SOPHIA
"No way! You're the luckiest girl in the world!" Candy screeched.
I had just told the table what happened in Environmental Awareness class. Most of them were shocked that Mr. Devil would put Damon and I together for a year, but some people, like Candy, were ecstatic.
"Maybe he could even sit with us at lunch, so you guys could work on your project of course." She rambled on.
"That isn't possible, they're fighting for most popular, which means they have to sit at different tables." Kyle interjected.
"Well it's obvious that Damon will win, so why doesn't he sit at our table?" Candy reasoned in that sickly sweet voice of hers. Even when she insulted you it sounded like a compliment. It was a gift for her and a curse for everyone else.
"Actually, so far Soph is in the lead." Garrett, captain of the swim team and my best friend, defended me.
I shot him a thankful smile in return. I would have stood up for myself and pointed out that I was winning, but I didn't want to sound rude or cocky. If I was anything but super nice to people they'd think I was fake and stop being friends with me. I couldn't afford that when the contest with Damon was on the line. So Garrett usually said the things I couldn't.
Sometimes I wished I could speak my mind more, it got exhausting being so nice you practically became a doormat for people to walk all over. But at least I had my best friend to look out for me.
"Whatever Garrett, you're just saying that because you're in love with her." Candy shot back.
If there was one thing I knew about Candy, it was that she hated being wrong. And she'd say anything to get her way.
"I love her as a best friend, but I'm not in love with her." Garrett replied calmly.
This conversation was nothing unusual for us, we hung out all the time so people just assumed we were secretly dating or something.
What they didn't know was that Garrett's gay. I was the only one who knew and he made me swear on my mother's grave that I wouldn't tell anyone.
Candy just rolled her eyes and went back to picking at her uneaten salad while she gossiped with the other cheerleaders.
"Why can't a guy and a girl be best friends without everyone thinking they're together?" I asked rhetorically.
"I hear you." Garrett replied, bumping my shoulder with his.
I shook my head sadly, disappointed in society for always assuming things, and took a big bite out of my pizza slice.
"Are we hanging out today after school?" Garrett asked.
I swallowed my food and nodded, "I wanted to bring you for a Tori visit, she misses you."
Garrett nodded and went back to eating.
Suddenly the cafeteria went silent.
I looked around to see why everyone stopped what they were doing and after a moment my eyes finally fell on what everyone else was already staring at.
There, at the entrance of the cafeteria stood someone I hadn't seen since freshman year.
There he stood, in all his glory - Dylan Russo.
Although he still had his shaggy blonde hair and bright green eyes, he'd definitely changed. Gone were his braces and skinny limbs, and in their place were perfect white teeth, and muscles that any guy would kill for. They weren't too big and bulgy but they weren't non-existent either. They were just perfect.
He was just perfect.
And it didn't help that I'd had a crush on him since the fourth grade.
When he moved away I was devastated, I cried myself to sleep the night I found out.
But now he was back, and he had a decision to make; either sit with me or Damon.
It was a fifty-fifty chance since Dylan was best friends with both me and Damon.
That was another thing we use to argue about; who Dylan liked best. Whenever Dylan would hang out with Damon and not me, or vise versa, we would become jealous and lash out at each other.
Everyone was shocked when Dylan finally chose where to sit. Instead of sitting with either of his old best friends, he sat at a table filled with outcasts and misfits. I had to respect him for that.
"Is that who I think it is?" Candy whispered to our table.
"Isn't that..." Garrett started, and I finished off his sentence.
"Dylan Russo."
- - - - - -
"Mind if I sit here?" A voice asked from my right side.
"Sure." I answered, not bothering to look up to see who it was.
I was in the library for my last class, doing homework, and really didn't feel like talking to anyone, I needed to finish this review.
"Thanks Fia." The person said.
I froze, there was only one person that called me that. My head slowly turned to look at the person now sitting beside me.
Dylan.
He was grinning goofily at me like he used to, and I instantly felt comfortable.
Since his looks had changed so much and he was suddenly super hot I thought things would get awkward, fast, on my part anyway. But he was still the same old Dylan, just hotter.
"Long time no see huh?" He said, breaking the silence.
I let out a quiet laugh. "It's been way too long." I told him in a playful manner, but what I said was true. I missed him more than I should've.
I'd had a crush on him for so long. So when he left it sucked, but the worst part was losing my best friend.
No more than half a year later Garrett transferred to this school and we instantly became friends, but it was Dylan that I shared all my childhood memories with.
I'd known him since elementary school. Our parents were high school friends that later reconnected. So obviously Dylan and I spent all our time together because our parents did. They used to think Dylan and I would end up getting married one day.
"I've missed you so much Fia." Dylan admitted, giving me a sad smile.
"C'mon Lan, don't make me sad" My voice cracked. If we didn't change the topic I might start crying. There was no closure in the way he suddenly left and seeing him again was brining up all those old feelings.
He rolled his eyes and pulled me into a hug, "You're still the same old emotional Sophia."
I laughed into his chest, "And you're still dorky Dylan."
The bell suddenly rang, startling us out of our embrace.
"I'll see you around." I said once I'd packed everything into my backpack.
"I'm looking forward to it." He replied as we both stood up and made our way to the library exit.
One last smile was shared between us before we went our separate ways.
I was shoving the last of my textbooks into my locker when I heard someone walk up behind me.
"Stay away from Dylan." Damons annoyingly familiar voice was low and threatening.
I slammed my locker shut with more force than necessary and spun around to face him.
"Do you really think you have a say in who I talk to?" I asked, venom dripping from every word.
He winced slightly at my fury but didn't back down.
"You're not going to steal my best friend away from me again." He shot back.
"Watch me." I spat as I stepped around him and toward the school doors.
Before driving home I texted Garrett to make sure he remembered our plans. And once I was home I waited outside for him to arrive so we could leave right away.
Damon's cheap Toyota pulled into his driveway and out stepped the devil himself. But what I wasn't expecting was for Dylan to step out of the passenger side.
I stood there staring at them in shock and disbelief while Damon smirked at me and Dylan waved.
Garrett, being the lifesaver he was, pulled into my driveway just as Damon was about to make one of his stupid comments.
I quickly hopped into his car and instructed him to get me away from there as quickly as possible.
- - - - - -
The nicknames Fia and Len that Dylan and Sophia use for each other are just the last three letters of their names. So there's no story behind the nicknames or anything. Just thought you might want to know.