Hidden Valley (D. SWING)

IV. That Smile

The clock struck one o'clock as the moon told the world they should be asleep. Cynthia is sound asleep. Something about shopping with Don can be considered tiring, not to mention that she has cheer practice in eight hours. School doesn't start for another week but they've got to be tight and in line for the Welcome Back Pep Rally.

A soft slumber-caused snore exits leaves her mouth as her face is deeply inserted into her pillow. She sleeps with an open window. Everything is calm, even as she subconsciously ignores the sound of wind whistling throughout her bedroom. She never feared any kind of break-ins because her room is on the second floor.

Once she and Javon officially moved in with Big Mama, they got to be brought up from the first floor guest room to her own room on the second. There's a decent diversity when it comes to two story homes in this community by the name of Hidden Valley. For the homes with the second floor, it is naturally neighborhood tradition to move the oldest to that floor with your own bedroom– if there is space! In Cynthia's home, there are three bedrooms upstairs with three obvious occupants, along with one bedroom downstairs.

Can you see why she never worries about break-ins? One thing she does have to worry about is the occasions where Dalvin claims to be at a friend's house when he's really out with a girl. These are the days where she has to listen for rocks flying through her open window. Something told him she'd be sound asleep after running around wit Don all day, so, he brought the exact flashlight he held while roaming the woods with Cynthia in search of Big Foot. He shines it through the window, flicking it against her mirror, allowing it to shine in her face. Big Mama is sound asleep, he knows. Javon is not home, they've crossed paths already.

Cynthia quietly whines out to herself as she awakens. She sticks her hand out of the window and snaps three time. Dalvin, being familiar with their Secret Best Friend's Code runs around the side of the house to meet her on the porch. They are not new to any of this. Sometimes Dalvin comes over to simply relax. He still has to lie due to his mother's fear of the two secretly having sex. The pair like sleepovers and if Mary DeGrate found out that Dalvin was sleeping in his boxers in the same room as Cynthia, problems would arise. Cynthia and Dalvin could never understand the restrictions they had to live under. Does it look like they are sexually attracted to the other?

Mumbling, Cynthia opens the porch door at a regular volume. "What are you doing here?" It's never been too hard to sneak around Big Mama's house, she sleeps like a hibernating bear. The absolute only way to wake her up is to turn on her bedroom light.

"I had to come see you," says Dalvin as they walk up the stairs. Stepping into her room, Dalvin closes the door behind himself as he begins to unbuckle his pants. "What's wrong with you?" Cynthia plays the silent game as she reaches into her closet to grab Dalvin's designated pillow and blanket. "Are you ignoring me?"

Cynthia lunges the pillow at Dalvin. "You stood me up... for a second time! What the hell is your fucking problem? I've been back three days and the most we've done is sit in the kitchen while I wait on Don to come down so we can go."

"I– huh?"

Cynthia mocks him from her bed. "I– huh?" Her eyes roll and she adjusts herself deeper into the bed. Dalvin pulls his pants down and crawls into his favorite position on her fluffy rug. "What, Derek's still secretly sabotaging you?" Dalvin's rising eyebrows can be seen through Cynthia's dark bedroom. "Dalvin, come on! Derek hates you but not that much–"

"Cyn."

As he sits up on her rug, Cynthia takes a sharp inhale. An inside oath the two made is taking control of Cynthia's beliefs. After their two years of countless encounters with Talia, the two swore they'd believe the other no matter what. Even if you know it is lie, you got to stick by my side, Dalvin said. She swore she'd roll with him no matter what. We ride together, we die together, Cynthia once said. That was the day they made their handshake. Neither of them went back on their word. To show how tight the bond was, each has taken a whooping for the other.