LTTA-Boyfriends and Girlfriends

Freshman year had just begun and Dalila was single… still. She had a brief, to say the least, moment with a boy last year. Bryce was now dating Sarah who was no longer friends with Dalila. Being a teenager wasn’t as fun as she imagined it would be when she was younger. Nicole moved away which left D with only one real friend, Bryce.

Dalila was gathering her school supplies when Bryce honked the horn. Leave it to him to be early she groaned in her head. She picked up her books, shoved them in her bag and rushed out the door. She opened his car door and slid in.

“Get here early enough?”

“D… we live two houses apart.” he laughed.

“Right. So why leave so early?”

“Yeah about that…” he paused. “We have to pick up Sarah.”

“Ah.” Dalila crossed her arms over her chest.

“Come on D, give her another change. She’s not that bad.”

“She’s the one that decided we were no longer friends, not me.”

“I know. We talked, she said she’s willing to be friends if you are.” Bryce pulled into Sarah’s drive way and looked over at Dalila. His eyes got big and he stuck his bottom lip out, pouting at her. “Please? For me?” he pleaded. His hazel eyes staring right at her, not blinking. He batted his eye lashes.

“Ugh! Fine” she laughed. He honked the horn and Sarah ran out. Dalila opted to sit in the back.

“Hey there Dalila.” Sarah said cheerfully.

“Hi.”

“Ready baby?” Sarah leaned over and kissed Bryce, Dalila felt like puking her guts out.

***

“Dalila!”

She turned around to see Tommy running after her. She hadn’t really spoke to him in a long time but they had a couple classes together. As far as she knew, he and Bryce were still friends just not very close.

“Hey, I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”

“Oh. Ok.”

“Uhm..” he paused, looking around. “Could you help me with the English paper?”

“Sure, yeah.”

“Ok. You want to meet at the library after school?”

“Sounds good, see you later.”

After school Dalila told Bryce she’d be going to the library and wouldn’t need a ride which worked out better since he and Sarah were going on a date. Gag. She walked in looking for Tommy and found him sitting at a table with his book bag on the floor. She sat in the chair next to him getting ready to pull out her papers.

“Actually… I don’t really need help with home work.”

Dalila looked at him, confused and pushed her hair behind her ear.

“Ok? Then why am I here?”

“Because I chickened out.” he admitted. She could tell that he was nervous, he kept fidgeting with his fingers and his blue eyes were shifting from the floor to her. “I’ve liked you for like, ever…”

“Oh.” she choked back a giggled.

“What I’m trying to ask is…” he paused and played with a string on his shirt. “Will you go…”

“Go out with you?”

“Uh. Yeah.”

“Sure.”

“Wow. Cool.” he laughed.

Dalila practically ran home. She went into her house, dropped off her bag and called Bryce to see if he was home. After she got off the phone she ran over to his house, totally geeked. She knocked on the door but didn’t wait for a response, she knew his parents wouldn’t and didn’t care.

“Bry! Where are you?”

“Bedroom.” She jogged back to his room, he was sitting on a beanbag, playing a video game. “Hey!”

“Guess what?!” Bryce looked up at her with a puzzled look on his face and paused the game.

“What?”

“Tommy asked me out.”

“Ah.” he turned back around and un-paused his game.

“That’s it?” she pulled up his computer chair and sat next to him.

“Yeah.” he shook his head.

“What’s your problem Bry?”

“Nothing, why?” barely paying attention.

“Because I just told you that me and Tommy are going out and you barely are talking to me.”

“I just think he’s a jerk, that’s it.”

“Then why are you friends with him?”

“I’m not really.”

Dalila rolled her eyes and sighed. What the hell is his problem? Bryce and Tommy didn’t hang out often but they talked all the time at school, she seen him earlier today talking to him.

“And don’t expect me to pick him up for school either.”

“Seriously, what is your problem?”

“Look nothing against you, I just don’t like your boyfriend” he sneered.

“Well, that’s fine because I don’t like your girlfriend.” she stuck her tongue out at him and stood up. “And don’t worry about him riding with you.” she paused “or me either for that matter.” and walked back home.

***

Dalila and Bryce didn‘t talk for almost two weeks after their spat but soon he came around and apologized to her. Before they knew it, it was the end of the school year and Dalila was getting ready for the spring dance. She and Tommy had been together for eight months, Bryce and Sarah were still, or again, going out. They broke up a few times but it never lasted long, only a day or two. Dalila’s birthday was only a couple weeks away, she couldn’t wait to turn sixteen. As she was getting ready, there was something burning in the pit of her stomach but she shrugged it off as nerves. Her mom was going to drive her and Tommy to the dance and his dad was going to pick them up. She wasn’t one for dresses so she wore a simple blue dress with short sleeves and her hair up in a pony tail.

“Ready Dalila?” her mom called down the hall.

“Yup, let’s go!” she headed to the car.

They drove in silence mostly to get Tommy and even more silence as they drove to the school. Dalila’s stomach was doing flips with anticipation and she didn’t know what to do.

“You kids have fun!”

“Thanks mom” she smiled.

“Thank you Mrs. Rowe.”

The night went by fast. They danced and hung out with their friends. Bryce was there with Sarah but hardly talked to Tommy or her. Their friendship had all but stopped since she and Tommy got together, she wasn’t sure why but wasn’t about to ask. Once the dance was over Tommy and Dalila were standing outside waiting for his dad, holding hands. His dad pulled up and drove to D’s house. Before she got out Tommy patted her arm.

“Do you mind if I call you when I get home?” he asked.

“No, that’s fine.” she smiled and went inside. About ten minutes later her phone rang. “Hello?”

“Hey D, it’s Tommy. How are you?”

“Good, how are you?”

“Uh, I hate to do this..” he paused.

“Do what?” the smile slowly fading from her face.

“I had fun tonight but I think maybe we should… well, break up.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry.” They sat with awkward silence for a few seconds. “I gotta go…”

“Bye.” and hung up the phone. Dalila changed into her night shirt and shorts, sitting on her bed in a daze. Tommy had just broken up with her after a dance, on the phone. She was confused and hurt, she flopped back on her bed and stared at the ceiling.

About twenty minutes later her phone rang around. Maybe it’s him, regretting breaking up with me she thought and grabbed the phone.

“Hello?”

“D! Can I come over?” Bryce asked, talking fast.

“Sure, yeah.” and hung up. She sighed deeply when he knocked on the window. It was open and he climbed in.

“Guess what?!”

“What?” she said grumpily.

“I did it!”

“Did what?”

“IT! With Sarah!”

“Oh…” her eyes got big as she looked at Bryce. He didn’t look any different, didn’t seem any different… but they were so young. Too young. Tommy had barely kissed her in the eight months they were together and here Bryce was telling her that he had sex. With Sarah.

“Ok, gotta go! Night!” and then he was gone.