"I heard about your dad_"
"Oh yeah?" He asked with intensity, infuriated clenching his fists, she cupped them with her hands and put them down gently, she sighed shakily and reached in to hug him, loving his embrace.
Dylan trembled to try to decide from pulling her away, his arms pulled her to him firmly, he wanted just to feel her, her eyes lowered when he closed in to kiss her.
Melting in his arms, she cupped his cheek and moaned when his tongue got to work kissing her deeper, he sighed heavily against her cheek when he came up for air, breathless and queasy, he felt like he just recovered from a marathon settling down on a bench with her passing her a long, deep stare.
Her hands curled on his shirt leaning on his shoulder.
"Why are you doing this to me?" He asked and she curled her arms around his shoulders, he was emotionally drained after the day with Corey and now here she was in his arms making out with him. He nudged her urging her to answer and her eyes moved to his hesitantly running her thumb on his lip, he took it off and forced her to focus.
"You just decided that it would be best if you came to see me because I'm having a tough time?_"
Her eyes rounded and he set her down
"Dammit Jean!"
"Dylan, you need to calm down"
"I don't need your pity, I don't need your gratitude and I don't need..." He couldn't bring himself to say it, she was too cute, too subtle, his shoulders shook and he turned away covering his face, Jean's heart raced and she slowly stepped forward curling her arms around his waist leaning on his back.
"Please go away, Jean, don't make me do something I'll regret"
"What're you going to do?" She asked swaying a bit, he turned his head behind him tiredly to her, angry and full of pain wiping his eyes
"It's too late for that now," He said and sniffed, flustered for letting himself cry. His chest was heavy with loss even she couldn't take the feeling away, he couldn't shake it off either, he shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Let me go"
She shook her head holding on firmly to him, she wouldn't.
"No, I'll be here for you, just like you've been for me. From the very first day"
His head turned and he rested his hand on the bench when she walked around him to see his face, he lowered it wiping his eyes.
"How would you know that?" He asked in annoyance refusing to look her in the eyes unless he might soften up again.
"I understand you for not wanting to look at me, besides my looks, I want to thank you, you're a good person"
He grimaced at that
"Maybe it's something you don't know and I don't want you to feel like I'm taking advantage of you by asking your sister to help me_"
"Cut the crap Jean, it's over" He stiffened when her hand touched his own. "I asked you a question... I said, how would you know?"
"Scarlett told me and I'm here because I want to be and I know all this is about him" She wiped his face clean and he scoffed taking her hand off.
"Who? Corey?...no way" He crooned wiping his nose with his hand on one hip
"He doesn't deserve it and neither do I," She said and he glanced at her and sat back. "I owe you Dylan"
"No, I said I don't_"
"Thank you"
"Stop" He growled and she stood up rushing to the other end of the bench giggling.
"Thank you Dylan" She repeated and he swung over the bench to try to nab her, damn her for making him do this in his pyjama pants.
She blushed when he encircled her with a serious expression.
"Do you want an espresso?" She asked with light in her countenance and he sighed.
"No, I just want to be alone" He confessed and his hands dropped, she grabbed them
"Please, don't_"
"I'm tired Jean and I need a break"
Jean sighed when he walked back to his house and sat down, she tried the best she could, she met his gaze at the door and he turned away and walked back inside.
"Thank you" She whispered to herself and hung back watching the clouds go by, clasping her hands together.
...
She finished her SATs as well relieved from all the pressure, she hung her backpack mentally preparing for the final exams, for the two weeks she spent preparing she made sure to buy stickers and more learning aids to get through,
She groaned when she unconsciously put her laundry in the freezer
"What?" She wheezed taking them out, in a daze again, the last time it was soap.
"Jean, stop messing around and do your laundry" She heard her mom say while she set the pan in the oven and shut it with the back of her foot going back to cleaning the counter after making a casserole that she learned from YouTube.
"Well, I want to do my laundry!" She retorted and Gigi laughed throwing her arm a little to the left feigning enthusiasm "Good for you, now do it"
Her voice was tough and she gasped when Scott ruffled her hair with mocking eyes grinning
"Take it easy bird brain"
She growled, they were driving her crazy and she was irritable, it was slowly getting to that time of the month already and she was dreading it, she groaned when she met Martin and Etta on that Dance Master mat trying to out beat each other with the music on loud, their feet moved swiftly and on the same tempo, switching and spinning.
She cringed at Martin wearing a headband.
"Jean, I just saw the mailman walk by, go check on it"
She dumped her basket and went over to check the contents of the mailbox, she glanced across the road at a boy digging the dirt with his dog and he looked up and waved a dirty palm at her, she giggled when his dog went in pursuit of the poor mailman who had to take a morning lap then he turned and scratched his head at the junk it was holding to give to him.
She flipped through, apology letters from the power company and her adrenaline spiked at the Standford heading and she rushed into the house and wheezed at the letter.
She hurried into the house, the music was more of noise and she passed it to Scott who was unoccupied the note, he swished his legs and read through.
To JEAN ALEXANDRA RAFFERTY...