A Strange Liking

Chapter 7- Dixie

I wasn't exactly looking forward to telling Dixie.. I didn't really want to be reminded of her. Tomorrow was Friday, so I had just tomorrow to get in touch with her if I wanted to tell her after school.. "We should head back." I suggested quietly. "To the graveyard? Too much walking! I'm tired.." Isis whined. Me and Gonner giggled quietly. The butterflies in my stomach got more aggressive hearing him laugh.

What was the matter with me? Why did I feel like this? My inner monologue was short lived, due to someone popping up out of the blue. "You guys! I've looked everyone for you!-" stopping dead in her tracks.. It was Dixie! Dixie Grim! She just stared at me, wide-eyed. Gonner looked a little worried and stayed quiet, so Isis finally got up the break the unbearable silence.

"Dixie! This is Y/N." She shoved me forward, a little harder than what I assume was intended. "I know.. They go to my school." Dixie mumbled. "Oh yeah." Isis stepped back. I wanted someone else to break the silence, but I guess I had to. "Uh.. I know about your friends.. -but I didn't tell anyone, I swear!" I assured her, and she seemed to ease up.

"Me hearty.. There's something we be havin' to tell ye!" Gonner stepped forward, taking Dixie's hand. It made me feel weirdly ill. I hated seeing them together.. Does that make me a bad person? "Piroska wants to take ye capture. She be threatenin' Y/N to bring ye in!" He explained to her. I didn't quite understand his broken English but Dixie sure did.

A look of shock washing over her face. I felt a little bad, really understanding what Gonner meant when he explained how they just 'got each other'. I felt bad I couldn't do that. I tried to brush the feeling off as best I could.. I mean, who cares about my feelings? It's Dixie we're worried about here.. They already have their 'teen romance' I don't need to fuck it up for them..

"Y/N!" Dixie blurted, totally interrupting my thoughts. I turned my attention to her anyway. "What exactly did Piroska say to you?" She asked me. I thought for a moment, rememberimg the way the lava beneath me roared, and the way the ropes gnawed at the skin on my arms.. I blinked away the physical part of it, and tried remembering what she said. "She said..bring me Dixie, and I won't kill you and your family." I admitted.

Dixie raised her eyebrows and clicked her tongue "Yeah..sounds like her." She mumbled. Everyone was quiet for a moment as Dixie and Gonner brainstormed their next move. "Can I go home?" I blurted. "Sure." Dixie said, without making eye contact. "I'll walk you!" Isis smiled as she pushed me along. I waved to Gonner, and we waved back. ..I didn't exactly wave to Dixie. I think she noticed.

Me and Isis quietly walked through the woods. I think Isis noticed I was upset, because she spoke up "Are you alright? You seem a little..glum." I sighed harshly. "Okay.. Isis, can I trust you?" I stopped walking. Isis was visibly confused "Yes? Of course, Y/N!" She smiled at me which only made me feel worse.. "Agh! Okay! ..What if you had a crush on someone, but that someone was already taken.?" I mumble-shouted.

Isis kept staring at me wide-eyed. I was worried at her hesitant reaction.. Suddenly she started giggling "Oh Y/N! People get into situations like that all the time." She informed me. "So who's the person you have your eye on?" She asked, teasing. I felt my throat tighten. "Don't hate me." I felt my stomach knot in on itself.. "How could I hate you?" She giggled a little. "It's.. Gonner." I whispered.

Isis quickly shut up stopped dead in her tracks, turning to me, almost horrified. "Gonner?! No! Ugh, what do people see in that scummy caribbean trash?" She groaned. I could only stand and stare at her. "Everyone I've met has been in love with that..loser at least once! Piroska, Dixie, and now you!" She whined. I felt horrible but I couldn't just ignore my feelings.

We didn't walk, just stood there in silence. I just continued walking, with or without Isis. I needed to get home anyway. "Hey! Don't leave me!" She bleated. "Oh no.. Do I have to keep quiet about this? I'm not good with secrets!" She sputtered. I realized that Isis was a very..anxious person. "I'm sorry.." I sighed. I meant that. "It's whatever.. What do you like about Gonner?" She probed, clearly wanting to know what was so great about him.

"I'm not sure, really. I started to get this weird tingly feeling in my chest whenever he's around." I began to explain. "He's confident, but not arrogant" Isis scoffed but I continued "he's very attractive." I said, matter-of-fact. Isis loudly groaned and dramatically rolled her eyes. I giggled at her unenthusiastic groans. I felt bad talking about someone else's boyfriend, but Isis wasn't exactly stopping me.

"Boys are gross. They're backstabbers, liars, and they smell awful!" Isis proclaimed. While I couldn't deny the smell, I didn't exactly have a place in the back stabbing and lying bit, as I didn't know him very well. "Why don't you like him? I mean if you don't like him, why do you stick around?" I questioned her, so she paused for a second. "Honestly? It's not that I don't like him. He's tolerable sometimes. He's like the brother I never had!" I caught her smiling playfully.

She quickly snapped out of it. "I could never tell him any of this, he'd totally make fun of me!" She told me. I smiled at her. I liked hearing people's history, it made me feel a little included. "When me and him first met, he was still working for Nebulosa. So he didn't like me or Dixie!" She explained "Really?" She nodded at me. "He liked Dixie more I guess. She was more gullible!" She looked away, sheepishly.

We stopped at my house. I paused for a second, I could see she was nervous about going back into the forest.. "You wanna come inside?" I asked timidly. She looked at my and smiled brightly, before immediately shutting the idea down "No way! I'll totally stink up the place." She whimpered. She was right. "Can't you just shower?" I ask. She looked at me like I was crazy "Are you nuts? Zombies get destroyed under water!" She grumbled like it was common sense

I nodded solemnly. I wanted Isis to be with me. Even if she did smell like a moldy sewer rat.. No offence to Isis of course! I thought for a moment. "Can't you stay in the backyard?" I mumble "What?! What am I? A dog? No way! I'll see you tomorrow, Y/N. I hope you figure this stuff out by yourself.." She turns around "Isis!" I call out, eagerly. "What if you let something slip! And they both hate me! Or..or what if Piroska catches me while I'm sleeping alone?"

It may have been a little guilt-trippy but I wasn't exactly lying to her. She looked back towards the forest, groaning like a toddler. She hesitantly ran towards my backyard and I happily followed her..

(1241 words weeoow)