Chapter Nine
Where it All Begins
I once read that children are the innocent souls that build up our world. They are harmless creatures, the human being at its purest form.
Cross out all of the above.
Children are diabolic creatures that feed on your mistakes; they enjoy making each other’s life's miserable, hiding, breaking and taking things. Not mentioning their irritating wails, and wet little chubby faces.
Children are evil.
"Mommy cuts my banana in small pieces!"
I looked up into the small and impertinent expression of a small girl, who stared at me as if I had just covered her banana in cow poop.
"It can hurt my teeth!" she bellowed.
And I could hurt your face, I thought.
"Now sweetie," my voice sounding as sugary coated as possible, "I will try to cut them smaller, alright? We don't want you hurting that little... mouth of yours,"
Once Nagging Nelly was pleased with her darned banana, I slipped into the toy closet, to have a moment of blissful silence.
"Ditching so soon Chloe?"
Off course, it didn't last long.
"Dylan, leave or shut up. One or the other,"
"Man, Cindy was able to get you really worked up," he observed.
“The thing has a name?”
He laughed, “She’s adorable,”
"Next time it’ll be you cutting her food,"
Pushing the door open I left the room, not caring if he followed.
"I came to tell you that I needed a hand with the boxes outside. Ana told me to ask you,"
Ana, the manager and teacher of this community and service project. Also known as my punishment, is possibly the kindest woman on earth. This being the second time Dylan and I visit the day care. Not once have I heard her complain over a kid, always with a smile on her face reassuring those little devils when needed.
"In other words, you're not manly enough,"
His eyebrows rose, "Now Foster, let's not debate what I am or what I'm not,"
I opened the back door, which faced the school grounds perfectly, the cool breeze blowing my hair away.
"Suit yourself,"
Dylan grunted something from behind, and before I could step out fully, he barged through, stomping to where a tall heap of boxes waited to be organized.
As I grabbed the smallest one from a pile, and tried pushing another with my foot, I heard the rustling of clothes from behind me.
I turned around, "Could you-?"
Holy Mother of God.
It felt as if my eyes had un-shamefully glued to the very center of Dylan's chest, and taking their time, began to descend landing on a trail of hair from his belly button towards...
Oh lord. I was hyperventilating.
"I-I... um..." My eyes darting to his face, but quickly fell back to his naked torso.
Dylan walked towards me; tossing the white shirt he had just removed aside, and picked up the small box from my hands.
"Not manly enough, right?" he chuckled in my ear.
Grumbling gibberish, I walked away ready to pick another box. And I didn't take a peek when Dylan stretched to lift a wood plank, I wasn't aware of how his muscles flexed slightly, or the way his tan was more pronounced on his shoulders, than anywhere else.
I didn't realize.
We worked in silence, me trying to control my raging hormones, which had been set off thanks to my partner's nude exhibition!
"Hey Dylan!" crooned someone from the other side of the fence.
A startled expression crossed Dylan as he looked up from his work, "Oh, Katelyn. Umm... hey?"
I looked up, and definitely there she was, Katelyn Cross co-captain of Ram's High cheerleading team, a white skirt showing of her skimpy thin legs and a white tank top to match.
"What are you doing here?" said Sofia McMillan; one of her silly goons, staring boldly at Dylan's stomach.
He ran his hands through his hair, "Helping piling boxes for Ms. Ricci and the children,”
The girls nodded in understanding, causing me to snicker silently by the irony.
"You weren't at the party last Friday Dylan," pressed Sofia's whiny voice.
And not waiting for whatever Dylan answered, I walked into the dust-filled closet and began wiping at the remains of filth. The dust began to make my eyes water at one point, and taking a breath I chucked the grimy cloth away.
"Don't think so," stated Dylan in the background.
"B-b-but I don't get-"
Seriously. Didn't they realize how simply unbearable their voices sounded? It was one thing to sound girlish. But it was another thing all together to sound as if you'd inhaled helium.
"Chloe, how's it going?" Ana was standing in front of me, watching as I taped the last pieces of paper to the door.
"Everything's going fine, thanks,"
"You and Dylan can come inside once you're done, we have cupcakes today," Something caught her attention behind me, "Or, you can stay here and chat with your friends,"
I looked to where she was pointing, only to realize she meant Dylan and the simpleminded dolls. "Don't worry Ana," I smiled brightly at her, "I'll be inside as soon as I'm done,"
Her brown eyes, fixed on me for a second too long, she finally grinned back and walked inside waving.
"Goodbye then Dylan, we'll leave you here at your things," I heard one of the girls say, and just on cue, I stepped out from behind the cupboard door, making myself visible for the first time.
"Chloe!" Dylan's arm tried to make an aim towards my waist, but skipping I dodged it.
"Hey,"
I'm still not sure what was best, Katelyn's shocked expression, or the way she desperately tried to muster something to say.
"You work with him here?" demanded Sofia irritated.
I nodded, moving closer to Dylan's side enjoying her looks of disbelief, "He's what you would call, my partner,"
"Nice,"
I winked, "You bet," which got Dylan chuckling at my side.
Katelyn finally gaining back her composure, snorted in my direction sounding like a pig, "We'll leave then, we all know that Chloe has this thing for football players. Such shame she doesn't check to see if they're too good for her,"
I smiled and leaned closer to the fence, "Katelyn dear, you're the one who should get checked. STD's are so not in this season,"
"Screw you,"
I laughed, and watched as she tossed her hair back, and stared at Dylan, "Don't say you dumped Amanda and you're now interested in the low class Dylan," She tsk-ed. "We all expect much more of you,"
My eyes narrowed in her direction.
"Get your liposuctioned ass out of here Katelyn. They day you realize how much shit you say will be when you first use your brain,"
Chin up, she walked away, sandals slapping against the cement floor. While my eyes focused on the back of her head, hoping I could burn a hole.
Dylan whistled "Intense,"
I banged the door of the cupboard shut, and just for good measure kicked it.
"Stupid, annoying, princess!"
"I agree. But please don't take it with the cupboard,"
I sighed and let myself fall down to the floor, my hands cradling my face.
"Hey, don't sweat it,"
I laid on the cool grass, the smell of wood and dust invading my senses as I talked, "I don't understand her. Will she ever get over herself?"
Dylan snorted, "Please, its Katelyn we're talking about,"
I looked at him, squinting against the rays of sun. "Don't you like her?"
"It's not a matter of liking; I haven't had a serious conversation with her since... well, never. But that doesn't make less of her, she's still smokin',"
I rolled my eyes and stood up.
"Not my type, as she - wait, what?"
I looked at him, "What?"
"You're looking at me with that face,"
"What face?"
"That face! As if I had just proved any assumption you had of me, right,"
"You have,"
Picking up the remaining pieces of wood from the ground, I felt I couldn't leave the conversation like it was.
"Why are you even here?" I finally exclaimed, turning around to face him dead in the eye.
"To help you?" he mumbled.
"No. Leave aside the whole, 'help you' thing. Don't you have something to do? A life?" Ironic of me asking that question to one of the most desired boys in the whole of Rams High.
But Dylan just stared, "I... umm, why shouldn't I be here?"
I pointed my finger at him, "Don't answer my question with another one of your own. Being you, I thought you'd be going at it with some girl, or playing call of duty with your friends,"
Dylan groaned, running his hands through his hair, "Chloeeee. Why? Why the hell do you still think so badly of me?"
"Should I have a reason not too?"
He straightened, "Remember at my house? You said we act like characters straight from a movie, we judge people who we don't know. But aren't you now doing the same? Judging me for what I am in school? Being in the football team does not mean I am a complete dick head,"
My eyebrows rose, but he continued, "I admit I'm a failure when it comes to Math, but I'm pretty good at Physics, and I love English with passion! So don't think that I am here wasting my afternoons, instead of shagging random girls in the back of my car, or messing my mind by killing virtual dudes on my PSP,"
He took two steps closer to me and grabbed my hands, which like the rest of me had frozen in place.
"I like being here Chloe, hell! I like it a lot!"
I could only manage to nod, as I found myself caught in his eyes, testing him for lies.
"Why did you want to know?" his hands still holding mine made it hard to muster the correct words, let alone making them sound right.
"The silence was making me uncomfortable,"
He laughed then, and no one in their right mind would have guessed what happened next.
Dylan hugged me. His strong arms pressed me against him, my face breathing into the hollow side of his neck. And without realizing, my arms found the curve of his shoulders and loosely hung, keeping him close to me.
When we pulled away he was grinning like an idiot, but there was still a nagging doubt clouding over my mood.
"This makes us... what?" I asked. And seeing as he didn't answer it gave me an excuse to explain myself, "Because you're still and ass Miller; an ass with a useful brain, but an ass none the less."
In the seconds in took him to answer me, thoughts swirled through my mind; the first one being something like; CHLOE WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?
The truth was... I didn't know. A week ago, the mere thought of being near Dylan Miller would have been repulsive yet exciting in order to mess with. And I kept asking myself the same thing over and over again. Can I trust Dylan Miller? A boy who seems to understand what I say to him, a boy who's able to crawl under my skin, a boy who is more than meets the eye. A boy who has me questioning my own sanity!
"We're friends Foster. No matter how messed up that sounds,"
"As soon as we leave this place you'll be regretting you'd ever said that,"
He smiled, and rubbed his thumb against the back of my hand. "I won't,"
I shook my head and pulled away, just as the smell of cupcakes danced in front of me making me smile brightly.
"Last one to get in wipes the floor," I chanted, and rushed into the building with Dylan laughing right behind me.
Ana stared at us as we sat down, giving us each a green cupcake. While eating I couldn't help but take a peek at Dylan who was still smiling; cheeks flushed by the running.
I grinned, because all along I had been aware that despite our differences, Dylan Miller and I had become friends.