Dream On

Chapter 4

A date? Did I seriously just agree to go on a date? Yep. I did. I tiny smile creeps onto my face as I lay in bed Thursday night. I look over at my phone and remember. Eric gave me his number the other day. I had just agreed to go on that date and was hopping onto the four wheeler when he grabbed my hand and slipped a tiny piece of paper into it. I looked at it and saw he number with a smiley face. I thanked him and slipped it into my pants pocket. I blew him a kiss as I drove off with my charm bracelet jiggling around me wrist.

I reluctantly slide out of bed and walk over to my clothes hamper. I dig out the pair of pants I was wearing and find the crumpled paper. I fall back into bed and enter it into my phone. Just be for I fall asleep.

🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆

Oh decide to go see Rylan during the day since I'm not meeting Eric till evening. When I walk through his hospital room door he smiles at me.

"Hey Sunshine what brings you here?"

"You bring me here." I answer.

"Don't have anything better to do than sit in a hospital all day?"

"Not really. Not till tonight anyway." I've decided to go for it. To tell him about the date.

"Where you going? Got some hot date I don't know about?" He asks it sarcastically with his eyebrows raised but what he doesn't know is that--

"You're guess is 50% accurate." I say

"Um, which half is which?"

"Well... No promises it will be hot, but..."

"You have a date." He says unimpressed "Let me guess who with."

"Rylan let me explain."

"No need, I get it. You'd rather go out with Eric Collins than sit around at the hospital with your sick best friend." He puts extra emphasis on the 'sick'.

"Rylan why do you even care so much?"

"Because... because... I've been your best friend for ever and the moment I'm not "around" you drive into the woods and meet your new boyfriend." He's angry now. Rylan doesn't get angry often but look out when he does.

"He's not my boyfriend---" I try to explain but Rylan blows off any opportunity to listen.

"I don't care what he is to you! I just care that if this kid plans on taking you'd from me he got another thing coming!" Rylan's shouting at me now and I can hear the nurses' feet on the tile floor as they rush to the door. I need to say this quick.

"Rylan." My voice is forceful but not angry. "Rylan, Eric is my friend. He's like the big brother I never had. And in a different way that I do you, I love him. I love Eric Nicholas Collins and there nothing you can do or say to change that. I still love you Rylan Peter. But I'm going on that date to night. I'll see you tomorrow." At that I turn on my heals and strut out passed the group of bewildered nurses in the door way. 

I take a quick moment to look back and see a look I've never seen on Rylan's face. I can't decide what it is though. Hurt? Disappointment? Shock? No, I've seen them all. Guilt maybe? Yes. That's what it was. But why? Does he feel bad for shouting at me? For being jealous? For what?

I brush the question away and climb into the car with Mom. She senses something's wrong.

"Is he mad?" She asks. I stare out the window at the shrinking hospital.

"Yeah. He's mad." Is all I say.

"You told him about the date?"

"How did you know about that?" There isn't panic in my voice more like curiosity.

"Yeah. Eric came over one day when you were at the hospital. He had the decency to ask your father and I if he could take you out on a date."

"He did?"

"Mmm hmm. I like this boy Sunny."

"Yep. Me to." I say as she takes my hand and gives it I little squeeze. "Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"He wants me to wear a dress. He said it'd be a sight he'd like to see." We both laugh at that and she says the words I knew were coming.

"Just be yourself."

"Okay. Thanks Mom."

"You're welcome. Baby girl." She says as we pull into the drive way