Sunset Under the Waterfall

Chapter 2: Mixed Feelings

"Hey, slow down!" I yell at Dylan. He's going at a really fast pace. I'm barely keeping up with him. His hands gently wrapped around my wrist, but gripping it hard enough for me to stay with him. His skin was soft.

What the hell? Stop being weird, god damn it.

" Come on," he yelled out," I've got to get to class."

" What?!" I yelled at him ," I have to get to my own classes!"

" Well too bad, we have to go to orientation first," he rounded a corner and almost ran into some band students.

"Hey, I think you missed some band students, you want to go back to see if you got them?"

"Funny. You know you're kinda cute when you're mad," he winked back at me. I turned away, knowing I was blushing as hard as hell. Out of nowhere, Dylan whirls around , face-to-face with me, asks me:

" Are you free tonight?" He asked in a gentle tone.

"I... I...I think,"I stuttered for two reasons: 1) He could be asking me out on a date, which holy shit would be the best thing ever to happen. 2) I was scared out of my mind. That would mean leaving behind Clarissa with John. I couldn't. I was scared.

" Actually, I... Um...," I had to bend the truth a bit," I have to watch my sister tonight."

He frowned, making my heart ache," Are you telling the truth?"

"Absolutely."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

" You're lying," he exclaimed," but, I know you have to do something tonight. If your schedule clears up..." He pulled me closer, reached into my pocket and put something in there,"That is my number. So if your schedule frees up before 7:30, call me. Or text me." He then looked me straight in the eyes. He was hugging me. His arms reaching down to my lower back. I blushed so hard. His emerald eyes making mine melt. Only then, did I remember we were in public.

"Oh my god! I am so sorry!" I yelled out, making everyone around us look at us. I blushed the color of a tomato. I pushed away from him, running away into the gym. I felt tears trying to erupt out of my eyes. I almost couldn't hold them back. With my luck, I ran into Mary.

Literally. I RAN into Mary.

She went flying backward.

"I swear to god, I'm gonna knock your teeth inward you little bi- Martin?!" She screamed. To her right, was a girl that I really had no idea who she was. Instantly, she snapped at me.

" You little bitch! You're gonna pay for that! No one hurts my baby!" She screamed out and moved toward me with her fists up.

"Malinda! Stop! It's okay! This is Martin, he's my best friend. He's... Are you okay, Martin?" She looked me dead in the eye. That is when I realized tears were streaming down my face.

" Oh don't be such a baby Marty," Malinda offered me her hand to pull me up. I got up on my own. Mary eyed my face, as if she was trying to look into my mind and see what was going on in my head.

" Mart, sidebar," Mary dragged me near the bathroom. " What's wrong?"

"I met someone," I confessed with a burning face.

"Someone as in a crush?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

" Yeah, something like that," I glanced away from her eyes, but of course, she wouldn't let me. She grabbed my face and held it so that I couldn't look away.

" Okay, what is wrong with that?"

"Umm... The... The person is... is... a guy."

She looked at me as if I was crazy for a moment. Then back to a normal face.

"Martin, that's fine, that's great. I thought you were crying 'cause you saw Malinda and me together. For a minute, I thought you were jealous."

I felt like I just ate dirt mixed with tree bark. " Oh my god! Mary! Thats disgusting! You're my best friend! You're gay!"

"Hey! I prefer 'accepting to be with girls as well'," she stated with a smug expression.

I swear she can be so picky. " Well yeah, there's that and I'm gay!" I clamped my mouth shut, because right around the corner was Dylan. All I could think was, "Oh shit."

He saw me, great. My heart pounded, and my breathes felt shorter than ever as he walked closer.

He smiled at me and my heart melted," Hey Martin. Hey, friend-of-Martin."

Mary looked at me. She mouthed, Is this him? She turned to Dylan with a smile," It's Mary, and it's nice to meet you."

He turned to me," So that thing I was to you about was this party going on atmosphere friends place and I'm allowed to bring anybody, so, I was wondering if I could take you out... I mean, to the party, if you're free tonight."

Shit, either I don't go and protect my sister while Dylan never forgives me, or I go and I have a good time with Dylan and John goes off on Clarissa. Why couldn't life go back to being easy? Then again, if it was easy, then it wouldn't be so fun.

"I'll ask my mom when I get home," I snap back into reality. His eyes like a black hole, dragging every ounce of attention into them.

Mary nudged my arm, and I was thrown back into reality. We all filed into the gym. During the annoying orientation, Dylan napped on my arm and I almost cried of joy. When the orientation ended, I nudged Dylan and he looked so cute.

Lunch began at around noon, and because I was nearby, I decided to go for some pizza, and the best pizza place was nearby. I got to my car when someone wrapped their arms around me. I almost jumped out of surprise.

"Guess who?"

I yelped. I spun around to see Dylan smiling at me, his bright teeth shining at me.

"First you want to kill the band members, now you want to give me a heart attack."

"I would never!" He looked offended,"I was going to ask where you were going, but I see you think I want you dead."

"No!" I pushed him back. "I couldn't live with myself if you died!" I realized that what I said was a bit too intimate. I looked into his eyes. My first mistake. He drew me in close.  I swear he trying to make a move on me. Someone shouted out for Dylan. He spins around, giving me enough time to turn away.

He turned back to me, we were a bit more spaced than before, but that didn't make me feel better. " I was going to go to the pizza place nearby, you know, for lunch."

He smiles," Would you mind if I tagged along?"

I stop dead in my tracks. I take a moment to take it all in. The way he worded his phrase, it sounded like a request. Like a 'date'.

"Sure," I accepted his company like a kid and a new toy. I really wanted to be with him more, but I also couldn't help but feel like I would get into trouble with him, making back away from him. What John found out? If things even got remotely close to serious between me and Dylan, could I let him in on my real reason for staying in this place?

"Cool," he beams, " Get it to go. There's a cool place I want to show you."

Cool place?

He wants to show me something? I'll just avoid thinking that he means something sexual.

We hop in my car and blast the radio and sing along to it. He was good at singing. We barreled down the road, leaving my mind to fill in where we could be going...