Dear Diana

February 9, Tuesday

Dear Diana,

   Today was very.... eventful.

We were sitting at our table at Lunch, Lex going on and on about the new shampoo she was thinking about buying today, and Georgina offering comments at every regular interval. I was only half listening, but I stopped listening entirely when I realized that I was staring right at Dylan across the room at his own table, and he was returning my gaze. I looked away reflexively, and pretended that I was engrossed in what Lex was saying.

   About five minutes passed when I heard Georgina interrupt Lex in midsentence to say, 'Oh, my God, is Dylan coming over here? '

That made me look up, and sure enough, he was. Georgina nervously corrected a lock of brown hair which had pulled loose from her updo. Lex glanced around quickly with a slight frown on her face and gasped quietly. And I..... I kept my eyes before me and said not a word.

'Hey girls,'I heard Dylan say. He looked directly at me. 'Hi Ana.'

I could feel the shock radiating off both Georgina and Lex. I smiled tentatively at him and said hi. He reminded me about my promise to attend club with him this evening. I told him that I'd be there. Then he did the thing that almost cast me forever into the disfavour of Georgina and Lex.

He came closer to where I was sitting, and leaned in to tuck my hair behind my ear.

'Okay,' he said, and walked away.

'He knows you?'  Georgina asked incredulously.

Lex was giving me a very piercing look.

'We talked a little yesterday,' I said by way of explanation, 'that's all.'

'That's all?'  Georgina repeated with heavy skepticism.

'That's all,' I said firmly.

'What's this about you staying back with him this evening?'  Lex asked suddenly.

I conditioned my voice into a casual tone, 'Maybe he's just looking for new members. Chess isn't really that popular.'

'Besides,' I added shrewdly, 'I'll  make sure to mention you to him. He hinted that he probably likes you.'

That small fib saved me for the time being. Georgina elapsed into a lively chatter and forgot about me for the rest of lunch. I was glad.

When the bell chimed for the end of day, I said good bye to Lex and Georgina who stared at me meaningfully, before departing through the school gate. I was relieved to see them go, but also slightly nervous for what lay ahead. Dylan caught up to me moments after.

'Shall we go?'  he asked, with a small smile on his lips.

'Sure,' I acquiesced.

As we made our way down the hallway he asked me if I had ever played chess before.

'Once,' I told him, 'when I was eleven. My dad taught me.'

'Excellent,' he said, 'we'll just see what you remember since then.'

It turned out that I remembered quite a lot and he only had to teach me the moves that the knight made and the bishop. We played a short game together and I came out as victor. I strongly suspect he let me win.

As we made our way at last to the bus stop, I thought how to bring up the subject of Georgina. She was expecting me to, of course. That was the only reason she and Lex were willing to let me stay back with him. I had never felt more uncomfortable in my life, but I forced a casual air into my voice.

'So, what do you think of Georgina?'  I asked him.

'Who is Georgina?'  he frowned.

'The brunette you saw with me at lunch today,'  I prompted.

'Oh,' he said and then paused. 'I think she's rather..... shallow.'

'Shallow?' I  repeated.

'I mean, she's pretty,' he continued, 'but she's shallow.'  He looked at me, 'I can't see how she's your friend.'

I looked away from him then. The bus stop was partially empty, save for an old woman and two younger men. I jumped when I felt him take my hand. 'Relax, Ana. You're hand is as soft as your hair,' he said as he raised it towards his lips and kissed it.

The bus came at that moment, its noisy arrival drowning out the gasp that had escaped me.

The thought, Diana, that plagued me the whole way home was, if Georgina ever finds out....

But she won't find out. No one willingly leads a tigress into a tantrum.