˙˚∘⊹🦋⊹∘˚˙ Butterfly in the Moonlight

- CHAPTER 2 -

Rylee pushed open the doors to her school, kicking her foot into the door and the stand that held it up, shaking her umbrella out to rid the rain. She takes off her jacket, so she could head to her locker and put her stuff away.

Rylee had two classes before band, then lunch, then four more classes after that. Geometry, literature, marching band, history, biology, arts and crafts, and a study hall, which she sadly had with Bob but she had Ponyboy in her literature and study hall as well.

She wasn't exactly close friends with Ponyboy. Of course, Rylee would love to be good friends with Ponyboy. Maybe it could help her figure out what kinda person she was? A Greaser, a Soc? She didn't know, and maybe the key to finding out was having friends on both sides.

Rylee just thought to herself in silence as she opened her locker with her code. She set the umbrella onto one hook and the jacket onto the other; her bag went on the back hook as she took out her first two classes utilities.

A locker slammed beside her, nearly making her jump out of her skin. Rylee quickly moved away from the locker and looked up at Bob. "Goddamn it..why can't you just go one day without talking to me?" Rylee said in a much softer tone then she intended, how was she supposed to be intimidating if she can't even get her voice to be more passive aggressive?

"Because," He trailed off before pretending to think. Rylee gave a deadpan stare at him, waiting for him to finish. "Because why not! It's funny to see you look up panicked whenever I walk up to you." Bob chuckled as he holds his books.

Rylee sighed before shutting her locker. She turned to walk away, but Bob grabbed her shoulder. Her heart stops in her chest as she nervously looks over her shoulder. His fingers dug slightly into her shoulder, she tensed up at her shoulder and back as he dug his fingers deeper into her skin.

Rylee huffed before yanking her shoulder out of his grasp. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." Rylee dismissed him, brushing her hair back behind her. "How about you get to class? Oh!- I forgot, you have shit grades either way." Rylee glared at Bob before shifting her gaze towards the math hallway where she was needed.
———
Rylee laid her head on the desk, her head was already throbbing from the stupid geometry homework she had to do. Two pages full of stupid proofs of how to figure out if something was congruent. Who even was going to use this?

Ponyboy walked into the classroom, giving the teacher a happy grin as he sat down beside Rylee. She gave a small huff as she shifted her head so she could see Ponyboy.

"Seems like you're having a rough morning." Ponyboy mentions with a chuckle. "What's got you so worked up?"

Rylee groaned as she sat up straight. Her eyes were probably dead looking, she was dead tired and exhausted from this school day. "Bob, geometry, you know, the usual." Rylee explained, using her hands as she talked. She twirled her hair around her index. "You seem awfully happy this morning. That's not super rare though." Rylee laughs with a tired smile.

Ponyboy shifted in his seat, putting his books onto the corner of his desk as he handed Rylee a paper that was passed down the row. "The gang and I are going to go to a restaurant tonight; originally we planned to go to the drive in, but it's pouring rain. And well, I don't think it's going to let up anytime soon." Ponyboy explains with a toothy smile.

"Which restaurant? I pray it isn't where I work." Rylee half joked, she really did NOT want to meet Ponyboy's friends if he and his friends were going to her work, especially when she works a longer shift today.

Ponyboy shrugs. "Maybe we are, maybe we aren't. We don't know yet, we figured to just wait a bit to see if the rain ever lets up." He brushed it off.

A loud crash of thunder came from outside, which nearly made Rylee lose her soul. Ponyboy snorted at her panicked face, soon having to tell her it's alright. Sometimes he forgot how much Rylee hates thunderstorms.
———
Thankfully her band teacher decided to let the band have a rest day. Rylee was near the back, reading a book for her history class. Some of her band friends were talking amongst themselves, leaving Rylee to her studies.

One of them pokes her shoulder, Rylee looks up and pushes her glasses off the bridge of her nose. "Hm?" She hummed out for her friend to continue, since Rylee was now listening.

"Soooooo, we heard you were talking to Ponyboy." Nabi, one of her actual close friends she had, mentioned with a teasing smile. Rylee rolled her eyes. "What! Isn't it kinda your thing to like, avoid dudes? It's like a rare thing from what I've seen."

Rylee scoffed. "It's not that I AVOID them, it's more so I only talk to like, two. One being Ponyboy and one being Two-" She cut herself off with a awkward cough into her elbow.

"Two..?" Nabi repeated out loud. She tilted her head, like a lost puppy. Rylee coughed again, trying to avoid the topic. "You are a horrible actor."

Rylee scowled in reply. "Shut up."

Nabi laughed at her. In a loving way, not a nasty way like some of the Socs at her school. Nabi really didn't even understand the subject of Socs, or Greasers, and Rylee had to explain it in extreme detail, repeatedly.
———
Rylee laid her head on the desk. Her breathing was slow as she was slowly closer to falling asleep to the hum of the silence, the faint laughter of a small group of Socs.

Ponyboy was sitting beside her, reading Gone with The Wind. His fingers flipped the pages every now and then.

Bob walked up to Rylee's desk, dismissing Ponyboy and kicking her desk to the side. He laughed at Rylee not moving her head, he flicked the back of her head; which caused her to grab his hand and slam it onto the table.

"The princess is awake." He leaned down and whispered that into her ear, she smelt the faint smell of alcohol on his breath. Rylee gave a sour look towards Bob, sighing and letting go of his hand.

Ponyboy looked from the side of Bob. A look of disgust displayed on his face.

Rylee gave a look with her eyes to tell Ponyboy to pretend it wasn't happening. She prayed he would notice it and take the hint. Ponyboy stayed silent, before returning to his book while side eyeing Bob.