Love Bites

Cory awoke the next morning, aware that he had dreamt of both Lily and Kayla, but as he slowly surfaced into consciousness, any details of his dreams evaded him like wisps of smoke through his fingertips. All he managed to retain was a feeling of malaise. The feeling left him as the morning progressed and the twins headed off to school.

As the day neared an end, Kayla walked into her English class, noting that Lily was in front and to the left of her as usual, and took her own seat. Kayla thought the class was boring, even though she was in an advanced class. She excelled in English and languages in general. Currently she spoke fluent English, Spanish, and French and was on her way to learning both Russian and Japanese.

Her neighbor passing her a note broke her out of her wandering thoughts.

Curious, Kayla unfolded the piece of paper and read it. It said:

I want to ask your brother out. Just between

us girls, did he say anything about me or am I

wasting my time?

L.

Kayla let out a quiet giggle that drew the attention of several students around her, which she ignored.

She wrote back:

Suspense builder. After class.

K.

The note was folded and passed back the way it came. Kayla watched Lily unfold the note and read it, then turn her head and give Kayla a mock frown, and then a quick smile before turning back around.

The class ended and neither girl was in a hurry, so they were both the last to leave the classroom. Lily broke the silence first, saying, “Okay, enough suspense, spill it.”

“Sorry,” Kayla replied. “I couldn’t help it. You certainly made an impression on my brother. I don’t think you’ll have any problems. I’ll leave it up to you to ask, but if it will make it easier, we could double date and go to the movies or something.”

“That sounds great,” Lily said, excited. “I’ll ask him out today and maybe we can setup something for this weekend.”

“Just one thing,” Kayla said, putting a hand on Lily’s arm, stopping her. “Don’t hurt my brother. He’s a kind person and I don’t like to see him hurt.”

“I don’t have any plans to hurt him,” Lily replied good naturedly. “If anything, I tend to plan long term and don’t get into relationships unless I commit to them. I promise.” She patted Kayla’s hand. “So, what’s next for you?”

Kayla sighed and said, “Math. My worse subject. Cory’s best.”

“Me too. Let’s go before we’re late.” They walked off together to their next class.

After school, Cory had tennis practice that lasted typically and hour. Once done, he went to grab his backpack from the locker room and put his tennis racket in his gym locker. As he walked out of the locker room door, he glanced to his right, looking at the spot where Lily had surprised him yesterday. He saw nothing but an empty wall.

He started walking again, dejectedly. “Expecting someone?” said a voice from his left. He started at the voice, not expecting it. Looking to his left, he saw Lily standing next to the open door. She would have been close enough to touch as he went through the doorway, yet he missed her. How?

“Scare you?” she asked.

“No,” he replied in a voice that didn’t convey conviction.

She giggled and said, “I’ll pretend I believe you. Now that I’ve got you alone…” She walked up to him, putting her arm through his like she did the day before and continued, “… let’s discuss this date.”

“How did you know when I’d be done?” he asked her, still surprised.

“Easy,” she explained. “I cheated and asked your sister. She told me about an hour, so I skipped out of swim practice a little early and waited for you. Now about that date…”

They were walking slowly to the girls’ locker room like they had the day before. Lily continued. “Your sister suggested a double date. Is that okay with you or would you rather go alone?”

“Uh, you talked to my sister about this?”

“Not really. I just asked her a few questions and she suggested the double date, but it’s up to you, not her.”

“Whatever you feel most comfortable with,” he said.

“Mr. Decisive, aren’t you? Okay, well we still have a few days, so I’ll let you know.”

They reached the girl’s locker room just as someone stuck his head inside the door and yelled, “Hey babe, hurry up. Come on…”

Cory sighed and Lily tightened her grip on his arm. “Calm down, Max,” Cory said. “She’ll be out when she’s done, right?”

“Maybe I should go in and look in on her,” Lily said.

“Yeah, why don’t you go in and look in on her, girly,” Max said.

Lily took in this guy with a sneer. He was a few inches shorter than her, had blond hair and slightly bugged out eyes. She took an instant dislike to him.

Instead of waiting outside, she let go of Cory’s arm and went inside the locker room. It took Lily’s eyes only a few seconds to adjust to the darker room which looked empty.

Walking to the first split in the lockers, Lily crossed over to the center row looking down the aisle towards the far end of the room and the showers. A lone figure was sitting on the wooden plank bench that ran between the facing lockers.

Although the figure was sitting in profile, Lily knew it was Kayla. Kayla sat on the bench with her head in her hands, slightly hunched over. To Lily, she seemed to be breathing normally so she decided Kayla wasn’t crying.

Lily moved up behind her and placed a hand on Kayla’s shoulder, causing her to jump and let out a yelp.

“Holy crap,” Kayla said to Lily. “I didn’t even hear you walk up.”

“Well, you did seem a little preoccupied, so it’s no real surprise you didn’t hear me.”

“Hum, maybe I was.”

Lily sat next to Kayla, straddling the bench, and put her arm around the other girl’s shoulders and pulled her into an embrace. Kayla put up no resistance as her head was laid to rest on Lily’s collarbone. “So, what’s going on with the normally cheerful girl who is now looking rather morose?” Lily asked her, resting her chin on the top of Kayla’s head.

The hitch in the voice that responded told her that Kayla was doing her best not to cry.

“Max,” Kayla began, “is such an ass. All he thinks about is himself. Max is my boyfriend by the way. I don’t think that ever came up.”

“Yeah, I met Prince Charming outside bellowing your name. Eyes bulge out a little too much for my taste. I’d be too tempted to try to push them back in.”

Lily felt Kayla wince and added, “No offense, sweetie.”

“None taken. It’s just that I haven’t had too much luck in dating. Maybe I look too boyish. Or too tomboyish.”

“Nonsense. Boys are intimidated by girls. The right guy will come alone and have the courage to ask you out, you just wait and see. That or you will take the initiative like I did, and you ask the guy out. A long time ago it was improper to do that, but times have changed, so you must change as well. Sadie Hawkins and all that.”

“You sound like you speak from experience,” Kayla said.

“Oh, trust me, I do. Moving around so much makes you adapt quickly,” Lily told her.

Max, it appeared, finally got impatient and started yelling for Kayla. This prompted a deep breath from Kayla who said, “He’s insisting we go to the movies on Saturday.”

“Well, that makes it easy for me then,” Lily said. “I hadn’t decided whether or not to go on a normal date or a double date like you suggested.”

“I guess it’s a solo date for you then,” Kayla guessed.

“On the contrary,” Lily replied with a smile Kayla couldn’t see. “I think a double date on Saturday is just what’s needed. Come on; let’s get going before Cory does something rash.”

Lily gave Kayla another gentle squeeze and pulled her up.

Kayla reached over and picked up her backpack and, turning towards Lily, said, “Thanks. I needed that.”

Lily shrugged and said, “What are friends for?”

As they reached the doors, Kayla stopped and took a deep breath to center herself.

Lily asked, “Ready?”

Kayla nodded and walked out, followed by Lily. As soon as Kayla entered the foyer, Max, who was standing in the middle of the door saw her and said, “It’s about damn time. What were you doing in there, making out?”

Before Kayla could reply, Lily said, “You’d like that wouldn’t you…”

Thinking about it for maybe a second, he replied, “Actually, yeah.”

Cory said, “Watch it Max,” as Lily took Kayla’s arm, pulling her along and pushing past Max, calling him a pig as she passed. Cory and Max followed behind the two girls.

Lily glanced over her shoulder at Cory and said, “By the way Cory, I decided we should go on a double date this Saturday with your sister and Max here. They were going to the movies and Kayla invited us to go along. So, what are we going to see?”

Kayla said, “I don’t know, Max hasn’t told me. Max?”

He spoke up from behind her in a nasally voice saying, “One of those movies where everyone is fated to die. I forget the name of it but it’s a number seven or eight.”

“How romantic,” Lily commented quietly, which elicited a snicker out of Kayla.

Cory followed behind a few feet, even after they lost Max, who simply went another direction at one point without saying a word. He watched the two girls from behind, admiring the ease in which they walked and talked.

Trying to take in the azure sky and the lazy white clouds high above, his attention kept drawing to the backside of the two girls. While trying to convince himself of this, he finally admitted that he was really paying attention to only one backside: Lily’s. Not that his sisters’ backside wasn’t bad, but it was his sister after all.

He was content walking a few paces behind, alternating glances at the sky and at Lily.

Finally walking up to their house, the girls stopped, and Cory caught up with them. Kayla thanked Lily for everything, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek and saying, “See you inside,” to Cory before turning and walking into the house.

Lily turned to Cory and put both hands behind his neck, clasping them, and then said, “Enjoy the view from back there?”

Cory looked into her slate gray eyes and saw a twinkle of mischievousness in them. He panicked for a split second before catching himself and said, “Yes, the sky and clouds are pretty this afternoon.”

There was no way she could know what he split his attention between.

“Uh huh,” she said knowingly, and Cory thought he saw a flash of gold go through her irises.

Wanting to change the subject, he said, “So movie Saturday huh? Are you sure you want to double date with that asshat?”

“Maybe we can make sure your sisters’ date a little better then, no?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” he agreed, “as long as it won’t ruin our date.”

“That’s a good brother,” she teased and kissed him on the cheek. “Did the fatty lose enough weight on those two walks for you?”

Cory sighed and said, “I told you that wasn’t what I meant, and I apologized already. Are you ever going to let me forget that?”

“That depends,” she said.

“Depends on what?”

“Did you like what you saw?” she inquired.

He sighed and said, “Yes, okay? Yes.”

“HA! I know you were looking at my butt.”

Cory blushed and said, “That was low. You tricked me.”

“I know,” she said, letting her arms slide down his until she reached his elbows. Lifting his arms, she put them around her waist where he automatically rested them on her hips with his hands on the small of her back. She then returned her hands to behind his neck and moved a little closer to him.

“So, I think you might be sorry for your errant remark,” she told him. He just nodded his head. “Good,” she continued, “don’t let it happen again if you know what’s good for you.” She leaned into Cory and her lips gently brushed his. “You do know what’s good for you, don’t you?” Again, he just nodded. “I figured you did. Swimming really tones up the ol’ bum, doesn’t it?”

Until she said that, he hadn’t realized that his hands had moved slightly down and now rested now on the small of her back, but on the top of her butt. He quickly raised his hands higher.

“Going for my bra now?” she asked with a smile.

With his hands just above the small of her back, he stood rigid, like a deer caught in the headlights, not sure what to do.

“Relax Cory, it was just a joke. Loosen up. We’re officially dating now, even though we haven’t been out on a date yet.

She felt some of the tension go out of him after he thought that over for a few seconds. “You can touch my butt again if you want,” she teased and gave him a wink.

He smiled finally and said, “We should slow down. Maybe have a date first before I touch your butt again.”

“Have it your way prude,” she teased. “You may not get the offer again until we’re engaged.”

“If that’s the case, then I shall happily wait, madam,” he said formally.

She leaned into him again, this time her lips a little firmer on his and for a little longer. Backing away she said, “I hope you enjoyed tonight’s little preview on what’s to come. Now go inside and make sure your sister is okay.”

With his arms still around her he pulled her towards him, hugging her and said into her ear, “Thank you for what you did today.”

She replied, “Just remember you’re not going to be able to touch my butt every day.”

“Not for that, silly. For what you did for Kayla. That means a lot to me and I imagine I don’t know half of what you really did today.

“Probably not,” she said, squeezing him back. “Now get, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Cory walked into his house thinking of the day’s events and what an asshole Max was. It wasn’t his decision, but he wished would just break up with him. She deserved better.

The stars were out on this cloudless night and the moon was almost full. By Saturday it would be a full moon. Great, he thought, all the crazies will be out Saturday, and I’ll have to put up with them too.

Cory’s feet were on automatic and found their way home while his mind was occupied by his thoughts and he only realized this when the porch blocked his view of the moon.

As he entered the house, his mom called out to him. “Cory? You finally home?”

“Yeah, sorry. It’s me.”

“Well, come back to the kitchen. Dinner is ready. It’s actually been ready for a while, but Kayla insisted we wait for you.”

He walked into the kitchen, dropping his backpack at the foot of the stairs. As he entered the kitchen, his mom said, “You should thank your sister. I’d have eaten by now and you would be eating cold food.”

“Thanks, sis,” he said coming around the table and kissing his mom on the cheek before washing his hands in the sink. Joining them at the table he said, “Sorry. Guess I took the long way home looking at the night sky.”

They are dinner with the usual small talk about the day, neither of the twins bringing up the problems with Max. After dinner was over and the dishes cleared, the twins retreated upstairs to do homework and to relax.

Kayla seemed reluctant to bring up the problems with Max and Cory didn’t want to press her to talk about it. He knew she would talk when she wanted to or needed to.

The night progressed and each twin worked on their homework. Kayla finished first and picked up her stuff, pausing at the end, finally breaking the silence. “Thank you for giving me space. Right now, I just need to figure this out. I know you well enough to know how you feel, but I have to work this out for myself.

She came around the desk and gave Cory a hug. “Lily is a true friend. You better be good to her. I’m going to be. Good night. She walked out of the study and into her room.

Cory heard Kayla’s door close and decided to call it a night and go to bed as well. Packing up his school stuff he retreated to his own room and promptly went to sleep.