Dreamers Never Die

Three - Why I Even Try

Once the bell signaling the end of the day rang, I rushed out of my classroom and into the crowded hallways. I had hoped to get out of the school and take shelter somewhere far from anyone even remotely close to Jenna. Of course that plan hadn't lasted long as the blonde ran up next to my side. From the commotion behind me it even sounded like she had knocked over some kids in the process of rushing over here.

After the lunch catastrophe I had little to no classes with Jenna, the one exception being my last hour of the day. The one class I could use her the least. If it hadn't been for this I would have successfully gotten away from Jenna, knowing on her first day there was no way she could have maneuvered the large hallways to find me in time. That had obviously not worked out for me.

"Hey, almost lost you there." She said laughing breathlessly. Knocking over teenagers and running to catch up with me must be being a good workout.

"Oh yeah, wouldn't want that to happen." I mumbled sarcastically, but Jenna either hadn't heard me or just hadn't caught the sarcasm as she just smiled and nodded at me. There really is no detouring this girl, even wiping the smile off of her face for longer than two seconds was a daunting task.

I opened the door to the school and walked into the humid New York air, Jenna almost looking slightly caught off for a second before regaining herself as if she was almost shocked we were walking out a door and to the outdoors.

"So what's cool around here?" She asked, looking around at some of the buildings that surrounded us, almost looking astounded by them even though most were run down apartments that most cooked meth in. Not something I, even with my hatred towards her, would recommend her going into. I may be a horrible person, but I'd rather not be the cause of someone dying in a meth lab.

It took most of my strength to not reply with some sarcastic comment, knowing maybe if I try and distract her with some touristy thing I could escape back to my house. She even looked the type to give into dumb tourist gimmicks. 

"I know a nice park we can visit." I said. Jenna looked at me and nodded cheerfully as we walked down the cruddy streets until we were met with the half dead grass and kids half heartedly running across the play equipment. Even the benches looked sad in the park.

Despite the depressing park I had chosen, Jenna lit up and grabbed my hand before leading me over to the swings. I wanted to make some excuse of how I needed to leave or just anything to pull myself from the situation, but no matter how much I urged my brain to think of something it came back up with nothing and as much as I wanted to complain to myself about me getting myself stuck in this situation, I also didn't want to leave.

I was about to sit in the plastic swing beside her, but stopped when she grabbed my wrist. I stood back strait and looked at her.

"Could you push me?" She asked, almost seeming bashful as she looked at the ground as she said it, the pink beginning to tint her cheeks.

For once while around Jenna, I smiled. I smiled at her getting nervous to ask if I could push the swing. How she could ask Rebecca to move tables so easily, but something so simple like this seemed so daunting and almost embarrassing to her. 

Unable to say no to her, I just nodded and walked behind her and pulled the swing back and let it go, pushing her back with my hand whenever she swung back. While she sat there, despite me not asking, she began to explain why she had moved here. From what I could gather from the bits and pieces of the story I actually listened to, her father had gotten a new job and moved her whole family over here. She said something about missing Australia that I had mostly just zoned out of.

"So what's it like living here?" She asked after realizing I had given little indication I had been actually listening to a word she was saying to me, but pulled myself back into reality with her question. 

I sort of just shrugged, not really sure what it was like to live here as my time was mostly spent in an apartment with my mom, watching cable tv and eating soggy cereal. I never did much so I wasn't the best person to be asking about what it's like to live here.

 "Er... I guess it's alright. The buses are kind of scary." I replied lamely, knowing I just needed to answer her as the awkward silence had started to grown between us from her asking the question and my answer. 

It was true though, my walk to the school could have been shortened by a good ten minutes if I just chose to ride an actual vehicle like a bus or really anything, but I always shyed away fearing that with my luck I would end up in a bus jacking or something.

Jenna just laughed it off though, turning to look back at me from her place on the swing. "I really enjoy your company, Tay." She said, quickly turning back in front of her as if she hadn't meant to say something like that, yet it had just slipped out. My theory was proved when she added a "Sorry, meant to say something else." The pink turned into a deep scarlet on her face as her gaze shifted back to the ground below her.

I gave her one more push before smiling and, much to my surprise, saying "I do too." because as much as I despised her being around me most of the time, I hadn't hated this experience, and for once had actually enjoyed myself in the company of someone else. 

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Update came a lot sooner this time at least and we're finally getting into some, small, Tenna or Jardougall or whatever the hell you want to call it, which was very cute to write.

As always, thanks for reading.