Fly ∆way Girl

|30|

|GIVE ME SOMETHING|

The music blared from inside the Jeep. We could hear it from inside the house.

It was an early school morning, and Baylor was heating up the car while Harley and Cara prepared for the school day ahead of them.

They both ran out the door, hopping in the car. Cara buckled herself in the back seat as Josiah and I scooted in with her.

I've become like a child again, always riding in the back seat. Although I was always a child technically, since I never made it to adulthood. That's another depressing thought I can give more attention to later.

For now I watched the twin orphans in the front seat. Baylor sang along with the music with a massive smile. Harley glared at him, annoyed no doubt. She reached for the volume, but was stopped short by Baylor's hand.

"Come on, Harley. You've got to lighten up." Baylor yelled over the beat.

"It's too early for this, Bay." She screamed back.

"It's never to early to party!" He said, attempting to dance even though he was limited by his seat belt.

Harley's lips twitched, I think she was fighting a smile.

Although she gave a lot of effort to hide it, Baylor noticed. "Whew! There it is, that beautiful smile!"

Harley turned to face the window.

"You know Harley," Baylor said as he turned the volume down. "It's a good thing you got my smile."

"I'm your twin idiot, I got your everything, almost..." she said. An eye roll followed.

"I know that, that's why you're lucky that you look like me." He said smiling.

"I didn't get it from you, I got it from mom and dad." She returned.

"Yeah well I'm older. That's why people always say 'Harley looks just like Baylor, she sure is a lucky girl.'"

"No one says that." Harley said, shutting down his attempt at a joke.

"They do, you just don't hear them because you never go anywhere." He said. His smile was gone now.

"I go places, I'm going to school right now."

"Only because you have to, you'd sit at home in your corner all day if you could." He answered.

"What's to like about school? No one likes me anyway."

"You don't really give much effort in making friends either. You sit alone in the library every chance you get."

"So what, I like to study. Making good grades is more important than making friends." Harley said. Her gaze was out the window.

"No. Your happiness is the most important thing." Baylor said, glancing over at her.

Harley exhaled deeply. "I am happy." She answered forcefully. It didn't sound like she believed it though. Her answer was too rehearsed to be believable.

Baylor looked at her with weary eyes. He cares for her, I can tell. It hurts him to see her unhappy.

He turned the music up, and they didn't speak for the rest of the ride.

After dropping Cara off at the preschool, they pulled into the high school parking lot.

Baylor and Harley exited the car as mirrored images, both slinging their backpacks on their shoulders and slamming the doors on either side of the Jeep.