Sophia pushed her red bangs out of her eyes that were dripping with sweat. She collapsed on the grass, panting for air.
“Oh god,” she moaned, feeling the soreness of her leg muscles. Sophia was about to collapse on the ground in exhaustion if it wasn’t for a black shadow masquerading the glares of the sun from her face. She cracked an eye open and groaned at the person grinning down at her.
“Talk about unfit, Soph,” a husky voice crackled. Sophia grunted in reply and extended her hand out for him to help her up. She was hauled to her feet but immediately regretted it as they screamed in protest from running around the field for too long.
“Dylan, I can’t run anymore!” she complained. Dylan shook his head, making his gentle brown hair bobbed around his shoulders. “You, Sophia, are a wimp,” he teased. Her green eyes narrowed dangerously and she took a step forward so they were just a breath’s away.
“I would like to see you in this size,” she gestured to her body, “run ten laps around those tracks,” her dainty finger pointed out to the school track that was as big as a stadium.
“Fine, Sophie, we’ll stop now,” Dylan sighed. He gathered up his water bottle and started to walk towards the school building when he felt tiny hands restraining his arm.
“The school’s too far away and my legs are now made of jello,” Sophia pouted. Dylan regretted turning around as he couldn’t possibly turn-down that face. He chuckled before crouching down with his back facing her.
“Hop on.”
Sophia eagerly wrapped her legs around Dylan’s waist and her arms around his shoulders. He got up to his feet and jogged to the red-bricked building.
“Ugh, what have been eating Soph?” he joked, taking huge dramatic steps with loud grunts. Sophia whacked his head with the towel in her hands before laughing. She secretly cherished the feeling of his body so near to her. Sophia rested her head on his shoulder and inhaled his comforting scent. Yes, she was in love with her best friend but she decided not to tell him anytime sooner. She would die if Dylan never wanted to do anything with her ever again.
“Hey Soph, here’s your stop.”
Her eyes snapped open and saw that they—he was standing in front of the girl’s locker room. She mounted off Dylan’s back and stretched the aching muscles.
“Thanks, Dylan,” she muttered while opening the door to the locker room. “See you in biology!” he yelled from down the hall. She merely rolled her eyes and smiled to herself.
Sophia basked in the relaxing water that cascaded down her body and soothed her pounding limbs. She ignored the snickers from a couple of girls her age as they whispered something about her. Sophia knew she lacked in the voluptuous department and girls her age had already filled their bras but she doesn’t give a crap.
“Oh my god, did you hear that Dylan Farro asked out Tabitha?” a blonde girl whispered excitedly. The other brunette girl gasped dramatically.
“No way! That wench is totally lucky, Dylan is like, the hottest guy in school!” the brunette squealed.
Sophia spun the knob and stepped out of the shower. Her ears could only take so much of those ditzy girls’ stupid gossips. She got dressed quickly and exited the room.
As Sophia was making her way towards her locker, she was suddenly halted to a stop a pair of strong arms. They then spun her around and Sophia grunted in annoyance.
“Dylan, I’m going to be late for class!” she protested against his strong hold. Dylan ignored her protests and beamed happily at her. Sophia raised an eyebrow at his sudden attitude.
“Guess what?” he asked excitedly.
“You’ve finally found a solution to stop peeing in your sleep?” she teased. “That was one time!” he shrieked, but calmed immediately, “but no, Tabitha finally agreed to go out with me!”
Sophia felt her heart plummeted down her stomach at his words. The rumors were true then, Dylan was dating the hottest and most popular girl in school. She quickly feigned a smile and gasped in shock.
“Shut up! A girl like that would never go out with a slob like you,” Sophia forced a chirpy giggle. Dylan smiled proudly and flexed his biceps as if he was in some sort of a body-builder competition.
“Yup, I won that baby fair and square.”
Sophia panicked when she felt tears prickling her eyes so she took the usual remedy—run away. She jogged down the unwinding hallway with Dylan hot on her heels.
“Yo Soph, where are you going in such a hurry?!” he hollered. Sophia cast a quick glance behind her shoulders to reply, “We have biology, remember?”
Apparently, that was all she can bear to say to Dylan throughout the whole class. He tried to catch her attention a couple of times of she didn’t even spare him a glance. Her sudden behavior confused him to no end.
Is it because of Tabitha? Dylan questioned himself, staring hard at the back of Sophia’s head.
Nah, can’t be it, he tried to deny, she doesn’t like me that way!
Dylan’s focus on the boring lecture in the front of the class was long gone; instead he concentrated on his best friend and the nagging voice in his mind.
*********************************************************
“Soph, hey Sophia, wait!”
Sophia grimaced inwardly as her attempt to escape the class unnoticed crashed and burned. She paused at the front door, gripping her textbook tightly in her hands and willed herself to relax.
Dylan’s hands clutched her shoulders strongly for he was afraid she might run away again. “What is the matter with you, Sophia?” he questioned urgently. When she wouldn’t even look at him, Dylan got frustrated so he spun her around forcefully. Sophia’s green eyes reflected shock and a hint of pain as he studied them.
Sophia’s brain strained for any kind of acceptable excuse that won’t reveal too much to him but she knew Dylan was capable to read her like an open book.
“Sophia, answer me!”
“I don’t want us to fall apart!” she nearly screamed under the pressure. Sophia swore at herself for being so stupid. Dylan loosened his hold on her but didn’t remove his hands from where they rest.
“What do you mean?” he inquired, gently this time. Other students walking past stared curiously at them but it was the least of Dylan’s worries. Sophia once again had to crack her brain for another reason behind her outburst but luckily, she was saved by the bell.
Dylan sighed at the harsh ringing of the bell signaling the 5th period. He still needed to know why Sophia said those things.
“Listen, Soph, I’ll come over your house after school today. You have to tell me truth,” he stated sternly. Sophia could only nod weakly before Dylan planted a kiss on her forehead as he usually did.
When he was safely out of her sight, Sophia banged her head on the door repeatedly while chanting “why, why, why.”
****************************************************************
Sophia paced her living room agitatedly. Her eyes kept drifting towards the wall clock and every minute seemed like hours to her. It was currently 3.50 p.m and Dylan wanted to meet her at precisely 4.00 p.m after guitar practice with his friend, Hunter. She couldn’t stop herself from biting on her fingernails, a habit she developed since a child.
“You’re going to gnaw your finger off if you keep that up.”
Sophia swore she jumped a feet in the air at the abrupt voice interrupting her. She twirled around spontaneously to see Dylan standing by the door with an amused expression. Her hand clutched her heart tightly as she panted from the rush of adrenaline.
“Dylan, you jack ass! How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?” she whispered harshly. He changed his features to wear a sympathize look.
“Sorry, Sophie. The door was unlocked,” he explained sheepishly. She sighed tiredly before collapsing on a nearby couch, which happened to be a bean bag. Dylan guffawed when she sank into the bean bag.
“Nice choice,” he pointed sarcastically. Sophia rolled her eyes before pulling herself up to sit properly on a normal couch. Then, the one thing that she dreaded ensues—awkward silence. Dylan, of course, was the one to break the silence first.
“Soph, tell me the truth,” he demanded softly, “I don’t know what you meant.”
She inhaled a huge amount of air. Sophia made up her mind earlier and decided to tell him the truth. “Graduation is coming and I don’t want us to separate!” Well, mostly. It wasn’t like she was lying; the thought of graduation did swam around in her mind for quite some time so she told him the truth, just not the exact truth he wanted.
Very unexpectedly, Dylan pulled Sophia into his arms to give her the gentlest hug he could provide. Her breath was taken away though she was a little surprised but reciprocate his hug, nonetheless. After a few seconds, Dylan slowly extracted himself from her arms.
“Sophia, no matter what happens, we won’t be apart,” he assured, glancing deep into her emerald eyes, “we’ve been together for 7 years now. I won’t leave you.”
Sophia felt her eyes watered at his touching words. She instantly felt incredibly guilty of lying to him when he had done nothing but be a good friend to her. Friend. Just friend.
“Besides,” he continued, “whom am I going to have a tickle fight if it’s not with you?”
Because her brain was a little fogged up, what he had just spoken registered a bit late and as she realized what he meant, it was too late. Dylan had already attacked her ribs mercilessly with his fingers while she writhed and gasped under him.
“Dy—Dylan!” she laughed, “Stop it, you cow!” Dylan found himself laughing along with her, his fingers wiggled all over her ticklish spots.
“Say ‘uncle’!” he demanded playfully. Sophia shook her head no but immediately regretted it when he smirked evilly down at her. “You shouldn’t have said no,” he snarled.
The next thing she knew, Dylan had pulled her shirt up so her stomach was exposed and blew raspberry onto it. Sophia choked with laughter until her face turned red and tried in vain to push him away.
“Uncle!” she managed to gasp between the fits of giggles, “Uncle!!”
Finally, Dylan ended her misery by withdrawing his hands. Sophia gasped for breath and tried to sit up by grabbing Dylan’s shirt as leverage.
“So what do you want to do now?” he muttered after she had successfully calmed down. Sophia shrugged her shoulders.
“We watch t.v I guess.”
They’re eyes were fixated on the television where an alternative band was performing. Dylan seemed to enjoy it as he bobbed his head synchronized with the beat. However, it was a different case for Sophia. Her mind kept replaying Dylan’s words in her head in an endless loop.
Sophia, no matter what happens, we won’t be apart. We’ve been together for 7 years now. I won’t leave you.
She has been keeping this feeling to herself for exactly 7 years too and it was driving her insane.
Perhaps it’s time for me to move on, her inner-voice pointed. Yes, Sophia has to move on.
Labels: It's Just You and Me Honey