Dreamers

The Cover Up

They'd just found out that one of the friends in the tight-knit group was working for the other side. It hadn't been talked about yet, but everyone must have their suspicions. Amanda was probably holding back tears if their relationship was what it seemed to be in the letter. As for Jhon... Lisa glanced at his profile.

"I'm sorry."

Before Lisa could give her condolences, Jhon gave his first.

"What?"

"About James, I mean. I know you must have been... close." Jhon glanced back at her. There was something behind his words that suggested another meaning.

Lisa paused, then snorted. Her snort let free to an abrupt and long laugh. She explained herself after calming down, "I am totally and utterly unattached. Be it James or anyone else."

Jhon glanced at her again, "Oh."

"What was that?" Her smile quickly slipped from her face.

"What was what?"

"That look! You just thought something rude, didn't you?" Lisa turned around on the seat and leaned around his side to get a better look at the expression he was hiding. He wasn't going to get anything passed her. She slid her hands around his as well to make sure he wouldn't jump off the four-wheeler just to get away or something stupid like that.

"...I wasn't."

"A pause! You were too! Out with it! What rude things are so bad you can't say them to my face?"

Jhon shrugged and shook his head, "I said it wasn't..."

Lisa noticed that his eyes were avoiding contact and there was a gigantic gulp after he said that.

"You know I won't let off until you tell me." Lisa told him seriously.

Jhon glanced at her. Seeing she was serious his mind flipped back to the fight. He had been twirled on the tip of her finger the whole time. All throughout the fight he'd really thought she was trying to kill him. He even foolishly thought he might win. Yet, at the end, with her last move breaking his leg he found out that she'd been holding back the entire time. Though, he would never go all out on a friend of his friends, either. He sighed, "I was just wondering what was wrong with you. You must have some weird, mental thing or something."

"What?" Lisa jerked, "Why?"

Jhon shrugged. "You're pretty, surprising, athletic, smart, have a high status, kind, good history... Honestly it's weird there aren't more than a few boys lining up for you."

Lisa paused. She was used to praise. After all, she was all those things. All of her achievements could attest to that, but this praise sounded a little different. It was coming from a boy- a man- who has already seen her go crazy, her weird obsessions, and even seen her cry- Lisa can't remember the last time she'd done that. He'd seen all of this and yet still praised her. The most unusual part of it was that he didn't seem to be trying to win her favor- like everyone in the city did whenever they praised her

She became aware of how close she was to him. Her arms were wrapped around his waist and her front pressed up against his back. Lisa slid backwards and put her hands on the bars behind her instead. "Thanks..." She muttered.

"What did you say?"

"I said that we can't go across the fringe! The city has eyes on us!" She yelled, louder than she had to be heard over the engine.

Jhon pulled on the brakes, making the vehicle slide harshly to a stop. "What?" He shut off the engine, but still turned and yelled at Lisa as if being louder might make Lisa realize how horrible this prank was. He assumed it was another prank.