The Wall Between

“So now you’re best friends with him?” Colin asked, a single brow raised. They were walking down the street, Colin’s hand firm on Dixie’s leash as Clarke tried to fit the rest of her sandwich into her mouth. Colin and Clarke had taken Dixie for a walk and Clarke decided she wanted a BLT in the middle of it. “Despite the fact that even just last night he was fucking some girl so wildly against the wall again?”

Clarke made a face. Tyler was up to his antics once again. He had a few days off and he had gone out. Clarke had seen him dressed to the nines when she came home one night from Piper’s. He had given her a swift kiss on top of the head as a greeting and quickly asked if she was studying for anything. When she had said no, she found out why.

Despite the fact that she could hear him all the way in her living room. She had been watching hockey, surprisingly. She had stayed up the past few nights watching the game and learning. More often than not she found herself looking things up on Wikipedia to understand, but she enjoyed it.

“We’re not best friends. But we hangout more often. Mostly he helps me learn hockey or we grab lunch together if he doesn’t want to go alone.”

“Has he interrupted studying at all?”

Clarke made a face. “Twice.”

“He obviously doesn’t care that- “

“I texted him and he stopped immediately though.”

“So what, he’s reading texts while fucking?”

Clarke shrugged, laughing as they walked into her building. She waved to the doorman as they headed for the elevator. “I don’t know, but the point is that he listens now.” Clarke shrugged one shoulder. “It’s better than whatever was going on before. The girl’s name is Sheena, by the way. She’s sweet.”

Collin was shaking his head all the way to Clarke’s door. Inside of her apartment, they put on the football game, sitting on the couch and talking about their cousin’s wedding. Catherine Beaumont was having a massive wedding at the Beaumont Ranch to her fiancé Aidan Daughtry. They were a beautiful couple, and Clarke’s grandmother was having a field day with it.

The thought of going to the wedding both excited Clarke and made her miserable. She wanted to spend an amazing evening with her family under the stars out at the ranch, but she was also dreading showing up dateless. She wouldn’t technically be dateless- she was taking Piper with her because Piper was a prized friend in the eyes of the Beaumont.

Constance would surely hate that Piper was not a boy, though. Especially not one that Clarke dated.

It was worse that Collin delivered the news that he had an actual date that he was taking with him to the wedding. Clarke stared at him over the top of her beer, mouth open. “Who?” she asked severely. “You haven’t mentioned dating anyone, Collin Andrew.”

He grinned. “It’s a new thing. Her name is Vienna.”

Clarke scowled. “I demand to meet her.”

“We’re going to lunch on Saturday.”

“I’m supposed to go to Tyler’s game.” Collin made a face, causing Clarke to flush. The heat crept up her neck as her brother let out a long hum, looking at her and poking her in the side. She smacked his hand away before saying, “Fine, how about you guys come to a game with me. I’m sure he can manage that.”

Before Collin answered, there was a knock on the door. Dixie began barking at the door, bouncing up and down as Clarke got up and looked at Collin with a shrug. She hadn’t planned on anyone coming over, so she could only assume that it was Tyler. When she opened the door, she was surprised. It was Sheena.

“Hi,” Clarke said loudly, blinking at the redhead who grinned. “How are you?”

“Tyler is stuck in traffic and won’t be home for another thirty minutes. Anyway you’d like to entertain a loser?” Sheena glanced over Clarke’s shoulder and made a surprised face. “Oh my gosh, you’re already entertaining a guest- so sorry!”

“Don’t be silly.” Clarke stepped aside and opened the door wider. Dixie was sitting next to Clarke’s leg, wagging her tail and looking up at Sheena. “It’s just my brother, come in!”

Tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear, Sheena walked into Clarke’s apartment. She looked around as they walked towards the couch, where Collin stood and put on his best smile. Clarke glared at him over Sheena’s shoulder, knowing that smooth smile from anywhere. Collin thought that Sheena was pretty.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Sheena said, offering Collin her hand. He shook it, looking her up and down. Clarke gave him a deadpan look. “I got stuck without a way in next door. I’m Sheena.”

“I can’t blame you for not wanting to stand out in the hall. I’m Collin, pleasure to meet you. How do you know my sister?”

Sheena walked around and sat in the arm chair next to the couch as Collin took his place on the couch again. Clarke sat next to Collin, folding her legs on the couch as Sheena laughed lightly. She was in a loose t-shirt and jeans, still beautiful. “Met through Tyler. We talked about going to school and all that fun stuff. Are one of you a Steelers or Packers fan?”

Clarke grinned as Sheena turned her attention to the game on the TV. Instantly the three of them became immersed in the game, talking about football. Like Collin, Sheena was a Dallas Cowboys fan. Originally from Lexington, she had gone to University of Texas Dallas and now she was working as a junior journalist for the Dallas Morning News. Clarke thought she and Piper would be good friends.

Forty-five minutes passed before Tyler knocked on the door. Sheena barely looked over the couch as Clarke hoped over the top to the door. Dixie was busy looking at the Cheetos that Collin had in his hand. When Clarke opened, instead of coming inside, Tyler grabbed her and yanked her out of the apartment before shutting the door.

“Um, hi to you too?”

“How do I get rid of her?”

Clarke blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Sheena, I think that she thinks it’s getting serious and I don’t really want that to happen,” he ran a hair through his hair and gave Clarke a look she couldn’t understand. “I really don’t want anything serious and- “

“So tell her that.” Clarke crossed her arms over her chest. She did not feel sympathy for him. In fact, she thought that it was ridiculous that he had just snatched her out of her apartment to freak out over a girl sitting inside of her apartment. “Has she ever asked anything of you?”

“No...”

“Has she ever asked you to meet your friends? Asked what is going on between you?” He shook his head. Clarke raised a brow. “Then why do you think she thinks it’s more than that? If she hasn’t given you a reason to think she thinks anything of it, don’t assume.”

“I feel like I’m being scolded.”

“You are. Now get in there and be normal or so help me I’m going to rip that hat off of your head and shove it up your ass.” He grinned. “We’re all watching football and drinking beer.”

Walking in together, Tyler knelt down as Dixie came lopping over. He ruffled her ears and kissed the top of her head while Clarke walked into the kitchen and grabbed a Budlight out of the fridge, popping the top. She handed him the beer as he walked in and motioned to the fridge.

“There’s gourmet cheddar in the fridge and bread in the pantry for your damned grilled cheeses.” Tyler laughed, furrowing his brow. “I got tired of you complaining about my cheese, Forty-nine.”

Despite his momentary lapse of judgment, Tyler was back to normal. That was twice now that he had panicked when he was with Clarke about Sheena. His dedication to lack of commitment was startling but also understandable. Clarke just wished that it wasn’t regarding a girl who was incredibly sweet and who didn’t seem to be asking much of Tyler anyways.

Collin, though he had complained about Tyler previously, was nice enough. He challenged Tyler about his love for the Patriots, but it was always good natured. Clarke was situated between Collin and Tyler while talking to Sheena about work. Piper complained about people and networks all the time, so she had an idea of what Sheena was talking about.

Nothing felt weird. The football game ended as another was getting ready to start. The four of them were all sitting comfortably, going back and forth from the kitchen with snacks. At some point in the first quarter of the Bengals game, Tyler came back to the couch with a grilled cheese for himself and Clarke.

It was the first time since all of them hanging out that Sheena was looking intensely at the two of them. Clarke’s neck felt warm as she took the grilled cheese from him, nibbling the corner of it. Tyler didn’t give either of them a second glance, pulling his leg on the couch and resting his knee on Clarke’s thigh.

Sheena looked away and started asking Collin about football, but Clarke had a sinking feeling. She knew that look that Sheena had on her face. Clarke had had that expression a million times before. It was jealousy.

At half time, Tyler sighed and clapped his hand on Clarke’s leg. She looked up in surprise as he stood, stretching high. His shirt came up slightly, his hip visible to Clarke. It was solid like the rest of his body, toned if a hip could possibly be toned. He dropped his arms and looked over to Sheena, who was looking at him blankly.

“I’ve gotta head back to the apartment and walk Marshall and all that. Are you coming or staying?”

“I’ll join you, I suppose.” She stood up, grabbing empty bottles from the table. “I did originally come here for you until I totally bombarded these two with my presence!”

“Oh please, it wasn’t an inconvenience,” Collin grinned “It was awesome to meet you both. You guys have to come drag Clarke out of her apartment more often.”

Laughing, Tyler shook hands with Collin while Sheena kissed her on the cheek. “I know I definitely will. Tyler is in his apartment just about as much as she’s here!” Sheena looked at Tyler, something subtle there. Clarke was silent. “Maybe I need to figure out how to drag them both out.”

When Tyler and Sheena were gone, Collin looked at Clarke. “You’re in dangerous water, little sister.”