Chapter 6: Chapter 6

They still met up. Because he was her ride, and Chad their only conversation. If he wanted to get a move on, he had to get closer to her. And now they were in his favorite spot. She still changed in his car. So there were a lot of questions to ask her instead of getting stuck awkwardly.

“So…” he started. She dropped her phone and looked to him. “You never did tell me why I can’t drop you in front of your door. You don’t want your neighbors to see that you fraternize with the very thing you hate?”

That wasn’t a joke.

“No it’s not that” she rest her cheek on an open palm.

“Well, does it have to do with the fact that you still change in my car. You still need to explain that, because I don’t get it”.

“It’s really complicated. I honestly don’t know where to start from” she winced.

He rest his chin on his interlaced fingers. “Okay, first explain why you still change in my car, instead of wearing the clothes from your house?”

“My mum” she groaned. “She wouldn’t let me wear any of what I got. She doesn’t dress like that and she never bought any of it for me, so if she saw me in this, I’d be in trouble”.

“Have you even tried?” he questioned. “Because the way you’re saying it is like your mum has that much control over your life” then he looked to her phone. “Don’t tell me she doesn’t know about your phone too” now that was a joke. But Kelly didn’t laugh along with him. She looked guilty.

“You know when you keep hiding things, you’ll eventually get caught” he said seriously.

“It’s not like I’m hiding things….”. “She never talked about me having a phone because there’s a phone in our house, and I never mentioned having one, so…..it never came up between us”.

He looked at her pointedly. While she was thinking of what to say, he already knew the answer. It would move from keeping things, then she’d start sneaking around. All because of a boy.

“I just want to live my life. Sometimes I feel like she’s living the life she wanted through us….but I don’t really know. I love her, but I’ll be out of her house soon. So there’s no need to worry”.

“And why now? Why do you choose to live the life you want senior year?”

She puffed. “Why did you choose to be my friend in senior year?” she challenged.

“Touché” he said impressed. “But hiding things will always get you in trouble”.

Since she didn’t have friends, having one was new to her. And she had learnt that not everything had to be put out there. Because it was mean. She had to be nice to Jason, even if sometimes he deserved her mean attitude. He was an asshole most of the times. And she had wanted to say him of all people telling him that. He had values, who knew.

But that was overkill.

‘All for a boy’ he thought. “And I heard you say us. There’s more than one of you?” he asked thoughtful.

“I have a sister. Adriana, she’s in college now”.

“Her being your sister, is she anything like you?”

“She was, but not anymore” when she said that, she had a longing look on her face.

“I don’t understand your riddles” he said bluntly.

“Well you said my mum was controlling. Controlled how we dressed, what we did, who we interacted with, and eventually what we would study. My mum is a lawyer, and she wanted that for two of us”.

“But my sister, during her senior year decided to live her life. And now she’s in college studying what she loves. Architecture”.

“So she lived her life senior year, and you’re following her footsteps?” he questioned.

“Not like everyone is going to remember me anyway. This is the time. Better late than never they say”.

“And you sister living her life, did it involve her changing her clothes when she left home, buying a phone and hiding it, and practicing to get a boyfriend?”

“Well some of it, but she did it in moderation”.

“Your mum didn’t say anything?” he quirked his brow.

“Well Adriana wasn’t really hurting anyone, not like she was showing off her boobs and coming home high. My mum only opened her mouth when she got pregnant”.

“Oh!” Jason dragged lowly. He had not been expecting that.

“That’s why I’m not going to show her any of the changes. She’ll only think the worst of me”.

“A-and I’m guessing….” He made multiple funny faces as he tried to piece his question together. “The child?”

“Abortion” she said straight-faced. “She couldn’t have the child, and she still had school. They both settled on an abortion. Things got bad between all of us, and she left before she was meant to go to college”.

“How’s your relationship with her? That’s if you still talk”.

“We still talk. She’s my sister and I love her. She made a mistake…..it’s not the end of the world. And I believe in prochoice”.

“What about your mum and your sister? Do they get along?”

“No” she shook her head. “Not even a little bit. I think she hates her”.

He wouldn’t try to find the fault in that. He didn’t know much about Kelly. She was the one who lived in the house, so she had all the experience for her to say that.

“She told me to live my life” she had that small smile on her lip. “Obviously I won’t do what she did. She said she couldn’t explain the feeling of that freedom she had for a while, but I saw complete bliss in her eyes. Happiness. And I wanted to feel that so much. She said I should experience it, and that’s what I’m going to do”.

“Inspiring” he didn’t like the feeling he had in his chest.

“Well I guess it’s my turn to ruin things” she said sheepishly. “And what about you? I guess your life is completely different from mine”.

“Yeah” he didn’t feel like talking about how his life was okay just to make her feel bad. “Nothing much. We’re pretty boring”.

“So normal then” she stated. “A father, a mother and then you. Everything is okay, and nothing out of the ordinary happens. It’s an envious position”.

“Maybe he should stop asking questions. She hadn’t mentioned a father, and he didn’t want her to be down for the remainder of the day. But he knew what would cheer her up.

“When you talk to Chad, this should not be a conversation starter” he changed the subject.

At that moment, her phone pinged. Strange because he thought he was the only one who knew she had a phone. Her mum didn’t know. So who else would….?

“Speaking of Chad” she smiled to herself.

“How did he get your number already?!” he was shocked.

“The end of yesterday” she said not looking at him as she texted back. “He came up to me and asked for my number on my way to the parking lot”.

She dropped her phone and looked back up.

“Well texting and talking are two different things” he shook of the surprise of few seconds ago. Chad was fast. But with what she told him just now, he wasn’t sure if playing with her feelings and making her fall for him would be such a good idea.

She said she wanted to live her life now. She was only focusing on the good, and not the bad. He knew Chad. His friend wasn’t looking for love. He was only with a girl for one thing. Which was kind of like him. They were both the same. They were teenagers. None of them were looking for relationships, or planning a happy ever after. Most that were in relationships, as soon as they graduated, they would break up.

She wasn’t thinking of the consequences. With her going through all that at home, then when she would find out the truth about Chad, then when he would have no further use for her after the bet. Would she do something drastic? Come on, her sister had gotten pregnant.

He didn’t want to be the reason she tried to kill herself or worse.

“Let me see the texts” and she handed the phone over.

She was looking at him weird. Expectantly. As if waiting for approval and praise. He looked through the texts which weren’t much. They just started talking yesterday. “It’s good. You should keep this up. But no sad stories until you’re sure you’re both comfortable to share that”.

She nodded.

His thumb slipped and he went back. And he saw his name. What made him twitch was the way she save his name.

“Do you know someone called Jason Asshole?”

“Oh” she looked up, then she looked down. “That was someone…….I’ll change it” she took her phone back. She just loved to aggravate him.

“That aside” he rolled his eyes. “What interests do you have? What’s interesting about you? You have to hold his attention, and it can’t just be about him. You’d just be a cheerleader to him”.

“Well with what you told me, we have the same interests. Movies, music….all that”.

“What makes you stand out from the rest of the girls” he said broadly, mimicking her earlier position of cheek resting on the palm.

“What about sports?” she wondered.

“There are girls who love sports” he told her.

“Then it’s quite impossible to stand out. The odds that I’ll have something no other girl has. And what he might be looking for I might not have it” she groaned face planting on her book.

“Dig deep” he cheered her on tiredly.

Her head shot up abruptly. “Has he been with a dancer before?”

Jason had to think. “No. That doesn’t come to mind. You can dance?”

“Ballet!” she supplied. “I mentioned it to you before” she reminded him.

‘Yeah. I asked if you were flexible” he unknowingly bit his lips. A song about positions playing in his head.

Kelly was oblivious to it. “Yes I am. You think he would like me showing off that skill?” she asked unsure.

“Well, let’s see what you got” he said taking both their books and placing it beside him on the bench.

“But I don’t…..” she furrowed her brows in thought. “I’m not dressed for it, and I don’t have my slippers here”.

“Just show one or two moves that you can do without the slippers” he looked up at her. He wasn’t so bored anymore. To have a girl who claimed to be flexible before him. He hadn’t seen a girl that flexible up close. This was strangely exciting.

“But I could fall and tear my outfit” she said pulling on the skirt of her denim dungarees.

“Take it off then” he leered, wriggling his brows.

“Shut up” and she climbed onto the table. “I’ll just do one move” she said hiking the skirt up, and he could see her black tights underneath. He smiled at her, and she just glared. She had to look at the positives. Soon she would be doing this for Chad.

She took a deep breath and got in position. He didn’t know much of ballet, but her form was okay. She positioned her arms. Then her right leg was ascending slowly, till it was at the side of her face. Then it came down, and she took that same leg to the back, and lastly to the front. All the while concentrated like Jason wasn’t even there.

“Nice form” he said. “What’s it called?”

“Battement” she supplied with a small smile.

“It’s nice, but I don’t think Chad would want to see your ballet skills when you tell him you’re flexible. That was good, but maybe wowing him would be something simple. Something he was familiar with”.

Kelly dropped her leg looking thoughtful. She just stood there for a while.

“Earth to Bla….”

Kelly dropped down in a split. Completely shocking him. She smiled at him coyly. “What about this?”

His mouth was open for a while. “Well, being spontaneous never hurt anyone”.

“I’m spontaneous?” she looked at him playfully. “Awesome” she said. “Check this out”.

She lay on her forward leg, to Jason this looked really painful. Not to forget the fact that she was on a hard wooden picnic table. Her other leg came up like a scorpion tail and stretched impossibly forward, her heel almost touching her head.

It was a sight. He wouldn’t call it beautiful because he knew bones didn’t bend that way. But it was artistic. Her forward leg went to the back, and she arched up, both heels coming to touch her head. “How’s this for wowing him?” she looked at him casually smug. Like she wasn’t straining the bones in her body.

“I-I’ve seen enough” she told her.

She reverted back to her normal position and slipped of the table back to the bench. “Now that I’ve left you speechless, can we go back to our homework?”

That would be best. Because he still didn’t know what to say.

When it was getting late, they packed up and both headed leisurely to his car.

“So what do you want to be after high school?” she was the one to ask.

“A game designer” he replied. “I’ve always loved games and I think I’ll be good at it. Do you play any games?”

“Candy crush” was her simple answer.

‘I thought so’. “And do you want to be a lawyer because you like it, or because of your mum?” he asked as they got to the car. She opened the back door. She didn’t get in though. She leaned against the car, her arms folded on the roof.

“I’ll admit my mum has much influence on my choice career wise, but it is smart. It would take care of the bills”.

“But do you like it? Do you have as much passion for it as you do with dancing? I saw your face when you showed off your moves” he opened his door and dropped his supplies in the driver’s seat.

“Passion won’t help me when it’s time to pay taxes” she said getting into the car and shutting her door.

He got in too, putting his seatbelt on. “Does your mum know you dance?” he asked the very obvious question.

He saw her face change. “No she doesn’t”.

“I’m guessing that she didn’t take you to ballet classes either” he snorted already moving to the empty road.

“No. You know I don’t need to go to a school to learn all that. I have a laptop” she muttered.

“Yeah. Your research” he laughed. “So how did ballet come along?” he could already hear her shuffling. He looked to the rearview mirror, just to see her glasses covered eyes giving him a flat look.

“Eye on the road Tom” she warned. It wasn’t new. Her changing when he was driving. It only had to happen once for him to be used to it. She must have figured out it wasn’t really smart to change in the parking lot where eyes would be on her.

“I watch TV….”

“He couldn’t hide his laughter.

“You see why your name is saved like that on my phone?” she asked waiting for him to stop laughing. “I saw ballet on a station and I began to practice what I saw. It wasn’t easy, and I’m that type of person that I must get it right or I won’t stop”.

He agreed with her on that one.

“My sister saw me dancing in my room one day, and she got me my ballet slippers. That just drove me more. Ballet is sort of an escape from the lonli…..everyday life” she hastily corrected herself. But he knew what she was talking about.

“I still think you should talk to your mum about this. Like you said, better late than never. What makes you think you’ll be free in college if you don’t put your feet down?”

She was silent.

“It won’t” she said with a sigh. She had finished changing. “I’m guessing you tell your parents everything?” she asked like she couldn’t care.

“I do” he said.

“Even about your girls?” she chuckled.

“Well….” He dragged. “Maybe not everything”.

“Must be nice” she said idly playing with the string of the outfit she left home with. “You do track, why don’t you be a runner for the Olympics?”

“I’m athletic and don’t want it to go to waste. It’s still a way of keeping fit, but I don’t have that much passion for it as games”.

For the first time between them, there was comfortable silence. Hopefully what he was doing was warming her heart. The quicker this was done, the better it was for two of them. But with what happened today, that wasn’t what he wanted to think about.

“This is your spot”.

“Thank you” she said softly and got out. She stopped by his window and leaned down. “After what happened with Adriana, my mum didn’t say it, but I know she doesn’t want to see me with boys. She only thinks the worst of them now”.

“You don’t really talk to her, so all this is just speculation” he tried to help.

“I was inside the woman, so I know how she thinks” she stood up straight. “Later asshole” she waved. “That’s my nickname for you”.

“Then hope the name weird Kelly will suffice!” he yelled after her.

She just laughed.

Getting home, he headed straight to the kitchen for a snack. He saw the plate of salad on the counter, so he took it. Underneath was a flier. Auditions to join some sort of studio. Kelly would love this. He smiled to himself, then he frowned immediately. Why was he trying to do this for her all of a sudden? It wasn’t his business. He just felt sorry for her because her life was really sad.

He only wanted to make her feel better so her eyes would be on him. That was it. That was the only reason. His mum walked in to see that sour look on his face.

“You’re back” a female version of him said. “And you’re eating my salad” she stated.

“What is this?” he waved the flier in front of her.

“Ah-this” she said taking it from him, bringing it closer to her face so she could assess it closer. “A friend of a friend holding dance auditions. Why are you asking? Can you dance now too?” she teased.

“No” he said softly, taking the paper from her. “It’s for a friend” and he stood up with the plate of salad that wasn’t his. “Thank you for dinner”.

He was ready for bed as soon as he stepped out of the shower. He slept before eleven or eleven on a weekday. He could sleep earlier if he wasn’t burdened by schoolwork, but thanks to Kelly he was done.

And now he could sleep. He was pleasantly exhausted, and he wanted to have a sweet hug with his sheets and pillow. He slithered underneath the covers and let out a pleased sigh. Just as he reached to turn the lamp off, his phone pinged.

He groaned completely aggravated. He tried to ignore that. Maybe it wasn’t important. He waited for a few seconds, and when he didn’t receive another ping he reached. It pinged. He sat up abruptly, completely angry. He hoped for both their sakes that it wasn’t Chad. Looking at his screen it was Kelly.

‘JASON!!!’ the text read.

‘Are you there?’

A girl like Kelly awake at this time? Okay something was wrong.

‘I’m here’ he replied. He wished he could project how he really felt through writing. ‘What’s your bedtime anyway?’

‘Nine, but that’s not the problem’ she tried to divert it, but he wouldn’t relent. She disturbed him, he’d only answer when he was ready.

‘Well it is. It’s half past ten. Why are you still awake?’

‘I’m talking with Chad’ she replied. ‘He sent a picture, should I send one back?’

Oh! It was already at that stage. Exchanging pictures. This was where she had to be careful, because especially to a guy like Chad, those pictures wouldn’t be for his eyes alone.

‘What kind of picture did he send?’

‘Just a selfie’ she replied quickly. ‘Do I send one back?’

‘Let me see the picture you want to send’ he typed. This was really too much for a bet.

He waited a few seconds before she sent it. It was a simple selfie, without her glasses. She was smiling a little. It was okay, but the two top buttons of her sleep shirt was unbuttoned. It was too early for that. And she might not mean anything, but guys sometimes really loved to put themselves on a pedestal. For example Chad.

If she sent this picture, he’d call his followers and tell them that she’s thirsty. That the partly opened shirt was an invitation for more. He wasn’t trying to protect her. He just wanted to do this first before Chad.

‘Button your shirt, then take another selfie. You can send it. Can I sleep now?’

‘Thanks for the suggestion’.

‘Seriously it’s almost eleven, and you’re awake because of a guy. And also interrupting another guy’s sleep’.

‘It won’t happen again’.

Too bad they weren’t talking. He didn’t know if she was sarcastic or not. ‘Are you busy this weekend?’ he asked lying on his side, looking at the flier on his nightstand.

‘No. Is something coming up?’

‘Yes. Clear your schedule on Saturday. I’m taking you somewhere’.

‘Where?’ she asked.

‘Just go to bed alright. Goodnight’ and he put his phone on silent.

Kelly just stared. Okay that was weird. She smiled when Chad replied.

‘Gorgeous’ Chad commented with heart faces.

‘Thank you’ she couldn’t stop blushing.

‘Are you free this weekend? I wanted to take you somewhere’.

‘This weekend?’ she hit send. This was the moment she had been waiting for all along. To go on a date with Chad and do other stuff, but Jason had asked her first. She couldn’t just do that to him. ‘I’m quite booked. Multiple jobs’ and she put a sad face.

‘Can’t you reschedule? For me?’ and she so wanted to say yes, but Jason was first.

‘I wish I could’ she sent a kissy face. ‘But we can do whatever you want after school on a weekday so you don’t have to wait so long’.

‘Promise?’

‘Cross my heart and hope to die’.

‘Goodnight Blinch’.

‘Night Chad’ and she held her heart before she flopped back onto her pillow.

Jason better have something good for her.

The weekend came three days later and she was walking to the normal spot to go and meet up with him.

“Where are we going?” she asked. “You don’t know what I had to give up just to be here” she complained. “Quality time with Chad. That’s what I gave up” she huffed. “So this better be better than Chad”.

“I didn’t guess that” he said sarcastically. “Do you have a dance routine in your head?” he asked as he reversed.

“Excuse me?” she made a confused face.

“A dance number. Do you have it in your head?” and they were off.

“Uh-well yeah, but why are you asking me that?” she didn’t like where this was going.

He took one hand off the wheel and handed the flier he had carried with him.

“D-d-dance audition? Jason!!” she screamed. “No. Stop the car right now!” she sounded scared instead of threatening.

“I got dance clothes in there for you. You can start changing now” he ignored her emotional turmoil.

“This can’t be happening. I can’t do this now. I al-college is close. I can’t audition to join a studio now” she tried to reason with him.

“Better late than never you always say” he used her same words against her. “And you’ll be able to pay your taxes doing what you love”.

“Jason! You don’t just throw that on someone. You’re just unbelievable. What do you want me to do right now? I can’t think straight”.

“Just get changed, tell me the song you want to use and go over it in your head”.

“I don’t get why you’re doing this” she grumbled.

“We’re friends now. Two, I just can’t let you live a sad life as your friend. Just try out okay. You might not even get in”.

“Thank you so much for the motivation” she said offended.

It didn’t take long before they arrived, and Jason had to turn around while she changed in the backseat. He turned around when she opened the door. He did a good job. Leggings, and a dark green leotard that exposed her sides. He didn’t know what dancers wore, but he had watched a lot of dance movies. Can’t go wrong with leggings.

“You need shoes for ballet right? I couldn’t really get sneakers for that”.

“No need” she was still in her loafers. “This is okay” she told him, and she sounded so nervous.

“I’ll be there. Just tell me your song”.

She could do this, she told herself. Living her life. Better late than never they say.

“As you are by The Weekend”.

“Nice choice. I didn’t know you listened to good music” he tried to rile her up. To see some other emotion other than fear right now. “I didn’t even know you listened to music at all without a phone”.

“I have a TV and a laptop. God you’re an asshole” she pushed him away.

They both walked in, and there were people that came to audition. Her nerves multiplied and she looked to Jason. “I can’t do this. Take me home” she whispered.

He wasn’t moved by that. “Let’s go. They’re calling you guys now”.

They weren’t given chairs. Some sat on the floor, while others stood leaning against the wall as people auditioned. Boys and girls alike. She kept tapping her toes watching the other dancers. It was nerve-wracking. She looked to Jason who wasn’t even looking at her, but looking ahead.

What had he been thinking?

Were friendships like this?

“Kelly Blinch” her name was called.

She gasped getting on her feet immediately.

“You’ll do great” and he gave her a little shove. She was in the middle of the room, every other dancer’s eyes on her.

She took a deep breath. She was more interested in contemporary ballet than classical ballet. She just had to block everyone out, and she was back in her room, Adriana watching from the door and cheering her on.

Her music began to play and she got in position.

Jason watched intrigued, just the way he had been when he had seen her do that move on the picnic table. The way she moved her body was so passionate. The passion was in her face and all around her. This made her happy, just like the way games and running made him happy. Her face wasn’t even like this when she mentioned Chad.

Her body movement was so languid. The way she moved as id the wind was bending her. She did that leg thing, twirls, a running jump, then she began to make use of the floor like the way she had done on the table. She actually rolled this time.

Like doing gymnastics along with ballet.

He was lost to her movement. He was mesmerized.

And how she ended her routine was her leg going back, and her heel almost touching her head again.

Nobody clapped. Well no one had clapped since it began, so he couldn’t be the odd one out. She came back to her earlier position without even looking at him. She sat down hugging her knees. He just looked down at her not knowing what to say.

Eventually everyone auditioned and they had taken a break to make their decision. Now they were calling names. Kelly was so fidgety by his side.

“This was a bad idea! Why did you talk me into this? They’re not going to call me. Why would they even call me?”

While she was trying to talk his ear off, he was also trying to listen to the names being called.

“Kelly Blinch!”

“Here” she stopped talking to answer. He smiled, but she wasn’t. Maybe she didn’t realize that she had just been accepted. “As I was saying, why….”

“You got in!” he exclaimed grabbing both her arms and shaking her in excitement.

Realization dawned on her, and she squealed jumping onto him, wrapping her arms and legs round him like a koala. “I did it” she cheered into his ears. He held onto her so they both wouldn’t fall. It was surprising at first, but this hug was nice.

The girls that hugged him was because of familiarity, or as a way of flirting sometimes. This was one of genuine happiness. Because he had done something for her, and she was happy because of the gesture.

It was warm. It was friendly.

He had to stop it.

She was suspiciously still.

“Are you crying?” he questioned.

“No” she said. “Just happy” she said looking to him, then jumping down. “You really are a god friend”.

He really wasn’t. Where was this guilt coming from?

They made their way outside when they were done.

“So how is this going to work?” he asked. “With you not wanting to be part of them”.

“I’ll cross that bridge when I get there” she supplied high on happiness.

“That song you danced to, was it like a declaration of love to Chad?” because the choice was sort of unique. He had expected something classical.

“Yes it is. According to his reputation, he isn’t someone girls should really fall for, but I love him the way he is” she gushed.

“You can take him the way he is, but can he take you for who you are? The actual you?”

They stopped in front of the car. She didn’t even look bothered at the severity of the question. “This is the real me, It was just buried underneath the whole time. And thanks to you I found it” she was really happy, but he didn’t share that feeling with her. “Can we go now? You look sick” she said opening the back door.

He shouldn’t be feeling like this.

Why was he feeling so conflicted?

He just pity for her. Just sympathy. Why did him doing something nice just to win a bet make him feel so….unlike himself?

What was wrong with him?

“Jason!!” Kelly yelled.

This was Chad’s fault.