Girl Who Cried Wolf

Van Gogh Gang

"Right," Tyla scratched her neck, giving a forced chuckle. "Well, my dad died and my mom ran off with her boyfriend."

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry, Tyla," Tillie gasped, bringing her hands up to her mouth.

"Why? I'm over it," Tyla said, sitting in the booth and leaning back, crossing her arms. Trying to get some of her natural coolness and not-so-natural self confidence back.

"Oh," Tillie said and thought for a minute or two. "Is- is that why you do- do that?"

Tyla knew what she was talking about. "Gotta earn money somehow."

"Tracey and Kassandra don't know do they?"

"They don't and don't you dare tell them." Tyla pointed a finger at Tillie.

"I won't. Promise. It's just- you know- this changes things," Tillie said. Now just as awkward as Tyla is.

"What things?"

"You know. I thought you just wanted to do it. I thought you where one of those bad girls who doesn't care what people think or what they say and they smoke, and drink, and have sex with every living thing," Tillie explained her thoughts on Tyla and Tyla burst out laughing.

"Oh, I wish," she said, still grinning. "But no. I guess if you really wanted to know me, you'd have to know a crap ton about me." Tyla said then reached over and gently elbowed Tillie's arm. "What about you? I haven't heard anything about you. And you don't want me to continue to think what I think about you do you?"

"What do you think about me?" Tillie leaned on the counter. Propping her head up with her arm.

"I think you're a good girl. A goody-two-shoes type. Always does her homework. Studies for at least an hour every night. Two if there's a test. Does everything her parents and teachers tell her too. And crazy organized," Tyla said in a fake posh voice getting Tillie to laugh.

"That's not me! Or at least not all of me," Tillie rushed to defend herself.

"So? Tell me the rest."

"I'm bad at relationships. I seem to mess up every friendship I have," Tillie began.

"You are very nosy. But that's okay."

"I like to draw, but apparently being an artist is not a good career choice according to my parents, who are both doctors, so I'm trying to be a doctor."

"Fuck them, follow your dreams," Tyla said and Tillie laughed.

"If only..."

"Well, why not?" Tyla asked, standing up.

"I'm not good enough."

"Bullshit. You got any drawings you could show me?" Tyla asked.

"Yeah, in my room," Tillie said and Tyla followed her upstairs. Her walls were painted light blue, but you could barely tell because her walls were covered with art.

Tyla smacked Tillie's shoulder. "What was that for?!" Tillie asked, rubbing her shoulder as if Tyla had punched her.

"That's for lying to me, your artwork is amazing," Tyla complimented. And she was being honest. It really was amazing. She could mistake Tillie for an professional adult artist with experience and college behind their belt.

"It's not good enough to start a career on though. And artist don't get paid as well as doctors, so I guess my parents are right," Tillie said and for once, Tyla was glad she was practically allowed to do whatever she wanted without parental approval as one of her many worries.

"Did you not hear me earlier? Fuck them, follow your dreams," Tyla repeated even though she knew Tillie heard her the first time.

They didn't get to talk about it anymore though because of the faint sound of a doorbell that quickly got their attention and within seconds they were at the door, paying the older teen and taking the pizza boxes from his hands.

"Tracey! Kassandra! Pizza!" Tyla yelled and Tracey and Kassandra where away from the tv that now displayed Riverdale which Tyla knows all too well to be Tracey's favorite show even though Kassandra hated it.

Tyla had been able to get Tracey and Kassandra to gang up with her on Tillie trying to persuade her to pursue art and by the time they finished their first slice Tillie had given in and told them she'd take some art classes and see how they go and then they took the rest of the pizza into the family room and turned on Supernatural because that was Tillie's favorite show and with the help of Tyla's great arguing skills and her passion for Supernatural. They got that on the tv.