Chain Reaction 3.25: A Girl Can Dream

Chloe Taylor

     Charlotte drives me crazy! She has the best guy in the whole game as her boyfriend, and she dumps him. Honestly, I don't understand that girl and how she thinks.

     I've always thought Tommy was the nicest person. He was an absolute sweetheart when we were kids. I remember on the first day of school how I would smile and try to get him to play with me, but that stopped when Charlotte just looked at him. After that, I gave up.

     No big surprise, when we aged to teens, Tommy made it known he was in love with Charlotte. I could've told him he was wasting his time. They stopped hanging out. She acted okay with it. But something happened to her friendship with Jarvis, she wouldn't get out of bed for days. When I asked her if she was in love with Jarvis, she screamed a loud 'no' at me. Yet you hide under your covers and cry for two days? I didn't really care about that Jarvis person, but I hated seeing Tommy so down. So, I told Tommy he should at least talk to her.

      Then there was the day we were working on the Julius Caesar play for class. That's when I realized it: I have a thing for Tommy. Just hanging out with him and laughing one-on-one was wonderful. I thought that maybe I could slowly work my way into the difficult terrain of dating a guy that had had a thing for my twin sister. I even asked Bella for a makeover, though I didn't tell her exactly why.

     But then Charlotte and Tommy started dating. I was devastated--even if I was happy Tommy was finally happy. I spent a year dealing with seeing the two of them together all the time.

     That's not to say I've never dated anyone. A few guys liked me, so I gave them each a try, one at a time. Aiden couldn't keep his hands to himself much more than the average person. Deion liked to stand me up, and when he would show up, he had too much of a wandering eye for my taste. For anyone's taste, I guess.

     I sigh and throw a pebble off the cliff. I like standing as close to the edge as I dare because I can look out and feel like I'm flying. I feel so free.

     Charlotte and Tommy have been broken up for six months now. During those months, Tommy and I have been becoming good friends. I worry he sees me as a replacement Charlotte, but he doesn't treat me like he treated her. I kind of wish he would. Once we got over the 'why did Charlotte dump me?' bit, we discovered we can talk about anything.

      "Now why am I not surprised to find you here?" a familiar voice asks behind me, and butterflies dance around in my stomach. I smile. I like that feeling.

      I turn around. "Don't you have homework to do?" I'd finished mine days ago. It's a big project due tomorrow. The last time I checked, Tommy hadn't finished his.

      He throws his hands out. "Finished!" His head looks up at the sky, and he makes a happy noise. "Finally." He looks back at me, smiling. "I thought I'd just come by here and see if you were here. If not, I'd sit and think."

      "Do you need me to leave so you can?" I tease.

     "Didn't you hear the first thing I said? I was hoping to find you here."
     "Oh really? Why?"
     "Could you step away from the edge first?"
     He's so protective, almost to the point of male chauvinism, but I think he's more trying to be sweet than domineering. Still, I like to tease him about it.

      "I do this all the time." I start dancing around. Then, in a silly voice, I say, "Oh, no, Tommy! I'd better be careful. What if I slip and fa-!" My foot slips!

     My hands fly out to desperately grab something, and Tommy's arms wrap around my waist before pulling me back. His shirt is a wool weave. I know because I grip it with iron claws.

      Both of us are shaking like skeletons in a snow storm. His arms wrap tighter, and he takes a few steps backwards, away from the cliff, taking me with him. "Plum, Chloe," he says quietly, trying to catch his breath.
     "I'm sorry. These are, um, bad shoes. The sole doesn't grip."
     He shakes his head. Neither one of us has let go yet. "Please stay away from the edge from now on." One hand reaches all the way around to grab my shoulder while the other goes to the other side of my waist. I can feel him breathing against me.
     I must be feeling safer because I'm now overwhelmed by how hot he is. "But I like it."
     "There are other things to do at the cliffs than just stand on the edge of a cliff." He's berating me now.
     "Like what?" Make out?
     He releases me, and I feel cold. "C'mon," he says and leads me to the bonfire setup. He saved my life.

     He lights the fire and stands back before wrapping one arm around me. I don't know if it's because I almost fell to my death or what, but I like this slight change in how he's acting. I wrap my arm back around him, hoping he pulls me closer, but he doesn't. Oh well. A girl can dream.
     "Are you okay?" he asks me, slightly turning his head in my direction. Our eyes meet, but he doesn't stay like that, turning his head back to the fire.
      "I think if I thought about that too much that I'd freak out. I don't want to freak out. Thank you for saving my life. I guess I was being an idiot."
      His thumb on my back moves up and down, and my butterflies return. "Thank me by staying away from the cliff. What if I hadn't have been here?"
      "Don't," I warn. "'What if's can make you go crazy." I pause. "So what did you want to talk about?"
      "Huh?" He thinks for a moment. "Oh yeah. It's nothing. Kind of low key after the last few minutes."
      "It's something else to talk about. Tell me."
      He sighs, finally starting to calm down. "It's silly. I just wanted to thank you for helping me. My thanks are overdue."

      "I helped you?"
      He closes his eyes and smiles. "With getting over your sister."
      "Oh." More Charlotte stuff? I think in dismay.

     "I did my project on you."
     This surprises me. "You what?" I almost laugh.
     "Well, the topic was pick someone, past or present, that has overcome something difficult and how they did it."
     "Tommy..." What on earth?
     "And you have. You grew up missing a parent. You did okay with it because you had a network of family and friends supporting you, and best of all, you let them. That takes a different sort of courage." He's so close, and I'm speechless. He swallows. "I left out your name, of course, but I know who I meant."
     I want to kiss him, but he steps a tiny bit away, dropping his arm.

     "Is that okay? I mean, I didn't mention your name."
     "I think Mr. Haynes meant someone famous from history." He's so adorable.
     He smirks. "I realize that, but I scoured the instructions, and nowhere in it does it say it has to be someone from history. Even if I don't get a top grade, I'm glad I did it." He bites his lip for a second. "You're amazing, Chloe."

     It just happens. I'm not even aware I'm doing it until I'm doing it. He's shocked. Well, duh, of course he is. Then, he relaxes like a sigh of relief.
     I suddenly jerk back and notice he'd started moving his arms to go around me.

      "Chloe, did you just-"
      "No," I say quickly, shaking my head like that'll make it true. I can't believe I did that! Sure, I'd fantasized about doing it many times. But to actually do it?
      He smiles. "Yes, you did."
      I'm still speaking fast. "I'm sorry."
      He looks like he wants to laugh. "Why?"
      "Why am I sorry or why did I do it?" I start slowly backing up. I can't believe I did that!
      "I meant why are you sorry, but now that you mention it... Yeah. Why?"
      Oh, this is a nightmare! He was just being so sweet. Use it! "You were being really sweet."
      "So you kiss every guy who's sweet to you? I've been sweet many of times, haven't I? Have I? For that matter, if I keep being sweet, will you kiss me again?"
       He's way too happy. I don't know why that bothers me, but it does. In my fantasies, I don't panic like I'm doing now. I'm so embarrassed! "I don't know. It just happened. I need to go. It's my turn to fix dinner."
      "It's three o'clock." He's trying not to laugh.
      Bit early to start on dinner. "Well, uh, I should go."
      Smiling, he grabs my hands. "Before you go..."

      "...just answer one. question: Was it an accident?" He looks at my hands, and I see insecurity plague him. He'd been all smiles before, but I guess with the way I was acting that he started doubting his reasons to be happy.
      How do I answer him? I want him to know I like him, but I want to make sure he likes me and not that I look almost exactly like my sister. We're different people. She refuses to see things that are right in front of her face, and I do. And right in front of my face is a Tommy that might like me back.
      "Yes, but only because I didn't mean to do it, um, yet. That is... I wanted to make sure that... I mean you said I was amazing."

      "Everything I was always looking for I found in you."
      Melt! He immediately understands! I can't help but smile. And blush. "Thank you," I tell him quietly.
      Something playful shows up in his eyes now, and he pulls my hands up past his shoulders as he says, "I said something sweet." He takes a step to me.
      "Tommy!" I say in a laughing way when he quickly releases my hands and wraps his arms around my waist.
      "Well, don't I get a reward?" He's about to kiss me if I don't kiss him. This is unreal. Is this real?
      "I really need to go home and wrap my head around this."
      He lets out an adorable whine, and I decide my twin is an idiot. "Meet me tomorrow at the café?"
      I nod. "Okay." Tommy kisses me anyway, but he keeps it short and sweet.
      Tommy kissed me! I think as I practically skip home.