Dylan

Like, a lot

"No way," Jenny gasps as she watches Flit get comfortable in the nest of hair she'd created on my head.

I look up and Flit pecks lightly at my scalp and I turn back down. "Oh, yeah, I brought Flit today."

Mr...I don't know his name enters the class a little late today and launches right into the lesson but when he looks over at me, he freezes completely. 

"Miss Reynolds," he says slowly. "Did you know you have a bird on your head?"

Wow, de ja vu. Has this happened before? I nod at him. "Yes, sir. I know. She's a canary and her name is Flit."

The entire class bursts out laughing and chattering. The teacher goes red in the face and it's an expression I recognize well. He's going to tell me to go to the principal's office.

"Well then, Miss Reynolds, why don't you take your friend to the principal's office?"

See?

"He allowed it," I say, trying and failing to hide my smugness. "I already checked it with him."

The teacher looks heavenward and I think he actually prays for a bit. Then, warily, he continues his lesson. 

When the bell rings, everyone surrounds me, wanting to see Flit and touch her but the air gets too thin and I shove my way out of the throng to my locker where I see Ethan in another standoff with Dylan. 

Dylan is leaning menacingly towards Ethan who looks amused. Oh man. My vision starts tunneling. My breathing gets shorter and I reach out, snagging Dylan's sleeve in desperation.

Dylan turns to face me in fury but stops short when he appraises the look in my eyes. Then he grips my shoulders hard, grounding me. It helps a little. "How bright?" he asks tightly. 

"Morning sun," I gasp, my lungs not working properly. I'm about to go full on hysterical, I can feel it. Flit leaps from my head to my shoulder, her wings frantically flitting about, trying to calm me. Dylan turns and rushes me to his car.

Ethan runs after us. "Mer! Brooke, what the hell is going on?"

"None of your business, stay back!" Dylan barks over my head. I can feel puke in the back of my throat and I tug Dy's sleeve harder. He turns back around and propels us forward with renewed speed and strength. 

"One, two, three, four," Dylan counts slowly and rhythmically in my ear. "One, two, three, four."

He shoves me into the car and gets around to his side and closes the doors. But before he can hug me tight enough to hold me together, it happens. I scream in a single, piercing, clear as crystal note. I hold it for a long time, wrapping my arms around my legs and rock back and forth, my head ringing and chest heaving. Dylan sets to work cover the windscreen and windows with shades to hide me.

Either I'm the one shaking too much or we're having an earthquake. Dylan rubs my arms in a consistent rhythm and slowly, after what seems like years, I calm. 

"Hey," I croak after another eternity of silence. 

Dylan silently passes me a bottle of water. I drink it and hand it back to him. Flit is pecking a little on the roof of the car. Dylan had closed the doors before she could enter. 

"So, bringing Flit to school probably wasn't the best idea," Dylan says casually.

I laugh. 

After a while, I go back to school to tell Principal Malone that I had a moment and that Dylan is taking Flit home. I go through my classes like a zombie and everyone can tell that something happened. After school, today will be my first tutoring session and I assess how I feel about it. On the one hand, laziness has kicked in and I don't really want to bother.