For school, I usually woke up when my alarm clock said so. However, this morning, I had woken up extra early and couldn't go back to bed. Let's be honest here. Any person would feel very ecstatic and content if they realized they had extra time to sleep. That feeling was probably the same as winning the lottery. My dad had already gone to work and I figured my mother was having coffee downstairs.
I rubbed my eyes and opened the balcony doors. A cool breeze drifted through, causing me to shiver. Unfortunately, I knew the persistent heat would come back. After all, it was September in Georgia. Personally, I hated the heat. Sure, summers were fun, but I was more of a fan of cold, rather cool, climates. I did indeed love cloudy days and cool breezes.
The neighborhood was pretty quiet and peaceful.
Smiling to myself, I did the usual routine I did every single morning and halfway through, I ended up singing along to one of my favorite bands. I did not have the best of voices but it made me feel better. I slipped on a loose blue tank-top of mine and wore a sweater over it. I blared out the lyrics, twirling around for dramatic effect. My hand gripped my hairbrush and I spun around a bit more and sang even higher but when I faced my balcony doors, I saw something I did not want to see.
Ever.
In my entire existence.
I never expected to see it, but I did.
I froze in my position; one leg raised and my hands in the air. Standing there, basically across from me, was Dylan. He was leaning against his balcony's doorway, his arms crossed and a smirk plastered right across his face that held an amused expression I was not happy to see.
"No, please," he said, giving me a hand gesture. "Go on."
I stood there, wide-eyed and hot-faced, staring at the black-haired neighbor. I opened my mouth to say something but I was only able to sputter out incoherent stammers that even I couldn't decipher. I clenched one of my fists and raised it to my mouth.
"Shoot!" I yelled, racing towards the balcony doors.
(Not before tripping, that is.)
I could feel my body radiate more heat than expected. The breeze outside wasn't helping. I got up from the floor and grabbed the doorknobs and with one swift motion, I slammed the doors shut and drew the curtains straight after that. I swallowed hard and leaned against the doors.
"Did that just happen?" I muttered to myself. When I felt the humiliation slowly fade away, I turned back to the doors and peered from behind the curtains.
He was gone.
I realized that all what I had accomplished around Dylan were completely ridiculous and humiliating. I wondered what more there was to come during tonight's dinner.
I groaned.
To me, he was a stranger. Maybe not completely. I mean, I did know him as a person, but that was it. He was very strange, indeed. To him, I probably was (a). The girl who screamed in his face (b). The girl who fell in a trashcan and (c). The girl who liked to put on an embarrassing show in the morning.
None of that made me feel better about myself but I was pretty much used to it.
Before I left my house, I did check if Dylan was anywhere near. When I didn't see him, I basically made a beeline towards school. When I got to school, I decided to tell Amber about the whole thing.
"So what you're telling me here is the school's most-talked-about bad boy lives right next door?" she asked. When I nodded, she smacked my arm. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"
"Amber, it has only been two days," I deadpanned. "Besides, I didn't think it was important."
She shook her head. "Tell me. What happened between you two?"
"Well," I began. "We were acquainted when I decided to consistently bang on his door whilst ringing the doorbell. He had loud music playing and it was annoying me. In my defense, I asked him politely. But he was so rude when he answered the door that I didn't hesitate to, you know, insult and scold him."
"Idiot," she said. "You always act impulsively, you know that?"
"How am I an idiot? I know I should have been more rational but he slammed the door in my face!"
"Don't listen to Amber, Aubrey," Tymon said, squinting at me. "You were very brave. Do continue."
I grinned at Tymon. "Okay, our next encounter was when I fell into a trashcan."
Amber pursed her lips and rubbed her temples, her eyes closing for a brief second. "You...You fell into a trashcan?"
"Precisely."
"Who the hell falls into a trashcan?" she exclaimed, giving me an incredulous look. I scratched the back of my neck. "Continue. What'd he do? Did he help you?"
"Well, that's what I thought he'd do, but he didn't," I replied. "Instead, he patronized me and proceeded to leave."
"Wonderful," Tymon said. "How'd you feel, Aubrey?"
"What are you? Her therapist?" Amber retorted.
I laughed. "It's okay. I was pretty annoyed, to be honest. But, I don't care. Anyway, our last encounter was..." I stopped and blushed. "This morning."
"You're blushing," Amber eyed me carefully and then grinned widely. "Did you guys make out or something?"
"W-what? No! Of course not!" I exclaimed, feeling my checks redden. "Gosh, Amber. That's preposterous."
She shrugged. "Would've been interesting." Her hands wrapped around the sides of her face and she thought for a moment. "Say, do you think he's a good kisser?"
"I wouldn't know."
"Stop blushing already," Amber laughed. "You get so flustered around boys and these topics, you realize that?"
I rolled my eyes.
(It was true, sadly.)
"I wonder if he has made out with someone from our school."
"Why are you thinking of that? Does it really matter?"
She shrugged again. "I'm curious. An attractive bad boy like him? You can't cross out such a suggestion."
"I bet he has made out with half of the female population in our school," Tymon commented.
"I agree," Amber nodded. "All right, Aubrey. Since you guys didn't make out this morning, what exactly happened?"
"I was singing and dancing to Swim Deep. The balcony doors were opened."
Amber and Tymon stared at me for a brief moment, expressionless. Then, they proceeded to bark out with laughter.
"Typical Aubrey."
"Oh, stop," I muttered. "Here's another thing. He and his mom are having dinner with us tonight."
"Let me guess," Tymon piped in. "Your mother's work?"
"Exactly."
