Dream On

Chapter 9

I wake up the next morning with the sweet feeling of my dreams still in my head. They all fade away when I realize that I told Rylan I'd see him tomarrow. Tomarrow is today. Well sooner or later it was bound to happen, so why not when I said? No time like the present.

I have Mom drive me to the hospital and she runs to the store while im there. I walk in and see Rylan sitting in bed. The difference to day is that his face has some healthy color in it and he's wearing his favorite Tigers t-shirt. He gives me a little smile but I can tell he's still upset at me. I sit down on his bedside chair and try to choose my words carefully.
"Hey." I begin. he gives me a little look of... I don't know what emotion.
"Hi. How was your evening yesterday?" he asks blankly.
"It was wonderful thank you for asking."
"Can I ask a really weird question?" he asks out of the blue.
"Um... I guess so. What is it?" I prepare myself.
"Did you keep your hands to yourself last night?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I just want the truth. Tell me what happened on your date. Every detail." He says it so simply it's hard to resist.
"Okay. Well," I begin. This time I talk a little more loosely not so up tight about what he'll think. He props his chin up on his hand and listens closely.
"I wore my blue dress with my boots and did my hair in a Katniss braid. We went to the diner for supper, then he took me out to Paw Print up to the overlook. The view was so beautiful from up there. He had a bunch of fruits, little desserts, and some kind of fancy juice that was really good. Um... I was talking about school and he told me that at his old school. He is an amazing  singer. Uh... then he sang this really pretty lullaby..." I purse my lips a I hesitate. This is the hard part to tell him.
"Then there was the kissing huh?" He asks. I'm shocked but try to control how I respond.
"Uh... yeah. That's what happened." I say stiffly.
"How much kissing?" He asks.
"Well there was a little. Then a little more. Then he made this speech about how much he loves me."
"Oh. Then more kissing?" That seems to be all he cares about. The kissing.
"Not until we got home. Then he gave me a little goodbye kiss."
There's a silence while he sits there and thinks it all through.

"Tell me the truth Sunny." he begin. Uh oh. This can't be good. "Why do you keep coming to see me? honestly why?"

"Because you're my best friend and I missed you and I want to see you." I honestly don't know why he asked. the answer seemed so obvious.

"Oh really? Or is it because you feel bad for me and just can't wait to get out and run to find your boyfriend? Because that's sure what it seems like." I start to protest but he's not finished.

"I thought you said you loved me. I thought that we were going to be together forever! We made promise to each other a long time ago. We promised each out that we would NEVER EVER let anyone or anything come between us!"

"Rylan, What are you talking about? You're still my best friend. And Eric isn't my boyfriend. You don't know how hard it was without you do you? Did you ever stop and think about what I was feeling? It was torture! Going to bed every night and wondering if you would die the next day! Rylan, Eric ws my rock while you were... gone. He's the one who kept me sane! Without him I don't know hat I'd have done. I just needed a shoulder to cry on!"

"'I cried on his shoulder a countless number of times.'" he quotes me in a high voice to mimic mine. "You never said anything about, Kissing him a countless number of times."

"Rylan, your my best friend and I love you but some things are just none of your business, My relationship with Eric is my business and I intend to keep it that way." There is authority in my tone but not anger. "I will though tell you this." He looks like he could shoot me and brown me in the river for good measure but he does listen closely.

"Eric is my friend and I love and care about him. There is little--no nothing you can do to change that."

He's livid now. His fists clenched, his brow furrowed, his skin red as an over ripe tomato. If looks could kill I'd be dead ten times over. He speaks with a fake calm in his voice.

"Please leave now. And just so you know. I hate you."