The Past is Only the Future with the Lights On

He came closer to me, then sunk to the ground directly in front of me.

"Dahlia said you wanted to talk to me in fourth period. . .but you didn't come to class for that or third," he told me with a light laugh at the end.

"Well I don't want to talk to you anymore," I said, childishly crossing my arms and looking away.

What did he expect me to say anyways? 'Oh, sorry you just ignored me and then went off with that little hoe? Maybe next time I'll try to remember not to piss you off'?

"Look, Kelly," he started, my attention instantly returning to him. "I'm sorry about earlier. I just. . .I heard you say something and. . .and, well, it caught me off guard. And then it kindof pissed me off that you lied to me and said it was Dahlia who needed to talk to you. I mean, we're best friends, too. I want - no, I need you to know that, no matter what, you can talk to me. . .Even in this case," he said, surprising me with this well thought out explanation.

Too bad this meant nothing, though. Of course, it did mean a lot that he wanted to be the one I came to talk to, but, in the end, it meant nothing because I could never tell him how I felt. Like Dahlia, I'd freak out at the last second and tell him a complete lie.

"Wait. . .What did you hear?" I asked suspiciously, worried that he'd heard something wrong. Well of course he did! I never should have told Dahlia anything this morning.

". . .That you like Skyler," he said, his voice almost sounding. . .pained?, now being the one to look away.

Great, he did hear my little "confession."

I didn't say anything - I wasn't sure how to respond to something like that.

"But you do know you can come to me for whatever, right?" he asked, this time seeming stronger.

I nodded, feeling stupid for ditching these last two periods so I could get away from Frank. "And you can always come to me," I told him, the smile forming on his lips putting a small one on my face.

"I'm glad you said that. . .You know that new girl from homeroom?" he asked, his smile growing more excited.

"Veronica?" I said, deliberately getting her name wrong.

"No, her name's Victoria," he said, not even sounding upset that I'd gotten it wrong. "Well, we've been talkin'. . .and. . .I think I like her."

Whatever traces of a smile I still had from his previous comment immediately washed away at this. He'd known this girl for a day, and he already liked her.

Frank took notice to my quiet self and that I'd now started to nervously play with the scattered petals around my legs.

"Are you cool with that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me. Great, I'm making him suspicious!

"Cool? Of course. What do I care who you date? It's your life, Frank," I said, that last bit coming out more harsh than intended.

He nodded as I continued playing in the petals, mentally beating myself up as well, and he racked his brain for something to say. Please be a subject change!

"So, what's all this?" he asked, pointing to the petals.

Yay!

"What, you've never done the whole 'he loves me, he loves me not' thing?" I asked with a smile, aware that I'd said he.
"I prefer 'she loves me,' thank you," he said, lightly flicking my ankle. "And what were your results for Skyler?" he asked, immediately assuming it was him. Then again, he did think I liked him.

"He loves me," I lied in a monotone voice.

"Of course, who doesn't? He'd be crazy not to," he joked with a light laugh, though that weird pained sound had returned.

Just as he said that, the bell rang and kids instantly swarmed out of their classrooms behind us. He quickly stood up and brushed off his pants before extending his hand out for me to take. He helped me up and I then proceeded to brush my wet ass off as well.

"Uh, Frank. . .?" I said, embarrassed. He looked at me with a toothy grin. "This may sound a little weird, but. . .is my ass noticeably wet?" I asked, turning to show him.

"Nope," he laughed. "Lovely, as always," he said, causing my cheeks to flush. "Hey, I promised Victoria I'd walk her home today, so how 'bout you and I hang out tonight, okay? I'll come over around seven and we can watch a movie," he suggested, walking towards me and enveloping me in a tight, warm hug.

"Sounds good," I said with a beaming smile as Frank pulled away to leave a wet, sloppy kiss on my cheek, looking forward to our plans way too much than any girl should. "Eew! Frank!" I said, helplessly laughing at the boy as he smiled at me and blew me a kiss as he walked in the direction of the buildings of our school.

At seven o'clock tonight, I would tell him the truth.

That it was him I liked, not Skyler.

That it would kill me to see him with someone else.