| Chapter 3
"Damn locker!" I said under my breath as I tried with no avail to close the door to my locker. For some reason it always picked the end of the day to get stuck. Before break, when Dillon and I were still together, Dillon had this way of shutting it that I could never figure out. Finally, letting all my pent up frustration out, I kicked the bottom of the door as it shut securely. "Dillon or Sage?" Guy asked with a laugh as he walked up behind me and kissed me on the side of my head. "What?" I snapped not meaning to, but my anger was growing by the minute. "Sorry, you caught me at the wrong moment. What are you talking about?" I asked as I turned to face him as his grin grew more aparant. "You looked pretty pissed off just now! I'm just wondering if it was Dillon or Sage that you were picturing when you kicked it." He said as he offered me his arm as I looped mine in his. "Neither, which is probably a good thing. I might not have stopped." I said as I started laughing. For some reason, Guy's laughter always seemed contagious and no matter what kind of mood I was in, he always seemed to make me laugh. "Are we still on for Kelly's or do you want me to go ahead and walk you home?" He asked with a hint of concern in his voice. If ever I had an 'older brother' figure in my life, Guy was it. He insisted on walking me home no matter where we were, and he hated seeing me upset. "No, we're still on for Kelly's." I said as I smiled up at him as we walked out of the school and into the bitterly cold winds of early January. The short drive to Kelly's was relaxed and peaceful and seemed like an escape from the events of the day. "So who was the cute blond in third period? The one with the preppy cheerleader hanging all over him?" Guy asked as he opened the door letting me go into Kelly's before he hurried in, out of the cold. "Who Drew? Drew McFadden, the guy with the letterman jacket? The one who sat catty-cornered from me?" I asked as we walked up to the counter. Penny, who was in the back motioned for us to give her a minute. "That would be the one. He's pretty good looking!" Guy said as he helped me out of my coat and laid it across one of the chairs followed by his own. "Trust me. Once you are past Drew's good looks, you're past him entirely. Common sense doesn't even apply to him." I said with a short laugh. "I think I could over look that, besides he does have a nice a....assertive art portfolio." Guy quickly slipped in as Penny walked up to us. "What can I get you two?" She asked as she smiled brightly at us. "Hot chocolate and a piece of pumpkin pie." I said after quick deliberation. "I'll have the same, with lots of whipped cream." He said. "Give me 5 minutes and it'll be right out." Penny said with another warm smile before she went to the back. Guy grabbed out coats and we turned around just as Maxie walked in. When she saw us heading to the booth in the corner she quickly got in. She was beaming as me and Guy sat down in the seat across from her. "What are you so happy about?" I asked not being able to hold back a smile of my own. "You!" She practically squealed. "Me?" I asked as I looked at her shocked. "Yea, I heard about your little run in with Dillon and Sage today. Not to mention that you two are together! I am just mad that I found out from a freshman in my 6th period Gym class, and not from you." She said trying to look hurt, but her eyes still beamed with happiness. "Who told you about Dillon and Sage or about us?" I asked puzzled. "Some freshman, ummm I think her name is Cindy, she was talking to her little friends about it. She was going on and on about how she saw you and Sage arguing and then Dillon came up, oh yea she thinks Dillon is 'freaking hot but wouldn't know trash if he fell in a dumpster'." Maxie said as I almost chocked on my drink that Penny had just brought out. "Anyways she was saying that Sage was being a bitch but then Guy, who she described as 'tragically gorgeous', came over and saved you from them. She said you two looked pretty close." "She was telling her friends this?" I asked terrified at the fact that someone had been talking about me. "Georgie, it's a small school with big mouths, word travels fast. Besides, you are pretty much their hero now. They couldn't stop talking about how brave you are to stand up to Sage. I was about to say something to them but the teacher came in and I didn't get a chance. So how long have you two been hiding this from me?" She asked motioning with her finger at Guy and I. I looked over at him and he looked like he was trying to hold back from laughing. "Max, can I tell you something?" He asked as he leaned over the table towards her. "Sure!" She said as she looked over at me, her eyes dancing as she leaned closer to him. "As much as I love your sister, I don't think it would ever work out." He said as he looked over at me and winked. "Was that girl lying? Why wouldn't it work out?" She asked as her face fell and she leaned in closer. "It wouldn't work because the type of person I go for is broader, taller and has hair on their legs." He said as she pulled back with a look of horror on her face. "That is...wow, well there is this one girl in my Trig class that might fit that..." Maxie said confused as Guy cut her off. "Maxie, you're not getting it. I'm gay, I like guys." He said as I couldn't hold back my laughter any longer. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt and I had tears in my eyes. Maxie sat back in shock and then slowly started to smile. "I knew you were too good to be true. Thanks for making me look like an idiot." She said as she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted playfully. "I wish I had a camera. That was priceless." I said as my laughter calmed and I wipped the tears from my eyes. "So then what was all that that those girls were talking about? Were they lying?" She asked getting angry. "Calm down, that girl was just repeating what she saw. Sage was pretty much cornering Georgie..." Guy said as I held up my hand. "No she wasn't." "Yes she was, she was trying to get a rise out of her when Dillon showed up and he wasn't doing much to shut her up so I came in and kind of made them believe we were together." Guy said as he slipped his arm around my neck and pulled me closer to him playfully. "So it is all an act?" Maxie asked astonished. "Pretty much. We kept it up first period and when we ran into them in the hallways, little Miss Spaz here paniced, and practically mauled me right then and there in the hallway." He said with a laugh as he ran his hand up and down my arm soothingly as I blushed like crazy. "Sorry, but I didn't know what else to do. What would you have done?" I asked in defense. "Probably the same thing. But it was great, Maxie I wish you would have been there to see the look on their faces. Especially Sage! She looked like someone sucked all the wind out of her." Guy said as we all laughed. Dillon's POV On my way home from school I needed to get something to eat because during lunch today, I had been unable to actually consume any food due to the sight of Georgie and that new kid, Guy, making out in the hallway. With that image permanently burned into my brain, I felt physically ill whenever I thought of eating. It just didn't seem right though. Georgie wasn't the type of girl to just make out with someone in the hallways of the school. Not to mention take the risk of getting caught and getting into trouble that could possibly jepordize her future at an Ivey League College. But maybe that was her way of dealing with all that has happened. Find someone and try to be as different with them as she was with me. And in that case, it was all my fault. Hell it was my fault any which way you looked at it. As I walked into Kelly's my breath caught in my throat as I spotted Georgie in the corner booth. She looked happy and vibrant, I couldn't help but smile. A part of me was thrilled that she was happy because that is all I really want. Ultimately as long as she was happy, so was I. But it killed me in that same instant that it wasn't with me. It hurt even more to see who she was with. The same guy from this morning. The same guy from the park. She hadn't seemed to notice me come in and I prayed she wouldn't, so I quietly walked up to the counter and gave Penny my order. After ten excrutiating minutes of hearing her frequent laughter, each outburst broke my heart more and more. My food was brought out and I paid, leaving Penny a large tip not wanting to take more time to get the change. My hands were full and just as I turned and was about to open the door my eyes locked with Georgie's. Yet again, my breath caught in my throat. She seemed to tense at just at the sight of me and Guy pulled her closer to him and kissed the top of her head gently, never once breaking his conversation with Maxie. His actions were without thought. He didn't know what Georgie suddenly became tense about but he still shielded her. He was protecting her. He was doing what I should be doing. I should be the one protecting her. I should be the one with my arm around her, laughing with her and Maxie and I should be the one reassuring her that she would be ok. But I was the one that he was protecting her from. She offered me a weak smile and I looked down at the ground and then back to her as I leaned against the door, willing it to open quicker so I could get out of there. Walking home, my mind became invaded with questions of how things had come to this point. When had I gone from being her protector to being the one she was protected against? Sage: That is when it happened. The moment I jumped in the water to fulfill her need for attention and save her from drowning or freezing in the bitterly cold water. The moment I ran to Alcazar and asked for a job, the moment I let her get to me, and the moment I gave the most precious gift I had to give to Georgie, and I threw it away with an act of meaningless sex. I kept asking myself over and over again why I didn't quit. But I still needed the money, now more than ever. Maybe if I could get the money to get my own place and become emancipated, maybe then Georgie will see that I did it all for her. Maybe she'll see that I still love her and never for a moment stopped loving her. |