This choice: Give the book to Dorothy so she can put it in • Go Back... Perhaps that really is what motivates you as you head over to the empty desk that's in front of her. "Hey," you say as you sit down in the unoccupied seat and turn around. She looks up at you and her expression seems to be one of mild surprise. "You alright?" you ask as you reach into your bag and grab hold of the book.
"Oh. Yeah, I'm good," she answers in a voice that comes out as a soft, lazy drawl. "Are you alright? You're usually on the other side of the room."
"Well, yeah, but you looked pretty down so I just thought, I dunno, I'd see what was going on," you say as you remove the book. Dorothy seems to spot it as her eyes focus in that direction. She doesn't need to say anything for you to get what she's probably thinking. "Uh, I was going to give this to you," you tell her.
Her eyes dart back to you, studying you. "How come?" she asks and that throws you off guard a bit. You do manage to largely remain composed though.
"When I said you looked down my friend was all like 'yeah, she forgot to bring something in for the time capsule'. I kind of had this lying around so I figured I'd do the good thing, you know?"
You hand her the book and she looks it over for a moment and to your surprise hands it back to you. "I appreciate it but I didn't forget anything. I turned that in like a week ago. Just kind of bullshitted something, ya know?" she says to your even greater surprise.
"Yeah, but--"
"I mean if your buddy said something then he probably heard me muttering or whatever," she says. "I just owe some money to one of my friends. Had it on the dresser and forgot to grab it before I left," she shrugs. "Beth's, like, the only person willing to let me borrow a few bucks so I felt bad about it."
Her eyes, seemingly distant and looking past you, light up as she looks at you a bit playfully as she leans forward. "You were worried about me though. That's really cute," she says with amusement.
"Um, well I mean I guess-- uh, because I didn't want..." is all you can uselessly sputter out.
Dorothy's mouth turns into the slightest smirk as she leans forward and grabs the book. You suddenly feel very hot as her hand envelops your own in the process. "Hey so like, what's the deal with the book though?" she asks as her eyes move back towards it. "It's pretty gnarly looking. Is that what you were giving to Walberg?"
"Ah, uh no not really," you lie. "I mean I guess I was thinking about it but not seriously or anything."
"It looks really old," she drawls and then looks back up to look you right in the eyes. "It'd be kind of a shame to just throw it into the ground right?"
"Are you into old stuff?" you ask.
"I guess antiques are kinda neat. That's more my dad and sister's thing though," she says. "So, like, have you looked at it? Does it say anything cool?"
"Uh, only the first page. I just kind of grabbed it for cheap but didn't get a chance to look at it," you tell her. Another lie but you'll be damned if you're going to tell a girl that you were scared off by the very first page.
Without warning she pulls your hand off of the book and grabs it herself. She opens it up and looks at the title page. Her face scrunches up as she looks it over. She tries to turn it but is unable to and quickly closes it. "I think you're book's broken," she says as she hands it back to you. "What was up with all of that?" she asks. "It's so weird."
"Ah, yeah, I don't know myself," you admit. "That title page was in Latin though saying something like 'claim me with blood' and then there was that weird thumbprint."
"Hmm," is all Dorothy says before something seems to grab her attention. "Hey, I just saw Mansfield coming in and you're in his seat so, you know..."
She doesn't have to say anything more. You push yourself and dart to your desk shooting past Geoff Mansfield -- who eyes you with barely disguised bemusement -- on your way.
* * * * *
"So yeah, you were wrong," you tell Caleb as the two of you walk out of Walberg's classroom. You'd just gotten done telling him what Dorothy had relayed to you before class started.
"Pfft, whatever," he replies dismissively. "Pretty fucking melodramatic for, I don't know, twenty bucks or whatever it is she borrowed."
"Maybe she's a nice person and a good friend."
Caleb chortles at that. "Oh yeah, she's definitely a good friend," he says with amusement. "A real good friend."
"Yeah? What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means... oh man, do you not know about--"
"About what?"
He looks at you grinning like an idiot and you want to just shove him and march off but you fight the urge as he talks. "Well, it's not important," he says.
"Hey Will," Dorothy's voice lazily calls out from behind you. Quickly you feel arms wrap around your own and you stiffen up just a little in both meanings of the term.
"Speak of the devil," Caleb mutters.
You ignore it and it doesn't even seem to register with Dorothy as she continues talking. "So like that book? You said it was Latin right?" she asks. "If you want to translate it or something maybe you could stop by my place after school? Leigh or my dad's probably got some stuff that could help you out with that you know."
"Well, I appreciate the author but I wouldn't, you know, want to impose or anything."
At that Dorothy giggles just a little. "I wouldn't mind you know, it's not a big deal," she says.
"I'm sure you've probably got things you're doing after school," you say.
"Just hanging out with some friends," she replies and you feel her grip tighten. "You should hang out too if you're not doing anything. We don't really get to talk all that much and, like, I only ever see you with this guy in class."
Have you ever really talked with Dorothy before? You only know her from seeing her in class and you can't really think of any other time you have. And going to her place or hanging out with her and her friends? You gulp a bit at that. She seems to notice your reluctance as well and quickly works to try to ease things for you and maybe let you down a bit gently.
"I mean if you've got some other things you have to do after school then that's fine. It's like an open invitation though so if you ever want to hang out with me and my friends, ya know, we can do that whenever," she says. "Oh, the book too. You can, like, give it to me if you want. I'll look around at home and find some stuff for you."
"That's really nice Dorothy," you say, "but I don't know why you'd go out of your way for me like that."
"I dunno, 'cause I want to? It seems pretty cool so, like, why not?" she says. "Anyway I don't think we have any other classes together right? What lunch do you have?"
"Fifth."
"That's no good either," she states. "Okay, well, if you want to do anything just hang out by the front entrance and we'll meet up. I'll see ya then, maybe."
You watch as she scampers off through the crowd of students and then yelp at a sharp pain in your side. At first you think it's one of this crowd but realize quickly that it's Caleb as you see him grinning. "The fuck was that for?" you ask.
"Dude, you're not blind right?"
"What do you mean?"
"Dorothy was practically begging you to get with her after school you dipshit," he answers. "Like come on, I know you're dumb but you're not so dumb you'd miss that right? You'd be a real dumbass to pass up an invitation from her anyway."
"Why's that?"
"Oh lord, you really don't know?!" Caleb howls. "Listen, Dorothy's got a reputation for being pretty easy. She'd probably make you forget about Lisa which would make dealing with you a hell of a lot easier for me."
That leaves you gobsmacked. You don't really pay attention to a lot of the scuttlebutt so you actually weren't aware that Dorothy had a reputation like that. It makes you even more nervous then because if she was grabbing you like that... You can't help but to wonder if something would happen if you went to her place. That makes you nervous but also very excited.
Which means it'd probably be a good idea to just give her the book let her find stuff to make translating the book (as you'd decided against putting it in the time capsule) easier or even just take it off of your hands entirely.
But your mind drifts to that offer to hang out with Dorothy and some of her friends after school. Then it drifts back to the conversation in the parking lot. Carson hanging out with Sean and Jack and others at this party -- that you totally were not invited to -- and putting the moves on some girls; having some girls into him. It's getting you annoyed just thinking about it again. It's not really fair that even someone like him seems to be able to have this fulfilling social life while you're... well, like Dorothy said you're usually only hanging out with Caleb.
But maybe this invitation is just the kind of thing you need. Who cares about the book when you could go off with her for the afternoon. Chill it with some guys -- would there be guys -- maybe see what could happen with Dorothy or some of her girl friends (Jack did say a lot of girls could be into you after all). You don't know what kind of people she hangs out with but doing something new could prove to be pretty fun and, hopefully, rewarding.   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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