Mismatched

Chapter Eleven

The next day at school, Bryony and I arrive at homeroom and waited for the guys to arrive to class.

"How long do you think it'll take for the contractors to make the repairs to Kennedy?" Bryony asks as she turns around in her chair to face me. I know what she's really asking. How long do you think I have before Shale goes back? I see the worry lines on her brow.

"Don't worry about it, Bry. Shale isn't going anywhere for a while. And even if Kennedy did reopen soon, he may choose to stay with you here at Brookside." I tell her.

"But what if he doesn't? I'll hardly ever see him if he goes to another school."

"Stop. Don't play the what if game, it never gets you anywhere. You'll worry yourself to death and you'll be too busy worrying to actually enjoy the time you have with him now." I scold her. "Besides, you'll get wrinkles and gray hair... then you really can't call us twins anymore. I'll look like your younger sister. Your much hotter, badass, younger sister. Which is sad because I'm seven minutes older than you." That did it, I got her to smile.

Shale enters the class and drops into the seat next to Bry, followed by Axl behind him, which sets him next to me.

"Dahlia is a badass? Did you make someone cry already today?" Shale teases me and I playfully make a face with narrowed eyes at him.

"Not yet, but the day is still young." I quip back at him and he just chuckles before turning his attention to Bryony and giving her a warm, loving smile and I see her shoulders lower as the anxiety melt away. The murmur of the students around us quiets as Mr. Murphy takes attendance. After he checks off the last student name and the daily announcements start, he grabs a book from the top drawer of his desk. He removes a bookmark and leans back in his chair, leaving the students to their own devises for the rest of homeroom. Shale turns back to me with a friendly grin.

"I hear the temperature is going to start to drop this week, its almost sweater weather." He says. I heave a heavy sigh and nod in disappointment.

"Yup. I think Sunday was my last hurrah. Mom is going to want to put on the pool cover this week before it gets too cold." I tell him and Bryony pats my shoulder in mock sympathy.

"Maybe now you can focus on school work, eh?" She teases and I shoot her a glare.

"My grades never suffered. Just because I didn't complete my assignments the moment I got home, like some other goodie-two-shoes I know, doesn't mean I didn't get them done. I have just as high a GPA as you, Bry." She lifts her hands in surrender and I stick my tongue out at her.

"Very mature." She scoffs and I shrug.

"I said I was smart, not mature. There is a difference." I tell her.

"Even though you want to try to, never grow up," I hear a low voice mumble to my right. I look over and see Axl looking down at his desk flipping through papers, not seeming to be paying us any attention, but I know what I heard.

Did he just casually quote Peter Pan?

I keep the thought to myself for now, not calling him out on it. I continue my banter with Bryony and Shale until the bell rings and we all head off to class.

~ ~ ~

Reed catches me on my way the dinning hall, his eyes hold a look of apology.

"Hey, Dahl face. Sorry, I can't make it to lunch with you today, I need to talk to one of my teachers." He tells me.

"It's alright. Maybe tomorrow." I smile, hiding my disappointment. "I'll eat with Bryony and Shale today."