Chapter 3: The Blue-Eyed Boy
Story of A Girl
I woke up the next day with a splitting headache and a sour stomach. I made my way towards the kitchen to find an entire bottle of aspirin, which I planned on taking, when I was stopped by my brother.
"Hey sis." He looked at me questioningly, as if he knew I was hung over.
"Hey" I said, stepping aside him towards my destination. I needed that aspirin, and I needed it now.
"Looking for this?" He raised an eyebrow and held out a hand. In his hand, was a bottle of Advil. Just what I wanted.
"Yes, thanks" I said reaching for the bottle.
He moved his hands away.
"Caleb, come on! I need the damn Advil." If he was trying to be funny, it wasn't working. I was in no mood for a laugh.
"How'd you get home last night?"
"Reid drove me home."
Caleb frowned and handed me the bottle. I smiled, popping two pills into my mouth. If I was going to get in trouble, I might as well take one of the Sons with me.
"Adele." His tone was serious. "I know you're young and everything, but I mean, drinking doesn't make you look cool. Just look at mom." He was starting to trail off.
"Caleb, I drank two beers. TWO BEERS." I held up two fingers to prove my point. "I threw up all over Tyler, I made an ass out of myself dancing, and I didn't even get laid." I threw the third reason in there just to get a reaction out of my brother. "Come on already!" I threw my hands up, for dramatic effect.
"Who'd you plan on sleeping with?" I could tell Caleb was uncomfortable asking me that question. But I decided to play along with it.
"The entire football team. I was just going to have them form a line and be like 'Tag you're it' and let them take turns. 'Ready, set, fuck.'" I laughed nervously. I really need to stop talking.
Caleb's expression was priceless. It looked as though his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. His face went a deep shade of red, (whether it was embarrassment, anger, or both I couldn't tell), and he balled his hands up into fists.
"I'm just kidding." Truth is, he was starting to scare me. Caleb and I weren't close, but he was still over-protective of me. Although I've never really seen that side of him before, because like I said, I'm not much of a partier; hence I never come home drunk.
Let's just say "trouble" is not my middle name.
Caleb reached forward and touched the ends of my hair. "When'd you get your hair cut?" He asked. I was a little shocked to find that he had noticed.
"Yesterday." I didn't want to talk anymore. I just wanted to sleep.
"I've got to go run some errands for mom and dad. Want to come?" I was about to shake my head no. I think Caleb sensed that, because he added, "After that I'm gonna stop by Nicky's. Pogue will be there."
"Okay I'll go." The words stumbled out of my mouth faster than I had actually thought them.
If Pogue was going to be there, so was I.
--
An hour later my brother and I were on our way towards the drug store. "So when is mom going to take me to pick out my car?" I asked, as I looked around my brother's new mustang. I had turned 16 a few months ago and I had my license, but I had yet to get my car. My mom kept promising to buy me one, but she has issues, and never really had the time to take me yet.
"You know how mom is. How about I take you next weekend?" Caleb looked over at me. I know he felt guilty about mom and everything, but he really didn't have to play the father figure role to me. I wasn't that young anymore. I could handle things on my own.
"You don't have to Caleb." I mumbled, a little upset.
"No, I don't mind. It'll be fun. We can bond." The look on Caleb's face was so serious. We both cracked up laughing.
"Alright, next weekend then?"
"Next weekend it is."
We pulled up to the drug store and got out. "Do you know what kind of car you want?" He was making small talk as we waited for my dad's prescription to be filled.
I was interrupted though, by the girl that had stolen the man of my dreams; Kate Tunney.
"Oh hey Caleb!" She ran up to my brother and gave him a hug. I rolled my eyes.
"Oh hi Adele, I didn't recognize you there. You look really pretty." She said as she turned around and gave me a hug. God, what was wrong with me. Why can't I hate her?
"Oh hey, Sarah this is my little sister, Adele. Adele this is Sarah." I looked over at the girl my brother was introducing me to. She was around my height, long wavy blonde hair, petite figure, and really pretty. I recognized her as the girl that was with Kate at the party last night. She smiled and shook my hand.
"BOO!" A figure wearing gay sunglasses kept out from behind us.
"JESUS CHRIST!" I yelled, louder than I had intended too.
Everyone cracked up laughing. Everyone except for me. I was still clutching my chest, hoping my heart rate would climb down.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you there. I'm Chase." The asshole that scared me held out his hand.
"I'm gone" I said as I ignored his hand and walked out the door. My heart rate was still buzzing when my brother caught up to me. I hate when people do that.
"You okay?" Sarah was following behind him. I nodded my head. "Sarah's going to come with us, to run some errands" he said, turning his attention to the other blonde.
Oh great, I'll be playing third wheel.
We drove in silence. Caleb was driving, Sarah was in the passenger seat, and I was in the back. I'm not going to lie. It was awkward.
We pulled up to Gorman's and Caleb got out. "I'll just be a few minutes" he said and took off without me. He never liked letting me see my dad. I always got emotional when I saw him, so I guess that was Caleb's way of protecting me.
"So Caleb said you go Spenser's as well" Sarah was nice. I automatically decided that I liked her. Well, for now at least.
"Yeah, I'm a junior." I said, not sure what else to say. I wasn't good at socializing.
"So, do you have a boyfriend?" She smiled, a small giggle escaping her lips.
Should I answer this truthfully or should I not?
"No, I've got a bunch of girlfriends though. I don't like to settle down with just one chick." Now I was just messing with her. Before she could say anything else, I interrupted. "I'm just kidding. I don't have a boyfriend. And I'm not gay either." I looked over and saw a smile creep up on her face.
"You're a smartass. I like that." We laughed.
--
About an hour later we pulled up to Nicky's. I had text messaged Ashleigh and had told her to meet me out front, and as we pulled past the front of the bar and into the back parking lot I saw my best friend waiting for me. I flipped her off and smiled like the Cheshire Cat as we drove by, and then laughed seeing how her reaction changed from happy to pissed in 0.2 seconds. Caleb and Sarah probably thought I was nuts.
I hopped out of the back seat and met up with her.
"What was that for?" She wasn't happy.
I laughed and pulled her inside. It was still fairly early, around nine, but the place was packed. We looked around for an empty table, but there wasn't one.
"Hey look, you're boyfriend's mistress is waving us over." Ashleigh could be funny when she wanted to be. Right now, she was far from it.
Sure enough, Ashleigh was right. Kate was waving us over to her to table. Where she was sitting. With Pogue. Who looked like God.
I sighed as I felt Ashleigh pull me towards the table. I noticed that asshole that nearly scared me half to death at the drug store, was sitting there as well. Caleb and Sarah were busy talking animatedly towards the end of the table, with Pogue sitting in between Caleb and Kate.
"Hey Adele" Kate greeted me. "Doesn't she look amazing?" She was asking everyone at the table. God, I hate how much I liked her.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw Pogue nodding his head, in agreement. I was able to catch myself before I started day dreaming about mine and Pogue's wedding day.
"This is my friend, Ashleigh" I said introducing her to the group at the table.
"Hey Gone, how'd your day go?" The creep greeted me as Ashleigh and I took the remaining two empty seats at the table.
"Gone?" Ashleigh looked confused.
I rolled my eyes and ignored him.
"Looks like Reid and Tyler are here" I heard Pogue say to my brother. They were now playing foosball, the creepy Chase guy watching them, leaving only the girls at the table.
I looked over and saw that Reid and Tyler were indeed here as well. They were playing pool with what looked like Aaron Abbot. Weird, I never knew they were friends. I thought they hated each other.
"Hey Adele, I was talking to Pogue last night and he said that Tyler couldn't stop talking about you?" Kate was grinning. Tyler? Tyler Simms was talking about me?
"Really? What'd he say?" I was curious. I don't think anyone of the opposite sex has ever talked about me, let alone even noticed me before.
"Pogue told me he was just asking if you were single." I heard Ashleigh and Sarah spontaneously 'ooo' in the background.
I couldn't help but blush. Tyler Simms was asking if I was single?
Tyler was gorgeous, but he was also one of my brother's friends. I had never thought of him in that way before. All I ever think about was Pogue. Pogue and his longish brown hair, hazel eyes, lean body… He has a girlfriend! What am I doing?
"Earth to Adele" Ashleigh was waving her hands in my face, snapping me out of my daydream.
"What, huh?" I asked. I was confused.
"Someone's thinking about Tyler" Kate teased. If only she knew I was actually thinking about her boyfriend with no shirt on, I wonder if she'd still be teasing me then.
I looked over at the pool tables, where Tyler and Reid were playing. Tyler is kind of cute. He has that whole clean-cut look going on. And he's sort of shy. I like shy. I like it a lot.
"You should go talk to him!" Sarah exclaimed, as she watched me glance in his direction.
Before I could object, I was being pushed by Ashleigh towards the pool tables. Jesus Christ, here goes nothing.
"Come on Aaron, you bet that he couldn't make that shot and he did. Now pay up." I heard Tyler say in the sternest voice he could manage. Maybe they weren't friend's with Abbot and his crew after all.
"Let's play again, this time double or nothing." Aaron's reply came a little too quick, as if he was unsure of himself.
"Hey" I said as I passed both Tyler and Reid and took a seat on a bar stool nearby.
"Hey" they greeted back. Reid's attention was instantly turned towards Ashleigh who was standing by my side. "Ashleigh, right?" He stuck out his hand. I rolled my eyes. Reid was always hitting on the girls. And as of yesterday afternoon, Ashleigh and I were apart of the 'girl' category. At least, it felt as though we were. My eyes were glued to Tyler. And his ass. His perfect, jean-clad, ass. What am I doing? It's Tyler for crying out loud.
"Yeah, it's Ashleigh" she giggled. She was falling for the Garwin charm. Most girls did, anyways.
I noticed that Tyler seemed a little tense. He was focusing way to much on that game of pool. He took his shot and a striped ball made it's way into the hole. I laughed as I suppressed the urge to point out the sexual pun. Tyler turned around and looked at me.
"What's so funny?" He asked, his blue eyes gazing down at mine.
"Balls" was all I could manage to say. Tyler Simms was making me nervous!
Reid and Ashleigh cracked up. Tyler chuckled too, but turned his attention back towards the game. Why did I have to say that? He's going to think I'm perverted.
After Tyler and Reid had kicked Aaron and his friend's asses at the game, Ashleigh yawned. She was getting tired, and since Caleb and Sarah had already left, she was my only ride.
"Do you want to go?" She said, yawning yet again, as if to point out the obvious.
I looked over at Tyler, who was waiting for me to answer.
"You know I'm tired too, do you mind giving me a lift?" Reid asked Ashleigh. I knew what Reid was up to. He was obvious. He's such a slut.
"If you're not tired, I can give you a ride home later, if you want?" Tyler looked down at his feet as he said that.
"Yeah, I'm not tired at all." I watched as Ashleigh and Reid made their way out of the bar.
"Wanna play?" Tyler's voice broke my gaze. I looked up into those baby blue's and nearly melted on my stool.
"Sure" I said, taking the extra pool stick. "I've never played before though."
"I'll show you." He followed me around to the other side of the pool table and leaned up against my back. "You're holding this all wrong." He started adjusting my hands. I started adjusting my legs. I wasn't too sure if that burning sensation I was feeling was normal or not.
"Uhh okay" I stuttered out. His face was literally inches away from my face. I had to fight the urge to throw myself at him, then and there onto that pool table, because other people were still there.
"Here, try it now." He leaned away from my body. I was slightly disappointed. Unfortunately, I had not meant to say that last part out loud. Which I did.
"Why are you slightly disappointed?" He leaned his back against the pool table, now facing me.
I could feel my face turning red. "I.. Umm.. I… Don't… Know." God, I'm such an idiot.
Tyler must have thought so too, because he asked me if I was feeling okay.
"Yeah. I'm fine." I said, hoping that he couldn't catch the nervousness of my voice. "Oh and about last night, I'm sorry about throwing up all over your shoes."
We both looked down at his shoes. Weird.
"It's cool, don't worry about it."
"You're not wearing the same pair thought, right?" If he was that would be gross. And plus, I couldn't think of anything else to say.
"No, I they weren't too new anyways so I threw them away." He looked at me again, with those damned perfect eyes.
I yawned.
"Are you tired?" He sounded slightly offended.
"No, you're boring me." I felt like slapping myself the second I said those words.
Tyler laughed.
"I'm just kidding. I am tired though." Damn it, I wasn't tired, I was just nervous.
"Let's get you back home then. Caleb would kill me if we stayed any later."
"Yeah, after what I told him about the football team I think it's safe to say he'd be serving you your very own balls on a silver platter."
Tyler looked amused. "Football team?" He asked as he opened the door to his car for me to get in. Chivalry is sexy.
I really need to think before I speak.
"My brother was pissed that I got drunk off of two beers last night and to piss him off even more I told him I did it because I wanted to get laid by the entire football team."
Tyler's laugh echoed inside his huge car. "You got that drunk off of two beers?"
I blushed. "What can I say, I'm a light-weight."
"So…" He practically sighed out.
"So…" I mimicked him.
"Can I ask why you cut you're hair?" He looked over at me and then back on the road.
For once, I was speechless. I didn't know how to answer that. So instead, I did what I was good at. Speaking without thinking.
"I was tired of not being noticed. I hated the way people ignored me, I hated never being noticed by the one person I wanted to notice me the most." I couldn't believe I was saying this. And my disbelief kept getting bigger because my mouth just wouldn't stop moving. "It's not very fun being the geeky little sister of one of the most popular boys in the school."
From what I could tell, Tyler looked serious. It was dark out, he could have been laughing for all I know. But I liked to think he was looking serious.
"You didn't go unnoticed." His voice was soft as he pulled up into my driveway. "Not by me, at least." He said that last part very quietly. I was sure he had not intended for me to hear it.
My eyes went wide. Did I just hear that right?
"It's getting late, and like you said, your brother would kill me. You should probably get inside."
"Yeah," I agreed. I looked over at Tyler, who was looking serious. "Thanks for the ride Tyler."
"Anytime."
With that, I got out of his hummer, and made my way inside my house. What did he mean that I never went unnoticed by him?
--
"Today's our last day of summer!" Ashleigh threw herself onto my bed in an exasperated cry. It was dramatic. What can I say? Ashleigh was an addict for dramatics.
"I know, I know." I sighed. I was slowly unpacking all the school supplies Ashleigh and I had bought at the office supply store just a few hours ago. Binders, pencils, paper, stuff we actually needed for our classes tomorrow. I loved shopping for these kinds of things. I guess that's another factor of my nerdiness.
"So not to change the subject," Ashleigh began. "Actually, yeah, to change the subject, what do you think Tyler meant by what he said to you last night?" Ashleigh was now laying on her stomach on my bed, head propped up by her hands, with her feet kicking freely in the air.
I looked at her through the mirror above my desk and rolled my eyes. "I probably didn't hear him right." It was true. I could barely make out his words, but I seriously did think he said that I never went unnoticed by him.
Before Ashleigh and I could finish our thoughts, Caleb burst through the door.
"Ever hear of knocking." I hated how he always did that. I always knocked twice, before I entered his room. It was like common courtesy. An unspoken rule.
"Sorry, I forgot." He shrugged his shoulders. "Look, the boys and I are going to have dinner tonight at the Mexican restaurant a few blocks from Nicky's. I.. actually a few of us… were wondering if the two of you wanted to come along. I mean, it is the last day of Summer for you both too…"
"WE'D LOVE TO" Ashleigh practically shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Sure, I guess." I agreed. Who would turn down Mexican food? And wherever my brother goes, Pogue follows. Two reasons why tonight was going to be good.
As soon as my brother left my room Ashleigh squealed.
"You do know he's got a thing for Sarah. And she's probably going to be there." I rolled me eyes, more at myself than at my friend. If Sarah was there, than so would be Kate.
"Shut up, I can still day dream can't I?" "But it's Caleb. My brother." I shook off all the nasty thoughts before I even thought them. "Let's get ready shall we?"
--
And then we spent the two hours before dinner getting ready. I had never spent so much time getting ready before. But after the having the free makeovers the other day, I found that I actually liked taking the time to look nice. I liked how a few brush stokes of blush and lip gloss could invigorate my sprit. Ashleigh decided on a black jean miniskirt, a black tank top, a silver belt, with matching silver flip flips and a sequined embroidered headband. I eventually decided on a black cocktail dress with satin pumps, which I had bought a few days before, in Boston.
"Hey Ashleigh" I said as we both were leaning closer to the mirror, applying our makeup for the night. I couldn't take my eyes off of my body. I had never been like that before. It's amazing how one insecurity can lead to another.
"What?" She asked, putting the cap back on her lipstick applicator.
"Do you think I'm fat?" I asked, looking down at my thighs.
"If you're fat, than so is everyone else." She said flatly. I couldn't brush off the thought of her just saying that because she didn't want to tell me I was really fat. I had never noticed it before, but my thighs were definitely huge. I need to start working out.
--
The restaurant was an upscale Mexican themed fiesta. The lights were dimmed, sombrero's were used as a centerpiece on every table, and a live mariachi band was playing towards the corner of the restaurant, near the bar.
Ashleigh and I followed Caleb in, and took our seats towards the center of the table. I was sitting next to Kate (go figure) and Ashleigh. Tyler and Reid were sitting across from us.
"Hey" I managed to say to everyone in general as I took my seat.
Kate giggled. I looked over at her and she smiled. I also noticed that Kate was nursing a frozen drink. Obviously, not a smoothie. As I looked around the entire table, everyone except for my brother, Ashleigh, and I had a drink. Obviously this was supposed to be a celebration of some kind. Why they wanted to celebrate the end of summer, I didn't know. All I knew is that I didn't have a frozen beverage, but I wanted one. This is going to be a long night.
"Hey Gone" I heard to the left of me. It was Chase. This guy just doesn't get it does he?
"Hello" I said, shortly. Might as well be somewhat pleasant if I was going to be having dinner with this freak.
"Hey Adele." Tyler smiled at me. Tyler, Tyler, Tyler. He could be so cute when he wanted to be. And right now, he looked so cute. In just jeans and a blue button down shirt that matched his eyes, he looked so much older than he did the previous night. And I mean that in a good way. A very good way. What am I doing? This is Tyler, I shouldn't be thinking of him in that way.
"Hey" I said, my voice a little scratchier than before, when I had greeted Captain Asshole Who Nearly Scared Me Half To Death A Few Days Ago.
"Reid." Ashleigh 'greeted' the playboy sitting across from her.
I looked between the two. Something must have happened between the two of them last night because they weren't even making eye contact.
"Ashleigh" he replied in the same tone she had said his name. Without waiting for an answer or anything he then got up and made his way over to the bar. I had a feeling Reid was going to be at the bar quite a bit tonight.
As I leaned over to ask Ashleigh what happened she raised an eyebrow at me as if she knew what I was going to say. "Don't ask." And she looked away.
"Okkay" I said and I saw Tyler glance at the two of us before returning his gaze to the menu.
After everyone (except for myself) had finished up their meals, Kate stood up to make an announcement. I had ordered what looked like the lightest meal on the menu, and although I was still very hungry, I had managed to eat only half of it. And I was starting to feel guilty for eating as much as I had when my thought's were interrupted by Kate.
"Everyone, please this will only take a minute." She was looking over at Reid, who was still hanging out at the bar. "Last night, Pogue and I were talking about… us."
She smiled and looked over at Pogue who was gazing at her. I wanted to puke.
"And we decided that next year, after we graduate, we're going to get married!"
I heard a bunch of gasps and "I'm so happy for you both" comments from everyone but I felt like I was about to suffocate.
Instead of getting up and giving Kate a hug like Sarah and Ashleigh were doing, I got up, and ran out of the restaurant. This can't be happening! I kept thinking to myself as I ran as far away from that place as I could.
--
I don't know how long I had been running, or how far I had gotten (I mean I was wearing pumps for crying out loud), but I was soon out of breathe. I stopped myself and sat down on the curb of the sidewalk, I was still downtown, but I had no idea where. As my breathing started to become more regular and I had finally calmed myself down, I saw a figure running in my direction. As the figure started inching closer, I was able to see it was none other than Tyler Simms. What the hell does he want?
"Hey" he said, out of breathe, as he took a seat next to me on the side of the curb.
"Hey" I said, returning my gaze to the street.
"You wanna talk about it?" He was able to say the sentence in full, without having to gasp for air.
"Talk about what?" I was playing dumb.
"Talk about why you ran out of the restaurant after Kate announced her engagement to Pogue… Pogue being the guy you like." Tyler said the last part a little sarcastically. I wasn't sure if there was a double meaning behind that.
"Everyone probably thinks I'm such an idiot." I could feel the tears wanting to break free and fall. But I was trying my best to hold them back.
"Probably."
Despite being shy and extremely sexy, Tyler Simms was funny. Who knew? Tyler's not sexy. Stop thinking that.
"I don't know why I did that. To be honest." Here I go again, pouring my heart out to one of my brother's best friends. Why I do this, I couldn't tell you.
"It's just not a very good feeling…" I started but Tyler seemed to know what I was thinking because he finished my sentence.
"To like someone who doesn't like you back." He finished for me.
"So then you too, knows what it feels like." I said, a little in disbelief. Maybe Tyler and I had more in common than I had thought.
"I guess you can say that." He looked sad. I wanted to hug him and tell him everything was going to be okay, but in all honesty, I don't know if everything's going to be okay.
"How do we know everything's going to work out the way it's supposed to?" I started to rant. "What if the way things work out is not the way I wanted it to go?" I don't know why I was saying this. But I really didn't expect an answer. I guess, I said them rhetorically.
"We don't know. I guess that's just were faith comes in." He answered my rhetorical question.
"You're a good friend, Tyler." I said, surprising myself. Tyler, a friend?
"Thanks, you're a good friend too." He said, looking even more sad than before. I really felt for him. Whoever this girl was, that was making him feel this way, was an idiot. I'd kill her myself if I knew who she was.
I was about to ask him about the girl that's making him feel that way, when I saw another figure running towards us. Tall, lean, and longish sexy hair. Oh my God! It was Pogue.
He stopped when he reached us and looked over at Tyler. "Hey man, can I talk to Adele alone for a minute?" He asked, leaning over to catch his breathe.
Tyler looked over at me and then back at Pogue. "Sure." He said, sadly, and got up. "Adele, I'll wait for you at the restaurant. Caleb and Sarah left early." He said, as he turned around and started walking in the direction Pogue had come from.
I couldn't look at Pogue. I was embarrassed. I was nervous. And I was about to cry. Of all people, I didn't want him to see me cry.
"Hey." He said, as he took the seat Tyler had previously occupied.
"Hi." Was all I managed to say to him.
We sat there for a few minutes without saying anything. I think he was trying to figure out what to say in the first place. I, of course, was frozen on the spot.
"I'm sorry you had to find out that way." He broke the silence. A few more minutes of silence passed by. "I love her."
I swallowed. The lump in my throat just seemed to keep getting bigger and bigger. I really thought I was seconds away from choking on it.
"You're my best friend's little sister Adele." He continued. I knew I wasn't going to like this conversation. "And as beautiful as I think you are, you'll always be like a little sister to me." Wait, did he just say he thought I was beautiful?
I looked over at him and saw that he was playing with his hands. I'm sure this conversation wasn't easy for him either.
"I know." I was feeling slightly more confident. "I'm sorry I ran out like that."
Pogue smiled. I smiled back at him.
"We can still be friends?" I asked him, hoping he wouldn't ask if we were ever friends in the first place.
"Of course" he said and I let out a sigh of relief. "And plus, I think Tyler's got a little thing for you."
He laughed as my eyes got big. "Oh come on now, like you didn't notice. That boy took off faster than you did."
"That's Tyler though. He does that for everyone." I spoke bluntly. It was true. Tyler was just the type of guy that made sure everyone was okay. Tyler is just genuinely a nice guy.
"I don't think he would have done that for anyone else." Pogue spoke slyly. "Anyways, lets get you back there. You're knight in shining amour is waiting with your carriage M'Lady."
I got up and walked with Pogue in silence back to the Mexican restaurant barefoot. How I had managed to run that far in heels is beyond my comprehension. I really had run far off, because it took us a good twenty minutes to get back to that restaurant. And we were walking at a fast pace. Maybe I should join the track team?
--
"Thanks Pogue" I said as I made my way over to Tyler, who was leaning against his hummer, waiting for us.
"Anytime." Pogue spoke as he threw on his helmet and started up his bike.
"Hey, you okay?" Tyler asked me as we started we started driving towards my place.
"Yeah, I'm okay. You know I never really thought Pogue and I could be together anyways." I was looking out of the window, watching the trees, as we drove past through them.
"And why's that?"
"Because I've never really been much of anything." Shit, why do I do this with Tyler? First last night, and now again. The poor kid probably thinks I'm some depressing lunatic. Wait, maybe I am?
"Why do you say that stuff about yourself?" I turned over to Tyler, who had turned off the radio.
"It's how I feel." I was being blunt. I was always blunt. That's just how I am. "Do you think I'm fat?" I'm also random, as well.
"What are you talking about? You're stick thin!" He threw his arms up, as if that would help prove his point.
"Do you think you're fat?" This time he was asking me.
"I think a lot of things." I replied, shortly. I didn't really want to get into this with him. But the second I said that, I couldn't help it. I started sobbing.
Tyler slowed his hummer down until it was at a complete stop on the side of the road. He unfastened his seat belt and slid closer to me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me towards him.
It was comforting.
And without thinking, I broke the only comforting feeling I've had in a long while, and replaced it with an awkward and stupid question. "Tyler, do you think I'm pretty?"
I could see his hesitation in the way he swallowed. I shouldn't have asked him that. He obviously didn't think so, otherwise he would have answered right away. I looked down at my feet, which was becoming a habit the more I hung out with Tyler. "It's okay, you don't have to answer that." I spoke softly. My crying had stopped now, and I was thankful for that. It was one thing to break down in front of someone I barely knew, but it was another when that person happened to be someone you respected.
"Adele-" Tyler started but I cut him off.
"No really, Tyler. It's okay. I shouldn't have asked you that question in the first place." It was true, I had no right to put him on the spot like that. Of all people, he didn't deserve that.
Sadly, I did feel slightly rejected when I felt Tyler move back towards the drivers seat. I had expected rejection anyways, but it still hurt.
We drove in silence all the way to my house, which was at least a good ten minutes away from where we had stopped. I felt stupid, embarrassed, and slightly jaded. I could only imagine how Tyler was feeling.
He pulled up to my driveway like he did the night before and as I was about to close the door shut after getting out, Tyler surprised me. "I think you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
I shut his car door without hearing anything else. I didn't want to hear anything else. He was just saying that because he knew I had felt rejected, first with Pogue and Kate, and now with him. Besides, what else would you tell your best friend's little sister?
I was about to open the front door of my house but was pulled around by a pair of arms. It was Tyler.
"Adele, I meant what I said." Was this really happening? Did Tyler really think I was pretty? Probably not.
"It's okay Tyler. I'm Caleb's geeky little sister, I get it." I turned to open the door, but was turned around, yet again.
This time no words we spoken. Instead, Tyler leaned in and kissed me. Softly. Gently.
He pulled away rather quickly. I was shocked. Did he just really do that?
"You have to learn to love yourself before someone else can." And that was it. Tyler turned around, got into his hummer, and drove away. I stood there, on my front porch, completely frozen and confused.
