-Chapter 1-
"Maxie doesn't realize what a jerk Kyle is." Lucas complained. "She's going to forgive him for spreading that rumor, I know she is."
Georgie sighed and studied him from across the table in Kelly's. "There's no talking to Maxie when her mind's made up." Twenty minutes. They'd spent the last twenty minutes talking about her sister. She opened her mouth to change the subject, but Lucas interrupted.
"She's too stubborn. He's only going to hurt her again."
Georgie didn't respond. Why did every conversation have to revolve around Maxie? She loved her sister, but she couldn't figure out what all the guys saw in her. What did Lucas see in her? Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she reached for her milkshake that had nearly melted and tried to focus on Lucas's words.
"Why can't she see that she deserves better than that jerk?" The bell above the jingled lightly and Georgie turned hopeful eyes to the newcomer.
"Dillon, hey!" She called to him. Lucas's head whipped around and he frowned.
"Did you have to call him over?" He asked.
Georgie shook her head in his direction, but smiled as Dillon pulled a chair up to join them. "Hey." She repeated.
"Hey." He replied a smile also on his face. "I hope I'm not interrupting something."
"Actually..." Lucas began.
Georgie spoke up before he could finish. "No, not at all. Want some fries?" She shoved her basket towards him and he popped a fry into his mouth.
"They're cold."
"They've been sitting for a while." Georgie apologized.
Placing a small handful into his mouth, he shrugged. After he'd finished chewing he replied, "I said they were cold, not that they didn't taste good."
"It's getting late." Lucas said, glancing at his watch. "Come on Georgie, I'll walk you home."
"You live in the other direction." But she stood anyway, pleased that he had offered.
Lucas grabbed his jacket, "Don't worry about it, I wanted to talk to Maxie anyway."
"Maxie?" Her face fell instantly. "She's grounded."
"I'm sure Mac will let me talk to her for a few minutes."
She nodded at him. "Go ahead with out me, I just remembered that I need to talk to Dillon about something."
Lucas glared at the other boy. "I'd feel better if you let me walk you home."
"It'll be fine." She assured him and sat back down. "I'll talk to you tomorrow at school."
"Alright." He finally agreed and left.
Pushing the straw aside, Georgie took a large gulp of milkshake. "I'm sorry." Was all Dillon said.
With a frown, she turned confused eyes on him. "For what?"
"For the fact that Lucas doesn't even realize how stupid he is. He's got it bad for your sister."
"No." She shook her head forcefully. "They're just friends. He's worried about her, that's all." She wasn't sure whom she was trying to convince, Dillon or herself.
"Georgie..."
"That's all."
Dillon nodded and for a moment she thought she had won. "Then why didn't you let him walk you home?"
Her frowned deepened. For a long time she glared at him, but then she lowered her eyes and spoke softly. "I just get sick of hearing about Maxie all the time. She's the kind of girl all the guys want."
"Not all the guys." Raising her eyes, she found herself trapped in Dillon's gaze. Her cheeks flushed slightly and he smiled softly at knowing he had caused the blush that now colored her skin. Standing, he held out his hand for her. "Let's get out of here." After placing some money on the table, she placed her small hand in his and allowed him to tug her gently to her feet.
~*~*~
"Guess what?" Maxie exclaimed after Mac had left for work the next morning.
"What?" Georgie asked, lacking the excitement Maxie had hoped for.
She frowned, but answered anyway. "Kyle asked me to prom."
"Oh Maxie," Georgie finally looked up from her cereal. "Please tell me you said no."
"He's really sorry, Georgie. Maybe you'll understand when you're older."
Georgie rolled her eyes. "I'm old enough to see what a jerk Kyle is, why can't you?"
"Because he's not a jerk! I'm sorry I thought I could share my good news with you." She dumped her bowl into the sink, grabbed her backpack, and headed out the front door.
~*~*~
Georgie frowned as she saw Maxie coming down the hallway with Kyle, who had his arm around her waist. "I can't believe she forgave him." She told Dillon, who was standing next to her.
"It's her life." He pointed out, but Georgie only gave him a hard stare before walking away. "Hey, I'm sorry ok?" He took 3 long strides to catch up to her. "But you can't make up her mind for her."
"I know." She stopped and turned to face him. "I just wish she would listen to what I have to say."
Seeing how upset she was, he asked, "Change of subject?"
"Definitely."
"I still need a fine art. Band, choir, art, or photojournalism?" He held up the schedule he was filling out.
"I can't make up your mind for you." She repeated his earlier words with a smirk.
Dillon smiled. "True, but I will listen to what you have to say."
For a moment she let her eyes wander over his face, but then gave herself a mental shake. "Do you play an instrument?"
"No."
"Can you sing?"
"No."
"Paint, draw, or sculpt?"
"No."
"Take pictures?"
"Oh!" He exclaimed, but the smiled quickly left his face. "No."
Georgie laughed, "Take art. Mrs. Samson gives everyone an A."
"Art it is." He placed the schedule against the wall and checked his choice. "Done."
"What all are you taking?"
"The same stuff I took at all my old schools; Chemistry, English, Trig, French, History and now art. Gotta save room for a study hall."
"I wish I had a study hall."
"You would if you'd drop those honors classes."
Georgie placed her hand to her chest in mock horror, "And lose my studious, bookworm reputation? I don't think so."
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being smart."
"Maybe not where you come from, but here at PCH it's the kiss of social death."
Dillon put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick squeeze. "Then they're all losers."
Shrugging out of his embrace, she smiled at Lucas's approaching form. "Lucas, hey."
"Hey." He replied, barely glancing in her direction as hurried down the crowded hallway.
"I should go and turn my schedule in." Dillon didn't wait for her to respond as he walked away in the opposite direction.
~*~*~
"He looks at you like a little sister." Maxie said as Georgie studied herself in the mirror. "Lucas just doesn't like you like that." Georgie tried to ignore her, but could feel her resolve slipping. "Lucas wants a girl that's more mature."
"How do you know what Lucas wants?" She finally snapped.
Maxie shrugged, "I just know that he doesn't want you. You're wasting your time."
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do." Her voice softened a little as she stood behind her sister. "Look Georgie, I'm just trying to save you from getting your heart broken. Forget about Lucas and find a guy your own age." She smiled at her slightly in the mirror. "I'm just looking out for you." She added and turned to leave.
"Yeah right," Georgie muttered when the door shut and Maxie was gone. Frowning at her reflection, she quickly removed her shirt and grabbed another one from her bed. Critiquing her appearance, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail, but then let it fall loose again. "It doesn't matter what you do," She told herself, "You'll never be good enough. You'll never have him. Maxie was right." Suddenly she hated the girl looking back at her. With disgust, she turned away. Without bothering to change, she crawled into bed and let sleep claim her.
"Maxie doesn't realize what a jerk Kyle is." Lucas complained. "She's going to forgive him for spreading that rumor, I know she is."
Georgie sighed and studied him from across the table in Kelly's. "There's no talking to Maxie when her mind's made up." Twenty minutes. They'd spent the last twenty minutes talking about her sister. She opened her mouth to change the subject, but Lucas interrupted.
"She's too stubborn. He's only going to hurt her again."
Georgie didn't respond. Why did every conversation have to revolve around Maxie? She loved her sister, but she couldn't figure out what all the guys saw in her. What did Lucas see in her? Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she reached for her milkshake that had nearly melted and tried to focus on Lucas's words.
"Why can't she see that she deserves better than that jerk?" The bell above the jingled lightly and Georgie turned hopeful eyes to the newcomer.
"Dillon, hey!" She called to him. Lucas's head whipped around and he frowned.
"Did you have to call him over?" He asked.
Georgie shook her head in his direction, but smiled as Dillon pulled a chair up to join them. "Hey." She repeated.
"Hey." He replied a smile also on his face. "I hope I'm not interrupting something."
"Actually..." Lucas began.
Georgie spoke up before he could finish. "No, not at all. Want some fries?" She shoved her basket towards him and he popped a fry into his mouth.
"They're cold."
"They've been sitting for a while." Georgie apologized.
Placing a small handful into his mouth, he shrugged. After he'd finished chewing he replied, "I said they were cold, not that they didn't taste good."
"It's getting late." Lucas said, glancing at his watch. "Come on Georgie, I'll walk you home."
"You live in the other direction." But she stood anyway, pleased that he had offered.
Lucas grabbed his jacket, "Don't worry about it, I wanted to talk to Maxie anyway."
"Maxie?" Her face fell instantly. "She's grounded."
"I'm sure Mac will let me talk to her for a few minutes."
She nodded at him. "Go ahead with out me, I just remembered that I need to talk to Dillon about something."
Lucas glared at the other boy. "I'd feel better if you let me walk you home."
"It'll be fine." She assured him and sat back down. "I'll talk to you tomorrow at school."
"Alright." He finally agreed and left.
Pushing the straw aside, Georgie took a large gulp of milkshake. "I'm sorry." Was all Dillon said.
With a frown, she turned confused eyes on him. "For what?"
"For the fact that Lucas doesn't even realize how stupid he is. He's got it bad for your sister."
"No." She shook her head forcefully. "They're just friends. He's worried about her, that's all." She wasn't sure whom she was trying to convince, Dillon or herself.
"Georgie..."
"That's all."
Dillon nodded and for a moment she thought she had won. "Then why didn't you let him walk you home?"
Her frowned deepened. For a long time she glared at him, but then she lowered her eyes and spoke softly. "I just get sick of hearing about Maxie all the time. She's the kind of girl all the guys want."
"Not all the guys." Raising her eyes, she found herself trapped in Dillon's gaze. Her cheeks flushed slightly and he smiled softly at knowing he had caused the blush that now colored her skin. Standing, he held out his hand for her. "Let's get out of here." After placing some money on the table, she placed her small hand in his and allowed him to tug her gently to her feet.
~*~*~
"Guess what?" Maxie exclaimed after Mac had left for work the next morning.
"What?" Georgie asked, lacking the excitement Maxie had hoped for.
She frowned, but answered anyway. "Kyle asked me to prom."
"Oh Maxie," Georgie finally looked up from her cereal. "Please tell me you said no."
"He's really sorry, Georgie. Maybe you'll understand when you're older."
Georgie rolled her eyes. "I'm old enough to see what a jerk Kyle is, why can't you?"
"Because he's not a jerk! I'm sorry I thought I could share my good news with you." She dumped her bowl into the sink, grabbed her backpack, and headed out the front door.
~*~*~
Georgie frowned as she saw Maxie coming down the hallway with Kyle, who had his arm around her waist. "I can't believe she forgave him." She told Dillon, who was standing next to her.
"It's her life." He pointed out, but Georgie only gave him a hard stare before walking away. "Hey, I'm sorry ok?" He took 3 long strides to catch up to her. "But you can't make up her mind for her."
"I know." She stopped and turned to face him. "I just wish she would listen to what I have to say."
Seeing how upset she was, he asked, "Change of subject?"
"Definitely."
"I still need a fine art. Band, choir, art, or photojournalism?" He held up the schedule he was filling out.
"I can't make up your mind for you." She repeated his earlier words with a smirk.
Dillon smiled. "True, but I will listen to what you have to say."
For a moment she let her eyes wander over his face, but then gave herself a mental shake. "Do you play an instrument?"
"No."
"Can you sing?"
"No."
"Paint, draw, or sculpt?"
"No."
"Take pictures?"
"Oh!" He exclaimed, but the smiled quickly left his face. "No."
Georgie laughed, "Take art. Mrs. Samson gives everyone an A."
"Art it is." He placed the schedule against the wall and checked his choice. "Done."
"What all are you taking?"
"The same stuff I took at all my old schools; Chemistry, English, Trig, French, History and now art. Gotta save room for a study hall."
"I wish I had a study hall."
"You would if you'd drop those honors classes."
Georgie placed her hand to her chest in mock horror, "And lose my studious, bookworm reputation? I don't think so."
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being smart."
"Maybe not where you come from, but here at PCH it's the kiss of social death."
Dillon put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick squeeze. "Then they're all losers."
Shrugging out of his embrace, she smiled at Lucas's approaching form. "Lucas, hey."
"Hey." He replied, barely glancing in her direction as hurried down the crowded hallway.
"I should go and turn my schedule in." Dillon didn't wait for her to respond as he walked away in the opposite direction.
~*~*~
"He looks at you like a little sister." Maxie said as Georgie studied herself in the mirror. "Lucas just doesn't like you like that." Georgie tried to ignore her, but could feel her resolve slipping. "Lucas wants a girl that's more mature."
"How do you know what Lucas wants?" She finally snapped.
Maxie shrugged, "I just know that he doesn't want you. You're wasting your time."
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do." Her voice softened a little as she stood behind her sister. "Look Georgie, I'm just trying to save you from getting your heart broken. Forget about Lucas and find a guy your own age." She smiled at her slightly in the mirror. "I'm just looking out for you." She added and turned to leave.
"Yeah right," Georgie muttered when the door shut and Maxie was gone. Frowning at her reflection, she quickly removed her shirt and grabbed another one from her bed. Critiquing her appearance, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail, but then let it fall loose again. "It doesn't matter what you do," She told herself, "You'll never be good enough. You'll never have him. Maxie was right." Suddenly she hated the girl looking back at her. With disgust, she turned away. Without bothering to change, she crawled into bed and let sleep claim her.