Chapter Nineteen – You're Not Half Bad

Ryan and Bright were leaning up against a pair of lockers and sighed at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.

"That was a little strange," Bright commented.

"ESP!" Ryan said, sarcastically.

Bright looked a little confused at first, but then he smiled and laughed. "Sorry, it's early."

Ryan sighed again. "I wonder what's taking so long." Her mind was still on Ephram, who she had urged to go talk to Amy. "Bright, has this ever happened before?"

"No," Bright replied. "She's always been able to hide it before, but I've always known. I might be a little slow, but if there's one thing I sort of know, it's my sister."

Ryan looked at the floor. He was crazy about her for so long, she thought. What if I lose him to her?

Bright placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. He's all yours."

"How did you…?" Ryan started. "Okay, stop it! Get out of my head!" Ryan paused for a moment, and looked over at Bright. "Is he really?"

"Look, I'm not the best person to ask. Ephram and I haven't exactly gotten along in the past, and it's not like we actually have a conversation that doesn't consist of "What movie are we seeing tonight?" or "What time is Amy picking me up?" but, he just seems into you, like he was with Amy," Bright said.

"Like he still is with Amy," Ryan muttered under her breath, looking back down.

Bright shook his head. "No, not anymore. This is going to kill me to admit, but he's not a bad guy. He wouldn't have gotten into this relationship if his thing for Amy was still what it was."

"That's not saying that it's still not there."

"Would you stop being so negative about this?" Bright said. "He's yours. Just forget about everything else."

"Sorry, I'm trying," Ryan replied.

"Good. Keep trying. Try harder."

Ryan looked back up at him and smiled. "You know, Bright, you're not half bad."

Bright gave her a look. "Is that a compliment?"

"Yea, I think so," Ryan said. She tucked some of her long hair, which had light blue streaks today, behind her ear. "No offense, but you're not exactly the kind of person I would have been friends with back home."

"I probably would have been scared of you," Bright admitted honestly.

Ryan laughed. "Why?"

"I don't know, try your clothes, your hair, the way you carry yourself. You look like you kick my ass."

Ryan just continued to laugh. "I wonder what forms such unlikely bonds."

"It's the air," came a familiar voice from behind her.

Ryan turned to see Ephram standing there, looking somewhat defeated. She reached out and took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "How'd it go?"

"She's pretty upset," he replied. "I just don't know about what."

Ryan and Bright exchanged knowing glances. It won't be long till he figures out, they both thought at the same time.

"Yea, well, she'll come around," Bright said, breaking the silence. "Okay, I'm going to go to my locker; I'll see you two lovebirds later." He turned and walked away.

"Ready to get back to this?" Ephram said, putting his arm around Ryan's waist as they turned and walked in to the opposite direction.

"No," she said solemnly. "I want to go back to those three days, when it was just the two of us."