Dissipate: Book Two

Chapter 12

Sabrina McLain: 

I sat at my desk in English, 

waiting for the class to start. 

I tried to ignore Fiona Shaw

over in the corner, flirting with 

Bryson. 

The first day this year that

Lilly Nicole Porter

is absent

is the day that Fiona moves in

on her devoted boyfriend. 

Somewhere deep down, 

I felt bad 

and I knew that I would have to 

report Fiona

to Lilly Nicole Porter

immediately

because that's the kind of 

friend I am. 

Bryson looked uncomfortable, 

but I knew that it would be 

okay

because Bryson dotes

on Lilly Nicole Porter

and he would never 

be disloyal to her, 

not in a million years. 

I stared hard at a hangnail

that was fringing my thumb nail. 

I wanted to tear it off, 

but that would've been painful

and most likely slightly bloody, 

so I contented myself

with staring at it, 

wishing it would vanish. 

How utterly annoying. 

I was staring at that 

insufferable hangnail

when a plastic bag 

clattered onto my desk. 

Startled, I looked up

into the handsome face of 

Kyle, 

who beamed down at me, 

his eyes as warm as 

hot chocolate

on a cold wintry day. 

I smiled back, 

all thoughts of the hangnail

vanishing, 

quite unlike the hangnail itself. 

"What's this?" I asked, 

looking down at the 

plastic grocery bag, 

which was stuffed full

and bulging 

from something. 

Kyle's silly grin

widened. 

"I thought you could use some

c  h  e  e  r  i  n  g 

                  P

U

so I got you these." 

he responded, his voice lilting

with happiness. 

Intrigued, 

I opened the bag only to find

that it was stuffed to the top

with individually wrapped

grape Jolly Ranchers. 

"How did you know?" 

I asked, astonished. 

When I first met Kyle, 

before I even talked to him, 

before he even realized that

Sabrina Anne McLain 

existed on planet Earth, 

I thought of his cozy voice

as sweet as 

grape Jolly Ranchers, 

my favorite candy. 

How could he have known?

"I guessed. Lucky guess, I presume?" 

he asked, his bashful grin 

lighting up my world. 

I picked up a piece of candy, 

slowly unwrapped the 

patterned cellophane 

from the purple sugary treat, 

and popped it into my mouth. 

I couldn't help but smile

as the sweet taste 

of summer

condensed into a piece of candy

swished across my tongue. 

I was so utterly happy 

that I leapt up and threw my arms

around Kyle's neck, 

breathing in his scent

of Downy, Axe cologne, and dryer sheets. 

His warm, warm arms, 

as warm as the summer sun, 

snaked their way 

around my lower ribs

and our hearts 

pounded like hammers on anvils, 

together, 

in unison, 

barely inches apart, 

in the middle of English class, 

the sweet, grape-y taste

of 

pure summer love

lingering on my lips

as they curled upwards

into a grin

to match his.