Befriending The "Enemy"

"What does Kimi have to do with you and Phil hating each other?" Lil asked.

They had left the school and were now sitting in Tommy's car. Lil was turned in the passenger seat so she could face him.

"Believe it or not at one point Phil and I tried to be friends because we're on a team together. I met Kimi after practice one day while she was waiting for Phil and I started talking to her and I guess you could say I fell for her, so I asked her out. I know you're her best friend so I'm sure you heard about that. Phil didn't like it, he convinced Kimi that I was bad for her. We kept seeing each other for awhile, never officially dating. I ended things because I didn't want to lead her on and Phil didn't like that I hurt her, he's hated me since. As I said earlier, your brother holds a grudge."

Lil thought about what Tommy just told her. She wanted to remember it so she could ask Phil his side later "Well, I don't know if you're able to tell or not but Phil and Kimi are dating now. He probably didn't like it because he's been in love with her for as long as I can remember."

Tommy laughed and shook his head "Why'd you ask anyway?"

Lil shifted in her seat so she was now facing forward "Phil told me earlier that he doesn't want me being friends with you because you aren't a good guy."

Tommy started his car and drove off before glancing over at Lil "I'm not that bad of a guy."

Lil looked over at him before laughing "You're skipping class with a girl whose brother would kill you if he knew about this. I'm not saying you're a bad guy, but you are a bad influence."

Tommy smiled at her "I'm a pretty good influence. Just don't ask Phil or Kimi."

Lil rolled her eyes. She didn't understand why Phil had a problem with Tommy. He was so far, a nice guy. She thought of Kimi and how she would act if she knew Tommy and her were slowly building a friendship. She looked out the window before turning back to Tommy "Where are you taking me?"

Tommy took a quick glance at her before looking back at the road "I'm taking you home. Did you think I was kidnapping you?" he gave her a smile.

She laughed and shook her head "No, I didn't think you were. But how do you know where I live?"

Tommy looked over at her like she was crazy "You're kidding, right? We live next door to each other."

Lil stared at him for a second before looking back out the window. She doesn't remember ever seeing Tommy at the house next to her and she was always spending time in her windowsill. He pulled into the driveway and got out. Lil opened her door and then the back door getting the crutches out. She went ahead of Tommy and he watched her go with a small smile on his face.

He started walking a little faster so he was ahead of her and opened the door so she wouldn't have any problems. She threw the crutches on the ground once she was through the door "I'm so done with those things."

Tommy looked from the crutches to her "You're going to deal with pain instead?"

Lil nodded and leaned on the couch behind her "Do you really live next door or were you just lying?"

"I really do. I can prove it to you."

"How?"

"I can take you there." he said walking towards the door. Lil smiled before she started walking after him.

They got back into his car and drove to the house next door. Lil opened her door and climbed out walking behind him. He opened the door and Lil walked in and over to the living room. She looked around at all the pictures and walked over to the fireplace and looked at the ones that were on the mantel. She pointed to one that had Tommy in it and a boy who was wearing a weird hat "Whose that with you?"

"My little brother, Dil." he sat on the couch.

Lil continued looking around before sitting down next to him "Okay, so you do live here. I never noticed you or your brother before."

Tommy laughed and got up and headed towards the stairs and turned to see if Lil was following. "Are you coming?"

Lil thought it over but decided to go up the stairs. She was sure that nothing bad was going to happen to her. She followed him up the stairs and into what she figured was his room. She looked around and walked over to his dresser where he had trophies. Baseball, soccer, football and film making? Lil turned to him "You wanted to be a director?"

"I still do." he laughed.

Lil gave him a smile "And you've played baseball and soccer? You're a busy guy."

Tommy sat at his computer chair "Yeah, I like sports and directing. You play soccer, don't you?"

Lil crossed his room and sat on his bed "Use to. I'm a dancer now" she said, obviously proud.

Tommy looked her over before crossing his arms and smirked "I can see it"

Lil stood up and walked over to the window and looked out. She looked at the house next door, her house, and turned around quickly "You can see my room from here!"

Tommy turned in his chair so he was now facing Lil again "Oh, because I didn't know that before." he said sarcastically.

Lil crossed her arms and stared out her window and at hers "I don't understand how I never realized this before. I'm always sitting in my windowsill."

Tommy stood up and walked up behind Lil "I don't know, maybe you're just oblivious?"

Lil turned around and looked up at him "I am not oblivious." Lil realized just how close the two were. She just met Tommy a few hours ago but she felt attracted to him. She didn't even know why.

Tommy looked away from Lil and out the window as a car pulled into Lil's driveway "Phil's home."

Lil took a step back away from Tommy. She looked out the window before walking towards his door "I have to talk to him about something. It was really nice meeting you and spending time with you, Tommy."

"I'll be seeing you again, right?" he asked with a smile.

"Of course." she returned his smile before walking out of his bedroom and then out of the house.

She made her way across the yard and could feel Tommy's eyes on her, probably through the window. She kept walking until she reached the house where she took one last glance over at Tommy's window before walking through the door. "Phil? I need to talk to you."

Phil came walking in from the kitchen with a pop tart in his hand "What about? And where were you after school?"

"I want to know why you and Tommy don't like each other." she said sitting on the couch and waiting for Phil to talk. She heard him sigh and she turned around to look at him "Are you going to tell me?"

"Yeah" he walked over and sat next to her on the couch "Long story short, he pretty much led Kimi on and then hurt her."

Lil nodded. "That's what Tommy told me. He's not really that bad of a guy, Phil."

Phil leaned his head back so it was resting on the back of the couch "Just... Don't get involved with him, okay?"