�Oh.� Dylan didn�t talk much after that�Rob kept trying to include him in our conversations, but he�d just shrug or nod. Rob left about fifteen minutes later, but Dylan and I stayed.
�You didn�t tell me you had a boyfriend,� Dylan said, angry and annoyed.
I laughed. �You�think�Rob�s�my�boyfriend?! Dylan, Rob�s gay!�
�That really isn�t a nice thing to say about him.� Dylan looked pale�his eyes were burning with rage, and he was frowning�
�Dylan, I�m serious. Rob�s gay. He has been since he was 15,� I said, not laughing anymore. �He thought you were hot,� I added, giggling. Dylan laughed with me, finally believing me. �Hey, I gotta go,� I said, looking at my watch. �You should come over tonight for supper and meet my parents,� I added, remembering Ana�s note.
�I, uh�I don�t think your parents would like me�� he stammered, glancing at my skirt.
�Who cares? I like you. See you at 6?�
�Okay�see ya.�
�Bye!� I walked to out the door and saw Gracie waiting by my car.
�I know Dylan. Don�t get to close. He won�t let you go,� she said, not moving away from my car.
�I don�t want advice from you. Get away from my car, and stop following me before I get a restraining order,� I replied. Dylan exited the caf�, and, upon seeing us arguing, came over.
�Dylan,� Gracie said, not looking at him.
�Gracie Foster�I thought you were dead,� he replied.
�No, but to you I am,� she replied, turning around and walking away. �Just remember what I said, okay, Jacqueline?� She yelled back at me.
�Remember what?� Dylan asked.
�Nothing�she was just being stupid,� I said, getting into my car. I drove away, thinking about what Gracie said. I�ve never seen her act like that�she was always so happy, but today she was dark and serious�I laughed at myself. I was actually taking Gracie�s warning seriously.
I went home, told Ana to set an extra place for the table tonight, and rushed upstairs to change.
�Come in,� I said. I led him to the dining room where my family was waiting.
�Hello, Dylan,� my mom said sweetly, looking at Dylan�s clothes with distaste. We sat down and Ana brought out the food. �Dylan, do you go to Saint Andrew�s?�
�No, I go to Washington High,� he replied.
�Ah, that�s where I went to school,� my father said. �Do they still have Mr. Russell teaching gym?�
�Oh, yeah, he�s still there. I think he might be retiring after this year, though.�
�So, what are your plans post-graduation?� my father asked. �Jacqueline�s going to New York to go to a small university.�
�You are?� he asked, looking at me.
�Yeah�I want to major in the arts. Didn�t I tell you?�
�I�m planning to stay in this area, Mr. Hill, and maybe go to the community college and take a few courses in business,� Dylan said to my father, ignoring me.
The rest of the meal went pretty well, with Dylan winning the approval of my father, but not my mother. After supper, Dylan went up to my room, leaving my parents and Caleb in the living room.
�You never told me you were going to New York!� he yelled, sitting on my bed. �Are you coming back when you�re done with college?�
�I wasn�t planning on it,� I replied truthfully.
�So you�ll just leave and forget about me.�
�Dylan, I�ll never forget you�I just can�t stay here. It isn�t you- it�s them.� There was a long, uncomfortable pause. �Hey, let�s just forget about this, okay? There�s still nine months before I leave�let�s not let this bother us.� Dylan didn�t reply. He just got off my bed and left my room�left my house�and I stayed on the bed, allowing silent tears to fall.
�Hey, Rob, it�s Jacqueline. I really have to talk to you�can you meet me at the caf� tomorrow after school? Thanks.� I hung up and sat on my bed, crying until my eyes were sore.
�Yeah�Rob, I was thinking�maybe I shouldn�t go to New York. Maybe I should stay here, with you and Dylan�I mean, I don�t know anyone there��
�No, Box, you�re not going to stay here. You�ve been wanting to get out of this place since you were six years old. Don�t rearrange your life for him,� he argued, pausing and looking at his watch. �Hey, I gotta run�if you need me, call me. Sorry I can�t stay longer.�
�Bye, Box.� Rob hugged me and left. I turned around to grab my bag and nearly screamed. Standing right beside my chair was Dylan.
�He seemed to enjoy that a little too much to be gay,� he hissed.
�Dylan, we�re only friends.�
�How many more lies do you plan on telling me, Jacqueline?�
�Dylan, I�m not lying to you!� Tears gathered once again in my eyes. �What is he doing to me?� I thought.
�Jackie, it�s either him or me. I suggest on choosing soon.� I cringed when he called me Jackie.
�Dylan, don�t do this to me! I love you, but Rob and I are such great friends�I couldn�t live without either of you.�
�You�re going to have to,� he said coldly, leaving the caf�. I ran out after him, but he was already gone.
Around 3:00 a.m., the phone in my bedroom rang. I picked it up, still half asleep. A familiar voice whispered: �It won�t be so hard to decide now,� and then they hung up. I slammed the telephone back into it�s cradle, furious that someone would call this early�
My telephone rang again at 6:30. It was Rob�s mom.
�Jacqueline, Rob�s dead. We�re not sure if he was murdered or committed suicide, but I think he mighta killed himself.� I sat up in bed.
�Mrs. Coleman, I�m so sorry. Is there anything I can do?�
�No, dear�thank you,� she replied, hanging up. Hot, angry tears filled my eyes. Rob didn�t commit suicide. Dylan killed him.
�What the hell do you think you�re doing?� I yelled, not moving from the door.
�Jacqueline, please�don�t cause a scene.�
�Don�t cause a scene? Dylan, do you realize what you�ve just done?�
�C�mon, Box�let�s just go outside�� I froze.
�Dylan, you�ll never replace Rob. Don�t even try,� I hissed coldly. �I know what you�ve done, and I know why you�ve done it. Leave me alone. I don�t ever want to see you again.� I left the caf� quickly, and Dylan followed. He grabbed my wrist and spun me around.
�You will tell no one about this. Just let everyone think it was a suicide,� he said through clenched teeth.
�You don�t control me,� I replied, yanking my arm away and running to my car. He was still on the sidewalk, pale and angry, staring at me.