he grins in return.
“God, you are so cute, do you know that?” She squints and pulls her face back from his. “It’s actually annoying how cute you are.”
“My face is annoying?” he asks, cocking an eyebrow.
“Yeah, it really is. You should do something about that,” she grins.
“Well I happen to think your face is beautiful, so how about that?” he tilts his head.
“Someone has to balance things out between us,” she laughs and places her hands on his shoulder.
After their kiss outside of the gymnasium, Tay no longer wanted to fight her feelings. She had known for weeks that she was falling for Ryan. The second his lips met hers, her fate was sealed. She was ready to give herself over to her feelings completely. The repeated excuses she had made to keep him at bay, finding reasons to start fights or telling him to stay away, had all been in vain. She was terrified of loving him but now she did not care anymore, throwing caution to the wind.
Ryan came over her house right after basketball practice, having showered and changed at school. They spent the first part of the evening working on the bike together as they had done previously. The air in the room feels different tonight. It seems every particle in existence is part of the magnetic field drawing them together. The teasing continues, that’s who they were, but as they worked there were kind words and sweet whispers. Ryan occasionally stole a kiss a few times in the process and Tay never minded.
There is the joy of a new relationship between them. Every kiss better than the last, but still the foreignness of each other’s touch creates the shiver of pleasure at the new sensations. Ryan has only felt this tug once before and it was unreciprocated. With Tay here and now, he feels the realness of having more than just physical attraction with a girl. This is his first true venture into a relationship.
“This is so crazy,” she says looking into his eyes.
“Me and you?” he grins as he says it.
“Yeah, I mean…it’s crazy, like right?”
He shrugs. “Maybe a little but…if we both are into each other, there’s no reason for us to not try something more, right?”
She smiles and places a soft kiss to his lips. “Right,” she whispers.
“I’m happy,” Ryan says looking up at her. He gently squeezes her bottom in his hands and she closes her eyes slightly.
“Me too….” She sighs. He pulls her against him and wraps his arms around her back. She rests her chin on his shoulder.
“Do you think people will think it’s weird?” She suddenly pulls back and looks in his eyes.
“What are you talking about?” He frowns as he questions her.
“Like your friends. If we are dating like…will they think it’s crazy that you are with that one weird girl from school?” She questions.
Ryan stares back at her. In the weeks that he has been spending time with Tay, no one has known. Not even Ethan or Chris. He has never uttered one word about her to anyone. He’s been conscious of the fact that he has kept his activities with her a secret, but in the beginning he told himself it was his business and no one else’s. There was nothing between he and Tay more than friendship and the spark of attraction then.
Now, the realization that he could not keep this a secret any longer hits him. He is not sure he is prepared to share their change in relationship status with the world just yet.
“Don’t worry about people. Let’s just focus on us right now, okay?” he says and nods.
She smiles and hugs his neck tightly. Ryan closes his eyes and rubs her back in small circles.