These Butterflies
Dirt.
It’s almost nine o’clock when I hear the furious knocking on our front door.
I’m pretty sure I already know who’s there, so I go to answer it. John runs inside immediately. “No John, you don’t have to stay outside. Come in. Please.”
He ignores me. “Where’s Alex? I cannot figure out this English assignment and it’s due tomorrow! If I don’t do good these next few weeks, I’m going to fail this class again! I’m going to be a senior in a class full of freshman! I. Can’t. Fail. Again!”
I stare for a while to make sure he’s done rambling. When I’m sure he is, I say, “He’s upstairs.”
As he rushes to Alex’s bedroom, I turn around to see Stephen half-grinning and leaning against the doorway. He stands straight and then comes inside, closing the door behind him. “My brother can be so chill sometimes,” he says sarcastically.
“Poetry assignment again?” He nods. John has an extremely difficult time with figurative language and whatnot, so he always comes to Alex for help. He’s the best poet any of us know. “So what are you doing here?” I ask.
“Do I need a reason? I came to see you… unless you’re busy or something. I can leave if you want.”
“That’s not what I meant. You usually aren’t here at this time on a school night unless you’re sleeping over.” Alex and I have a lot of mutual friends. The Gomez twins are some of them and since they live across the street, we spend a lot of time at each other’s houses.
“I got lonely,” he jokes. “So… how’s Connor doing?”
I furrow my eye brows. “What?”
“I heard you guys are getting along.”
“Where’d you hear that?”
“Alex doesn’t know, does he? He would be pissed.”
“Stop! What are you talking about? Nothing’s going on. Did Connor say something?”
He pouts. “No. I was hoping you’d tell me the dirt.”
I cross my arms. “There’s no dirt to be told.”
He rubs his chin. “Well I was hanging out with him earlier today. He seems really into you.”
“So?”
“So… he slipped. He says he’s dying to talk to you again. When was the first time?”
“I don’t know. Just let it go.”
“Hey, you’re lucky I’m not telling Alex about this.”
“What, are you blackmailing me?”
“Whaaaaat? Me? No.” I scowl at him which causes him to continue. “I just want to know if something’s going on. You’re one of my best friends. And if I were to blackmail anyone, it’d be Alex.” He holds his hand up to the side of his face so that only I can see his moving lips if someone were to come downstairs. “I like you better than him,” he whispers.
I shake my head, still not able to process what he’s telling me. “Nothing’s going on with Connor and me.”
He examines me for a few moments. “Alright I believe you… but can you do me a favor?” I nod without knowing what is it he’s going to ask for. “Keep it that way. He’s no good, not for you.”
“Why not?” I ask out of pure interest.
He sighs, like he was trying to keep off this subject. “He uses girls. None of us want him to do that to you.”
“You think he’s trying to do the same with me? I’m not stupid.”
“Milan, that’s not what I meant at all. I’ve seen him do this before so many times. He tricks girls into thinking they’re not like the rest to get what he wants.”
“You don’t get it. This is different,” he said earlier today.
I bite my lip. “I'll stay away from him, I promise.... He won’t get to me.”
I’m pretty sure I already know who’s there, so I go to answer it. John runs inside immediately. “No John, you don’t have to stay outside. Come in. Please.”
He ignores me. “Where’s Alex? I cannot figure out this English assignment and it’s due tomorrow! If I don’t do good these next few weeks, I’m going to fail this class again! I’m going to be a senior in a class full of freshman! I. Can’t. Fail. Again!”
I stare for a while to make sure he’s done rambling. When I’m sure he is, I say, “He’s upstairs.”
As he rushes to Alex’s bedroom, I turn around to see Stephen half-grinning and leaning against the doorway. He stands straight and then comes inside, closing the door behind him. “My brother can be so chill sometimes,” he says sarcastically.
“Poetry assignment again?” He nods. John has an extremely difficult time with figurative language and whatnot, so he always comes to Alex for help. He’s the best poet any of us know. “So what are you doing here?” I ask.
“Do I need a reason? I came to see you… unless you’re busy or something. I can leave if you want.”
“That’s not what I meant. You usually aren’t here at this time on a school night unless you’re sleeping over.” Alex and I have a lot of mutual friends. The Gomez twins are some of them and since they live across the street, we spend a lot of time at each other’s houses.
“I got lonely,” he jokes. “So… how’s Connor doing?”
I furrow my eye brows. “What?”
“I heard you guys are getting along.”
“Where’d you hear that?”
“Alex doesn’t know, does he? He would be pissed.”
“Stop! What are you talking about? Nothing’s going on. Did Connor say something?”
He pouts. “No. I was hoping you’d tell me the dirt.”
I cross my arms. “There’s no dirt to be told.”
He rubs his chin. “Well I was hanging out with him earlier today. He seems really into you.”
“So?”
“So… he slipped. He says he’s dying to talk to you again. When was the first time?”
“I don’t know. Just let it go.”
“Hey, you’re lucky I’m not telling Alex about this.”
“What, are you blackmailing me?”
“Whaaaaat? Me? No.” I scowl at him which causes him to continue. “I just want to know if something’s going on. You’re one of my best friends. And if I were to blackmail anyone, it’d be Alex.” He holds his hand up to the side of his face so that only I can see his moving lips if someone were to come downstairs. “I like you better than him,” he whispers.
I shake my head, still not able to process what he’s telling me. “Nothing’s going on with Connor and me.”
He examines me for a few moments. “Alright I believe you… but can you do me a favor?” I nod without knowing what is it he’s going to ask for. “Keep it that way. He’s no good, not for you.”
“Why not?” I ask out of pure interest.
He sighs, like he was trying to keep off this subject. “He uses girls. None of us want him to do that to you.”
“You think he’s trying to do the same with me? I’m not stupid.”
“Milan, that’s not what I meant at all. I’ve seen him do this before so many times. He tricks girls into thinking they’re not like the rest to get what he wants.”
“You don’t get it. This is different,” he said earlier today.
I bite my lip. “I'll stay away from him, I promise.... He won’t get to me.”
♠ ♠ ♠
So if you know The Summer Set (one of the greatest bands EVERR) you know about the Gomez brothers:D (I know now that they aren't twins in real life but I thought they were. My bad, haha) I read all the chapters the other day and realized that it sounds like Alex and Milan have no friends but each other and that's not what I was going for, hahah. So I'm trying to give them more friends :pThis was just a filler. I have like, two or three filler-ish chapters but they're already pretty much written so hopefully they'll all be up by a week or two! :)
This chapter was mostly talking. Dialogue is probably what I'm weakest at. Was is alright?