That next Monday..
*******************************************************************
"See?" Ruby said as Tawny scooped out the last spoonful of frosting for her dessert. "I knew you could do it."
Tawny stepped back, gazing at the double-decker chocolate chip cookie cake.
"You're right, I CAN do this cooking thing," Tawny smiled. "I just had to pick something a bit more realistic than crème brulee." She reached over to grab two plates and forks off the counter. "Want to try it?"
"Are you kidding me?" Ruby smiled, as she took a plate and cut a piece of cake for herself. "What teenage girl in her right mind can say no to chocolate? Besides, we have a few more minutes before the first bell."
"Another Monday, another, well, not a dollar, because we don't get paid to be here. Bad analogy, never mind," Tawny said as she cut herself a piece and sat down next to Ruby.
"Now that you've got the cooking thing all taken care of, is there anything else you need my help with?" Ruby smiled jokingly.
"Well, actually, yes, sort of," Tawny said. She looked out towards the hallway nervously.
"Don't tell me it's English class," Ruby said. "You're practically our school's poet laureate."
"Actually, it's more of a, uhm, social studies problem," Tawny replied. "You see, well, I have this friend. He, I mean THEY, uhm, have really liked this one person for a long time."
Ruby nodded in interest. "Continue."
"Anyway," Tawny explained, "this person has wanted to tell this other person that they liked them, especially since this person just broke up with someone else a week - I mean an unspecified amount of time ago -- but this person is afraid that the other person they like's brother, I mean other person, will be upset because..." Tawny struggled for words.
"Is this about Alan Twitty and Ren?" Ruby asked matter-of-factly.
Tawny's jaw dropped. "How did you KNOW? Has Ren said something about Alan? Oh geez I hadn't even thought to ask you if she had said.."
"No," Ruby said. "Ren hasn't said anything. And neither has Alan, at least not to me anyways."
"Well then, what do you mean? How did you know he likes her?"
"She likes him too, whether or not she realizes it right now," Ruby laughed. "And it's all because of the one huge thing they have in common."
"What?"
"Music, of course," Ruby said. "It's brought them together tons of times. Remember how Ren was the lead singer in Twitty's band, you know, when he and Louis had that fight because Louis didn't want her in their band?" She gazed out the window with a dreamy look on her face. "They already get along really well with each other -- through music, you know, because they both write songs for the band, and Ren sings so naturally to the music Alan plays, you can just tell she has a connection to it. And, there's always been a chemistry between them on stage -- albeit a small one, but nevertheless, it's still there, and noticeable. The hard part is that for someone who is so smart, Ren needs a really, really, REALLY obvious hint to remind her of all that."
Tawny's eyes widened. "I think I have an idea." She jumped out of her seat and walked into the hallway. "We have to find Twitty."
************************************************************************
"Hey Tw-I mean Alan," Ren smiled later that afternoon. "How did the paper go over with Mr. Nichols?"
"Can you believe it?" he grinned, clutching the paper as he sat down next to her. "I got the highest grade in the entire class!"
"That's wonderful!" Ren said as she clapped her hands together. "Can I read it?"
Twitty's eyes widened as he hastily opened his book bag and stuffed the paper inside. "Uhm, well, you see, Mr. Nichols wants me to read it in front of the class before the mentor assembly next week," he gestured vaguely, "And you know since the whole reason I got an A was because of you."
Ren interrupted. "No Alan, YOU wrote that paper and got that A, not me."
Twitty waved dismissively at her. "Like I said, since I got the A because of you helping me and all I - I mean Mr. Nichols -- was hoping you would stop by at the end of class next Friday so you could hear it when the class does."
Ren stared at Twitty, her expression unreadable.
"Uhm, Principal Wexler is going to be there too," he added for some reason. This is useless, he thought to himself. She's smart, she's going to figure this out. She's going to figure ME out, I am such an idiot!.
"I'd absolutely love to," Ren grinned.
Twitty smiled back, relieved. "Great."
"So," Ren said. "Any more assignments you want to go over?
"No, I'm cool. We just have to memorize some vocabulary words for a new test at the end of this week."
"Oh, well, I could help you with that," Ren said eagerly, then looked across the room. gazing at her reflection in the mirror in disbelief. What was she saying? Did she actually want to spend time with Alan Twitty -- on PURPOSE?
"No, that's okay, I got it covered. Oh I almost forgot, I got you something, you know, to thank you for helping me," Twitty said as he stood up and started rummaging through his backpack.
"Alan, that's really not necessary."
"Ah! Here it is," he grinned, laying the bundle on the table.
Curious, Ren opened up the small plastic bag and peered inside. "Oh my gosh." she exclaimed.
"Well, you know, since I know you listen to the UK radio station and everything I figured you might like it," Twitty rambled on as Ren flipped the Police Live! CD back and forth in her hands. "Anyway listen to the second disk, the one that's live in Atlanta. It's really awesome."
"This is so funny - they were playing 'Walking in Your Footsteps" - you know, that song about the dinosaurs and extinction and everything - the live version - the other day and I was so like, I HAVE to get that," she smiled. "Alan Twitty you read my mind!" Ren impulsively jumped up and threw her arms around Twitty.
"Uhm - no, no problem," he stammered.
Suddenly realizing what she had just done, Ren stepped back awkwardly, dropping her gaze in embarrassment. She slowly turned her eyes up and looked at him, brushing the hair out of her face.
I never realized Alan had such nice eyes, she thought.
"Uhm, I gotta, you know, go or something," Twitty said nervously. "Bye now," he said over his shoulder as he raced down the stairs.
Ren dropped back down in her chair, her face contorted in confusion. What was going on? Was it because she had just broken up with Bobby, and so she naturally had developed some sort of bizarre and totally irrational crush- like thing on the first boy who came along and was nice to her? Then again, Bobby had never paid attention to things like what kind of music she liked, much less given her thoughtful gifts like the CD she had gotten today. Ren shook her head. No, no, it HAS to be because of Bobby. Like the rebound crush from another dimension.
That HAS to be the reason, she thought as she opened the CD and gazed at the second disc. Why else would she be feeling so utterly confused about Louis's best friend?
*******************************************************************
"See?" Ruby said as Tawny scooped out the last spoonful of frosting for her dessert. "I knew you could do it."
Tawny stepped back, gazing at the double-decker chocolate chip cookie cake.
"You're right, I CAN do this cooking thing," Tawny smiled. "I just had to pick something a bit more realistic than crème brulee." She reached over to grab two plates and forks off the counter. "Want to try it?"
"Are you kidding me?" Ruby smiled, as she took a plate and cut a piece of cake for herself. "What teenage girl in her right mind can say no to chocolate? Besides, we have a few more minutes before the first bell."
"Another Monday, another, well, not a dollar, because we don't get paid to be here. Bad analogy, never mind," Tawny said as she cut herself a piece and sat down next to Ruby.
"Now that you've got the cooking thing all taken care of, is there anything else you need my help with?" Ruby smiled jokingly.
"Well, actually, yes, sort of," Tawny said. She looked out towards the hallway nervously.
"Don't tell me it's English class," Ruby said. "You're practically our school's poet laureate."
"Actually, it's more of a, uhm, social studies problem," Tawny replied. "You see, well, I have this friend. He, I mean THEY, uhm, have really liked this one person for a long time."
Ruby nodded in interest. "Continue."
"Anyway," Tawny explained, "this person has wanted to tell this other person that they liked them, especially since this person just broke up with someone else a week - I mean an unspecified amount of time ago -- but this person is afraid that the other person they like's brother, I mean other person, will be upset because..." Tawny struggled for words.
"Is this about Alan Twitty and Ren?" Ruby asked matter-of-factly.
Tawny's jaw dropped. "How did you KNOW? Has Ren said something about Alan? Oh geez I hadn't even thought to ask you if she had said.."
"No," Ruby said. "Ren hasn't said anything. And neither has Alan, at least not to me anyways."
"Well then, what do you mean? How did you know he likes her?"
"She likes him too, whether or not she realizes it right now," Ruby laughed. "And it's all because of the one huge thing they have in common."
"What?"
"Music, of course," Ruby said. "It's brought them together tons of times. Remember how Ren was the lead singer in Twitty's band, you know, when he and Louis had that fight because Louis didn't want her in their band?" She gazed out the window with a dreamy look on her face. "They already get along really well with each other -- through music, you know, because they both write songs for the band, and Ren sings so naturally to the music Alan plays, you can just tell she has a connection to it. And, there's always been a chemistry between them on stage -- albeit a small one, but nevertheless, it's still there, and noticeable. The hard part is that for someone who is so smart, Ren needs a really, really, REALLY obvious hint to remind her of all that."
Tawny's eyes widened. "I think I have an idea." She jumped out of her seat and walked into the hallway. "We have to find Twitty."
************************************************************************
"Hey Tw-I mean Alan," Ren smiled later that afternoon. "How did the paper go over with Mr. Nichols?"
"Can you believe it?" he grinned, clutching the paper as he sat down next to her. "I got the highest grade in the entire class!"
"That's wonderful!" Ren said as she clapped her hands together. "Can I read it?"
Twitty's eyes widened as he hastily opened his book bag and stuffed the paper inside. "Uhm, well, you see, Mr. Nichols wants me to read it in front of the class before the mentor assembly next week," he gestured vaguely, "And you know since the whole reason I got an A was because of you."
Ren interrupted. "No Alan, YOU wrote that paper and got that A, not me."
Twitty waved dismissively at her. "Like I said, since I got the A because of you helping me and all I - I mean Mr. Nichols -- was hoping you would stop by at the end of class next Friday so you could hear it when the class does."
Ren stared at Twitty, her expression unreadable.
"Uhm, Principal Wexler is going to be there too," he added for some reason. This is useless, he thought to himself. She's smart, she's going to figure this out. She's going to figure ME out, I am such an idiot!.
"I'd absolutely love to," Ren grinned.
Twitty smiled back, relieved. "Great."
"So," Ren said. "Any more assignments you want to go over?
"No, I'm cool. We just have to memorize some vocabulary words for a new test at the end of this week."
"Oh, well, I could help you with that," Ren said eagerly, then looked across the room. gazing at her reflection in the mirror in disbelief. What was she saying? Did she actually want to spend time with Alan Twitty -- on PURPOSE?
"No, that's okay, I got it covered. Oh I almost forgot, I got you something, you know, to thank you for helping me," Twitty said as he stood up and started rummaging through his backpack.
"Alan, that's really not necessary."
"Ah! Here it is," he grinned, laying the bundle on the table.
Curious, Ren opened up the small plastic bag and peered inside. "Oh my gosh." she exclaimed.
"Well, you know, since I know you listen to the UK radio station and everything I figured you might like it," Twitty rambled on as Ren flipped the Police Live! CD back and forth in her hands. "Anyway listen to the second disk, the one that's live in Atlanta. It's really awesome."
"This is so funny - they were playing 'Walking in Your Footsteps" - you know, that song about the dinosaurs and extinction and everything - the live version - the other day and I was so like, I HAVE to get that," she smiled. "Alan Twitty you read my mind!" Ren impulsively jumped up and threw her arms around Twitty.
"Uhm - no, no problem," he stammered.
Suddenly realizing what she had just done, Ren stepped back awkwardly, dropping her gaze in embarrassment. She slowly turned her eyes up and looked at him, brushing the hair out of her face.
I never realized Alan had such nice eyes, she thought.
"Uhm, I gotta, you know, go or something," Twitty said nervously. "Bye now," he said over his shoulder as he raced down the stairs.
Ren dropped back down in her chair, her face contorted in confusion. What was going on? Was it because she had just broken up with Bobby, and so she naturally had developed some sort of bizarre and totally irrational crush- like thing on the first boy who came along and was nice to her? Then again, Bobby had never paid attention to things like what kind of music she liked, much less given her thoughtful gifts like the CD she had gotten today. Ren shook her head. No, no, it HAS to be because of Bobby. Like the rebound crush from another dimension.
That HAS to be the reason, she thought as she opened the CD and gazed at the second disc. Why else would she be feeling so utterly confused about Louis's best friend?