Chapter Five Part One: Rylie
I was miserable after the surgery. I felt fine for a day but then I entered the faze of falling apart. I was up to my knees in homework. I thought it was going to be something to do but I didn't understand anything. This is what it felt like to miss school because you lost your leg (which not a lot of kids my age go through by the way). I was also nervous for my first FaceTime tutoring session with Shawn was this afternoon and I was not ready. In the back of my mind, I really think I like Shawn but I don't really want to admit it. He just came out of a relationship and so did I. I wasn't looking for anything to get in to. Especially now. I'm under so much stress right now. I really needed to sleep but I really wanted to see Shawn. He said he wouldn't mind if I looked gross so I wasn't worried about how I looked (mostly).
I needed Sophie-Louise to come in and do my makeup or something. But she couldn't. No one could see me for weeks.
"Mom?" I asked, out of the dead silence.
"Hm?" she looked up from her phone.
"Do you think you could run home and grab my makeup bag?"
"Why?"
"I have to FaceTime someone for a tutoring session today."
"Oh. Who?"
"Just... someone," I shrugged. I was hoping that I wasn't being too obvious.
"Is it a boy?"
"Might be."
"Is it Warren?"
"No."
"Is it Tony?"
"No."
"Is it... Shawn?"
"No, mom just please go get my bag please please?"
"Alright, don't run away," my mom joked.
"Ahh, you caught me," I put my hands in the air. My mom left with that. I looked at my phone; it was about 5pm. Shawn and I's session was at 6pm. I hoped my mother would be back soon so I could doll myself up but not look like I was trying too hard. Our house was only like five minutes away.
I had already finished all of the homework that I could with my knowledge so all I could do was look at my Instagram feed.
The latest post from @shawnklein02>>
It was a picture of him sitting on his couch with hundreds of bags of chips surrounding him. The caption read "Missing someone ;)". I wondered for a while if he meant he missed me or Abi. I scrolled down to Shawn's new post. Caption: "Sorry this is going to be a little bit of a spam." Scrolling...
"Hmm, who is the girl I'm missing?"
~~~
"I guess you'll never know."
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"I might like her."
~~~
"I might not."
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"Who is this mystery girl?"
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"You'll never see me with her."
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"But only because she can't be seen."
~~~
And that was the end of the spamming post. I kind of hoped he was talking about me but then again, maybe he was talking about Abi. But, Abi can kind of be seen. I kind of can't. I wished Shawn or Sophie-Louise or Tony or Warren was here to talk to me.
***
My mom came back a little later with my makeup bag and I told her to go out and do something for a while.
"What? I can't meet this mystery person that's going to be tutoring you?" my mom asked.
"You've already met them mom, and I'd rather you not."
"Alright then," my mom sighed. "Maybe I'll go home and get some work done. We all have to work at home now that our building--" my mom cut herself off.
"It's okay, mom," I gave her a gentle smile. "You can mention the fire. I'm not a little girl."
My mom sighed once again,"Okay then. I'll leave you to 'tutoring'," my mom held up air quotes when she said 'tutoring'. I rolled my eyes at her and she left.
With that, I started my makeup routine, careful not to get anything on my white hospital gown. I was required to wear one since I just had surgery.
***
Sure enough, it was 6pm and Shawn was FaceTiming me. I hesitated to answer it just so I wouldn't seem desperate (even though I was). After about ten seconds had passed, I clicked the green answer button. As soon as I saw that blonde hair and blue eyes, there was a smile on my face.
"Hey," I said. I couldn't control my smile.
"Hey," Shawn ran his fingers through his hair. He couldn't control his either. The smile disappeared from my face when I saw all of the bruises on his usually unblemished face.
"Shawn! What happened to your face?" I asked, I cupped a hand to my mouth.
"Well, hello to you too, beautiful."
Chapter Five Part Two: Shawn
"Shawn! What happened to your face?" Rylie alarmed. I knew she would make a deal out of it.
"Well, hello to you too, beautiful," I said. It was then when I noticed that Rylie looked exceptionally well for just having had surgery.
"Sorry, that was a little rude," she blushed. "But seriously, Shawn, what happened? Did you get into a fight?" she searched my face for signs of what happened.
"No," I answered. Yes. I hated lying to her but Jack asked me not to say anything and I didn't want to worry her.
"Then what happened?"
"Got hit in the face with a football during practice." That wasn't true because I missed practice today because of detention because I got into a fight with Jack.
"Are you okay?"
"It hurts, but I'll get over it," I winced. Jack sure knew how to throw a punch.
"Aww, Shawn," Rylie stuck out her bottom lip.
"I'm okay Rylie, really," I assured her.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Okay then."
"So what did you do today?"
"What do you think? Nothing! I've been sitting here doing nothing but homework that I can't understand all day."
"Then we should get to it?"
"Yes, that would be great."
***
Rylie and I talked about homework and school for a while and we ended up talking about college. It actually wasn't that far away. I hadn't told her about what happened to me after detention.
"So what do you want to do in this world?" I asked her.
"I actually would like to go into photography. I used to not be opposed to being a cheerleader but obviously that's not an option anymore."
"What about guitar?"
"That's more of a hobby for me. What about you?"
"Well, football is a bit of a hobby for me."
"Really? I thought you would want to go to school for that."
"Nope. I want to go to school for something else."
"What?"
"I want to go to school for piano."
"You play piano?"
"Here and there," I shrugged. "I actually got contacted by a Juilliard scout earlier today...." Rylie's jaw dropped to the floor.
"Shawn. No. JUILLIARD?!"
"Rylie. Yes. Juilliard."
"What happened?! Tell me everything!" And with that, I was flashing back to earlier that afternoon...
***
Outside, making my way to my tiny car, I was met face to face with a man wearing circle glasses and was carrying a briefcase.
"Are you Shawn Klein?" he asked.
"Uhh yes, that would be me," I said.
"My name is Scott Bradford and I'm a scout for Juilliard. I need to talk to you."
"Juilliard?"
"Yes sir."
"What do you want to talk to me about?"
"Well, I saw your performance with the local performing arts studio. It was exceptional. I thought it was just marvelous. Juilliard would like to personally invite you to audition for a full ride scholarship."
"Oh my god, seriously?"
"Yes."
"I would be ecstatic to do that."
"Great. We would need you to come to New York for a few days for the auditions."
"Auditions?"
"This is a competition. With callbacks. I thought that was already implied."
"Yeah, no that would be great. I'll be there."
"Great. It's at the end of next month. The 20th through the 23rd."
"Thanks so much."
"Have a great rest of your day," Scott Bradford gave me a last wave, got in his sleek black car, and left the school parking lot.
***
I explained all of this to Rylie, mind you, her jaw was dropped the entire time.
"Shawn, that's great! Are you going to go?" she asked.
"I think so," I said.
"I love New York. If you don't get a scholarship, you'll at least get to visit the greatest city in the country."
"Yeah, I guess."
"I think I'm more excited for you than you are for you."
"That's probably correct," I nodded.
"Ugh, I would hug you through the phone right now if I could." I chuckled at her comment.
"Shawnie!" my sister called from upstairs. I rolled my eyes.
"What's up, El?" I said as Ellie jumped on my bed next to me.
"Who are you FaceTiming?" Ellie asked. Ellie answered her own question when she saw Rylie. "Oh, hey... Rylie?" Ellie looked at me with a confused look.
"Hey... Ellie," Rylie slightly pursed her lips.
"Brother, why are you FaceTiming the HC? The girl who decides my fate as a cheerleader?" Ellie whispered quiet enough for Rylie not to hear.
"We're friends, sister," I said with raised eyebrows.
"Oh, friends. Right," Ellie winked. She said this line loud enough for Rylie to hear. Rylie grinned a little. So did I. "Bye, Brother," Ellie rolled her eyes and hopped back up the stairs.
"I apologize for her," I said once she was safely out of earshot.
"Shawnie?" Rylie burst out laughing at the nickname my twin sister had so graciously gifted upon me.
"Okay, okay, maybe I deserve that," I raise my hands in surrender.
"Please? Can I call you that?" Rylie was now crying with laughter.
"No. Absolutely not!"
"What about Shay?"
"I'm okay with Shay. At least it's not Shawnie." Rylie held up a finger, moved her head out of the camera shot, and laughed for a minute. She came back with a straight face. "Are you satisfied?" I asked her. I was now beginning to laugh now. A smile tugged at her defined lips.
"See? You're laughing now too!"
Rylie and I spent the next half an hour laughing until we decided to call it a day. It was that day that I knew I was in love with her.