Non-Mutation (Book Four)

Chapter 14: Rose Parade

The rose is considered by many to be a symbol of balance. The beauty of this flower expresses promise, hope, and new beginnings.

🌹

Taylor is waiting in their usual spot, but her regular outfit is absent. Instead, she wears a pair of ripped jeans and a white tank top that shows off her Purple Dragon tattoo. There's a black and red flannel tied around her waist and her sunglasses are gone. Raphael is honestly surprised by how much skin he can see now that she isn't worried about covering up around him.

"Hey!" he shouts.

She turns around and smiles weakly at him even as he's storming towards her. He still finds himself leering at the confirmation that yes, this girl standing before him has the same hazel eyes as the PD that he wanted so badly to annihilate (or at least, beat in a fight).

"Hola Raphael," she greets.

He closes the distance between them in a few long strides and jams his finger against her collarbone. "You're a Purple Dragon," he accuses.

She rolls her eyes. "Duh."

He pouts. "You never told me, you never mentioned that you're working with the exact guys that I'm trying to bust—"

"And I'm the girl who kicked your shell...twice," she adds. She places her hand on his plastron and steps back, giving her some breathing room.

"Yeah, but that's not the point," he insists.

"So you admit I beat you?"

His cheeks flare red. "What? No! I mean, yes, but..." He growls and narrows his eyes. "Stop being cute."

"Aw, I can't help what comes naturally." She winks.

He quivers as he clenches his hands into fists, face heating up further. "Shut up."

"You know you like it but it drives you insane," she sings, trailing her fingers up his plastron.

He grabs her wrist. "No, stop it. You don't get to do this...thing. Not right now," he says. Her face falls at the serious look in his eyes. "No flirting, no touching me, this isn't the time."

He hates the kicked puppy look on her face. It makes him feel like the bad guy and he is not the bad guy. She is. It makes the fact that she can suddenly look so innocent and sad more infuriating.

He releases her wrist and she steps back, holding it to her chest as she bows her head. He stares at her for a few seconds, trying to collect his thoughts, then he heaves a heavy sigh when it doesn't do much. There's too much going on in his head to think straight.

"Tell me, right now, is everything right here a lie?" he asks. "The teasing, the...the touching, the relationship, what is it? Because I won't stick around if it's fake. I won't waste your time."

She stiffens, then slowly looks up at him. She brushes her hair behind her ear, ghosting her bottom lip between her teeth before she speaks. "I want to be close to you, Raphael," she murmurs. "I don't care whether we're friends or more, but...I like you. You're an outcast, like me. We understand each other. Don't you get that feeling?"

He narrows his eyes, but nods. "Yeah."

She smiles. "Bueno."

"Look, I dig the Spanish, but you've gotta teach me some words if you're gonna keep speaking it," he says with the barest trace of a laugh. "I'd like to know what you're saying."

She laughs. "Bueno means good, okay, or fine. Sí is yes. You follow?"

He smirks. "Sí."

"¡Oh muy bien! ¡Hablas español como un profesional pronto!" she gushes.

His face pales. "Uh...sí?"

She can't help but burst into laughter at that, holding her stomach as her knees give out and she falls onto her butt. Raphael tries to stop from joining her, trying to keep up at least some semblance of anger at her, but it's contagious. He lets out a few chuckles, making her stare at him in starry-eyed wonder.

"Oh Dios mío, you know how to laugh?" she says, feigning a gasp as she hugs her knees to her chest. "Shocking!"

"Of course I can laugh!" he says with a huff. "You just haven't been funny enough."

She keeps gazing up at him. "You know," she murmurs, "when I saw you today, I half expected you to go straight for the kill or something."

"It crossed my mind," he says nonchalantly. He laughs at the shock that crosses her face, nudging her head lightly with his fist. "I'm kidding. It was my turn to tease you anyway."

She rolls her eyes, glancing away from him. "You got me."

Raphael purses his lips, falling silent as he watches her. Her eyes have fallen on the horizon, the cool night wind rustling her dark hair, pushing it so that it drapes over her exposed shoulders. He slowly sits down in front of her, cross-legged and slightly awkward, and she glances back at him and smiles. His stomach flutters.

"Taylor," he says, making her tilt her head. "If you're lying to me about this, then I'm gone. I said it once, but I mean it. I won't stick around."

Her expression doesn't shift. "Okay."

"But, uh...that said, I want to learn more about you," he adds.

She laughs, but it's dry. "Right, right, sure you do."

"I do." He grits his teeth. "I'm serious."

"I don't believe you," she retorts, straight-faced with a fire in her eyes that he sees in very few. "You don't know me, but I bet you don't really care. After all, who cares about everything else when my body is already here, easy to see, easy to take?" She motions to herself.

"I care," he says.

She shakes her head. "No eres serio."

"I don't know what that means, but believe me, you're not...easy." He bites his lip, chest puffing slightly, and he dares to scoot a little closer to her. "You're...interesting, you're cool. I...I want to know more about what makes you...you."

Her voice is tiny when she asks, "Really?"

"If anything, the fact that you're hot is just a really great bonus," he says. He immediately regrets spewing those thoughts and claps his hand over his mouth as if to stop more emotional vomit from getting out.

She giggles. "Aw...thank you, Raphael." She reaches over and rests her hand against his, applying enough pressure for him to feel it before she pulls away. She stands, brushing her clothes off, and looks back to the sky. "How about we save ice-skating for next time?"

He gets to his feet, electric green eyes staying on her. "Sure, but on...two conditions. One, you bring your guitar and sing me a song."

"Bueno. Second condition?"

He swallows. "You start calling me Raph."

He wonders if the faint dusting of pink on her cheeks is his mind tricking him. "Alright...Raph, you've got yourself a deal," she says.

He can't help but smile.