Scarlett stirred her cup of coffee and grinned "I know it looks and sounds bad but it's the truth" She snickered at what she said and covered her eyes, Roderick's head jerked her direction and they screamed when he leapt on the table crawling to the crumbs of cake feeding on them.
"Roderick!" She placed him in her pouch, she huffed, he almost gave her a heart attack. She glanced at the same lizard by the wall watching them, Jean also turned to it gazing at the red bow,
"Ewwww!" Scarlett threw the lookalike out and the real Roderick snarled at the impostor when she set it free and reclined, curling on the hard concrete heated by the sun.
"Can you imagine what my mom would do to me if she finds out I lost Roderick?" She snorted breaking into a laugh.
She lowered her head and chortled, Dylan rescued her, no wonder his voice and grip was familiar and they brought comfort to her soul, she smiled sadly and thinking of it brought butterflies to her stomach, what was there not to like, he was charming and cultured even though sometimes he got a little out of hand with driving. Her face heated and Scarlett lit up at the blotches of pink on her cheeks teasing her and poking her shoulder.
"Ahh, someone's glowing like a Christmas tree"
"Don't you mean you're glowing?"
"I promised that I was going to work on my skincare routine next summer but you're in love..." Her eyes tilted a bit concerned
"I am not, never in a million years, I'm still in high school, it's too early to be thinking about that! It's just an infatuation and it'll pass...besides, not with Dylan, he has to be at least six years older than me, he understands and he's going through a loss anyways"
She looked up and gasped at him watching with a hurt expression, he was wearing a leather jacket with the belt strap loose on his flayed jacket, trousers and boots, Scarlett turned covering her lips in shock.
He scoffed at that and stepped back "Oh crap forgive me for being too forward, my mistake"
He laughed in frustration and touched his head-turning the other way and walking faster dumping the pretzel in the garbage.
Jean's eyes lowered and she sipped her tea "What was that all about?"
"OMG Jean, didn't you see that?" She pointed in his direction with round eyes. "He honestly cares about you"
"Doesn't mean I should meet him halfway with pity" She slumped on her chair and winced at her cold tea.
Scarlett wiped the spill off her skirt "Oh snap, I can't believe I didn't see this" She scrubbed heavily and her phone vibrated, she picked up the call and softened leaving Jean in question
"I_I'll meet you there" She replaced her phone slinging her bag over her shoulder standing up. "I have to go, I had a great time" She nodded and hurried away checking on Roderick for the second time then unlatched her bike riding down the street.
Jean's eye twitched in distress and her head knocked the table hard when she lowered her head.
The exams were today and she quieted when Martin kissed her forehead straightening her shoulders. Scott smiled sadly
"Knock em dead, sis"
"Thank you" She said and glanced at Gigi and Etta as they waved and blew air kisses, slinging her tag over her head around her neck, she let the coordinator have her bag and sat back taking a deep breath, she glanced at the other students striving for a scholarship, none that she knew from Luna High. They all seemed so serious about it, she exhaled and focused on the tests like dad told her to and put her finger on the mouse.
The representative from Stanford University in a suit with their insignia on it with his hands behind him looked around the halls at them, it grew quiet and tense.
"This is a program for law students exclusively, the other aspirants for other departments will be taking separate exams, if you're caught taking the easy way out then you'll be disqualified so be considerate of this opportunity and think about what you'll be missing when you do"
She looked at her keyboard and gasped when the coordinator checked her laptop clicking on the mouse at several icons and moved on, she relaxed and began the tests wiping her head, not only did she grow concerned about how quiet the classroom became but how complex and challenging the questions got as she clicked on the answers, she was through and the coordinator pointed out the door taking their tags one by one as they moved out.
"Oh what the fuck, that was harsh, these exams are brutal"
"Stanford don't play"
"Meh, I can settle for real college anyways" The group laughed and chattered as they walked down the stairs.
She sighed and was flocked by her family, she passed Scott a suspicious look when he hurled her around whooping,
"You did it you bonehead"
"Relax, I haven't passed it yet"
She said glumly and Gigi lightened her up taking her shoulders as they walked
"I say we get some ice cream on the way to cool you down"
"I'm proud uh yah kid" Etta pat her head and she smiled staring at her with delight.
...
She puffed when she rode uphill to his house knocking on the door, Erin's eyes rounded nursing a cup of coffee in a short dress, she straightened up
and cleared her throat, brushing her hair back, Jean couldn't hold back her excitement.
"I finished my scholarship exams"
"No way, congratulations...I mean, I knew you could do it"
"So did I, can I meet Dylan?"
Erin smiled "He's outback"
"Erin!" Dylan groaned and she turned to him when he stepped out with an angry look, she folded her arms and he softened careful not to piss her off or she'll be sending him home.
"I did it," She said and he rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, good on you, maybe next time you learn to swim this might be the first stop"
She smiled and he blushed turning away, folding his arms "Get outta here before I lose it"
"Dylan, that's no way to accommodate a visitor"
"Since when did you have visitors except for the police, the jury, your book club and that cop you keep trying to_"
"That's it, I'm getting a taxi"
"No wait please" He walked over to Jean and drew in his breath in a long hiss "Let's just take a walk"