None Other Than You Page 3

"Fine." Emma and I reply in unison. She looks back at me and gives me a well-this-is-weird look. I shrug my shoulders, thinking the same thing. Ryan never asks about our days. "How about yours?" Emma asks, twirling a bit of her long blonde hair on her index finger. That's not a dead give a way to flirting. I roll my eyes and stare out the window at the passing street signs, people, and houses.

  "Good. I think I kind of bombed a chem test but I think my grade will even out." Ryan glances at Emma and just as suddenly refocuses on the road.

  "Wasn't that test a review of the basics?" I snicker.

  "Shut up Duke." Ryan glares at me through the rear view mirror as I stifle my laugh. "Emma, are you helping out with the Winter's dance decorations again?"

  I see Emma's face light up from here at Ryan's question. "Yeah, I'm trying to rope Duke into it too but I know she won't help me." Emma turns around to glare at me.

  "You got that right."

  "I can't help it if I start dance again next week and I work every other day." Folding my arms, I slouch, annoyed, in my seat.

  "But maybe you can help out sometime? After basketball practice maybe?" Emma asks Ryan hopefully.

  "Maybe... I think I should be able to…" Ryan trails off. Is that a blush I see on my older brother's face! Oh my god. The world is coming to an end. "You'll have to tell me what the theme is before anyone else though or I won't do anything."

  * * *

  "I'm craving hot chocolate. Is anyone else craving hot chocolate?"

  "Shh." Emma says, giving Ryan's shoulder a playful push and placing a finger to her lips. We've been watching movies for the past five hours. I'm sitting in the chair closest to our front door while Emma and Ryan share the couch. Both of them have been inching closer throughout the entire movie. Cute I know…

  But I can't help but feel a little unwelcome.

  Mom's still at work and will be for a while, and Sarah, Brent and the triplets are out looking for an apartment for them to move into. Neither of them probably want me to leave because it'll leave them alone in the house, but hey… I don't want to be an intrusion on something that was supposed to happen years ago.

  And my butt is sore.

  "How about I run to the store real quick and get some Ryan?" I say jumping up and bolting to the door. "I'll be back soon then." Before either of them can get in a word I'm out in the front yard and walking across the lawn.

  I stare out at the yard, the large oak tree in front bare and naked, it's leaves scattered across the ground. Glancing up at the sky I notice three small puffs of cloud drifting slowly by. The front garden needs to be weeded of the dead spring flowers, and I left my keys inside. Meaning I'm locked out. And I don't want to intrude on anything either…

  So my plan only consisted of leaving them alone, not leaving the house! I walk over to my curb and sit down burying my head in my hands. Now what?

  "Well you look chipper." I look up to see none other than Darren Teigan hovering over me with a basketball twirling in his hand. His brown hair's damp around the edges from sweat, and his shirt is a little worse for wear, though it doesn't leave much to the imagination about the muscles on his torso…

  "Chipper? Where the hell did that come from?" Shrugging, he sits down next to me. My eyebrows draw together in confusion at his decision to speak to me with a civil tongue.

  "My mom says it all the time." He says, leaning back on his arms like earlier. "So really, why're you sitting out here? Fight with your parents? Sibling?"

  "None of the above." I say, fiddling with the strings on my hoodie. Sensing the goosebumps crawling up my leg I realize it's colder out than I expected. "My brother and my friend Emma are the only ones inside now."

  "Tall blonde with light blue eyes?" I nod, unconsciously hugging my hoodie closer.

  "How'd you know?"

  "I've seen her walking with you."

  "Are you stalking me now?" I ask him jokingly.

  Laughing, he leans forward to say, "No, but we do go to a small school, and you're in an alarmingly large number of my classes."

  "I noticed that." I say, rubbing my arms.

  "Cold?" He asks.

  Automatically my arms stop their movement. I've seen the movies. When you're cold and a nice guy is around who likes you he'll either give you his coat or wrap his arms around you.

  Wait. Who am I kidding? One: Darren Teigan isn't nice, and two: he doesn't like me.

  "Not really." I say, looking out across the street. After a moment I blurt out, "You moved into a nice house." I'd been in the house before when the Petersen's lived there. I babysat their daughter a lot so I knew the layout pretty well.

  "Yeah. It's nicer than the one we were in over in West Lake."

  "Big move." I say jokingly.

  West Lake is only five blocks away.

  His laugh is deep and short. "Yeah."

  Glancing over at him, I notice he's wearing West Lake basketball shorts; black with a red stripe down the side, and the school's lion logo in the corner. His shirt is a simple T, gray with GUINNESS scrawled in green cursive on the front.

  "Aren't you cold?" I ask, appalled that he's not as chilled as I am. His legs and arms are both bare while I'm in my favorite hoodie and my comfiest and warmest pair of jeans and I've still got chills.

  He smirks and nonchalantly says, "Nope."

  Falling into silence, the two of us sit, staring as the last few leaves fall from the trees around us.

  I can't believe I'm stuck out here with a guy who's trying to kill me with a volleyball two to three times a week while my best friend and my brother are hooking up inside my house. Also how I decided the other day that I loathed Teigan, and yet here I am, sitting with him like I've known him for ages. I wonder why he's sitting with me, of all people. I'm not the Knight everyone likes; that would be Ryan. He's one of the stars of the Basketball team, friends with all the popular kids at school, and I know about half the girls in my class have the biggest crush on him. I don't blame them however. I won't deny that my brother is good looking. He's got shaggy, dark brown hair that curls up at the ends, and he's always wearing preppy clothes from Hollister, Aeropostale, Buckle, etc.. Depending on the color of his clothes, his dark blue eyes change to a dark, teal green.

  And he and I look nothing alike.

  Emma calls my dark brown hair 'cinnamon' because of its lighter streaks of brown and blonde that fall to my mid back. My eyes are a dark, olive green and I'm known for wearing sweaters from some of the same stores as Ryan, but you'll never catch me in a short skirt or even short shorts any other time than when I'm sleeping. Staring at my hands I think about how, in all the movies this would be one of those stories where, because of my chivalrous deeds and attempts to get two people who are meant to be together, (cough, Emma and Ryan, cough) I would get the gorgeous new guy at school.

  Glancing to the boy on my left I laugh out loud at the thought.

  I don't live in a fairy tale. If I did then he would be asking me out right now, or telling me his deepest darkest secret or… something.

  "Do you wanna go and grab some coffee with me?" Without meaning to, my eyes widen and my jaw drops open a little bit. I think Teigan takes it as a horrified expression because a second later he says, "If you don't want to that's okay, but I was just asking." Standing up he shoves his hands into his pockets and turns toward his house.

  "Wait." I say pushing myself up from the curb. "I told them I was going to get some hot chocolate so…"

  He turns around and smirks arrogantly and says, "I'll go change." Jogging towards his house he leaves me standing awkwardly at the curb. Turning around he laughs. "I'm not going to make you stand outside. C'mon." He waves his hand to follow him so I shrug and walk over to his house. Inside, I glance around, noticing how much nicer everything is from the Petersen's furniture. The living room then had been decorated with an ugly round, puke green rug and puke green couches with a twelve inch T.V. in the corner.

  Now there was a square dark brown and light brown stripe
d rug in the middle of the room with a tan, microfiber couch and two chairs of the same fabric with a very, very large flat screen in the corner.

  "I'll be right back." Teigan says before jogging down the stairs, leaving me alone in his house.

  I glance around the room again, noticing a picture of Teigan himself, obviously quite a few years old. His smile is wide and teeth are crooked in places. His black hair is slicked back and gelled, completely opposite to his modern shaggy hair-do. The best part is the forest green sweater vest and blue and green tie underneath. A blush of freckles is splattered across his nose and half of his smile is wider than the rest.

  Aw. He couldn't have been more than six in this picture…

  "Oh God, don't look at that." Teigan comes up behind me and pushes the picture face down on the table. I turn around and look up to see his face about a hands width away from mine. I hadn't realized he was so much taller than me, but my eye level reaches about to his chin even though now, I stare straight up into his crystalline blue eyes.

  "Sorry." I mutter, backing up to the door in an attempt to put some space in between us. The intensity of his stare made my heart pick up pace and backing away automatically made it slow down. I glance towards him and notice a strange expression on his face.

  He pushes the door open for me a second later saying, "It's an old picture, I don't know why my mom keeps it."

  "It's very… attractive." I say after my heart rate returns to normal, attempting not to laugh.

  It doesn't work.

  He kicks the air around my shin. "Shut up or I won't take you anymore." I bite my lip and let him lock his door. Walking out into the front yard I notice there isn't a car so I assume we're walking. Teigan jogs to catch up to me and quickly matches my pace. He shoves his hands into his jacket, which I notice is definitely genuine leather. It's black with dark blue lining and I can smell it from here. I notice he changed into dark, faded jeans with a rip in one of the knees, and his shirt is a simple white T. I have to admit he looks pretty… good.

  I shake my head and watch my feet as we walk along the sidewalk, ridding my any thoughts of Teigan in any way more than my enemy. A voice in my head asks pointedly 'So then why are you getting coffee with him?'

  I tell the voice to shove it.

  As we walk, the only sound is the crunch underneath our feet of leaves on the sidewalk, and the whistle of the wind as it rushes through the bare branches of the trees.

  "So…"

  "Ryan Knight is your brother right?" Teigan asks.

  I look over at him and raise my eyebrow in question. "Yeah." I say slowly.

  He raises his own eyebrow saying, "You two look nothing alike."

  "Thanks, I guess."

  "Are you two fraternal twins then?

  "No." What is he getting at?

  "Then how are the two of you in the same grade?" I look at him, pure curiosity showing on his face, and I smirk. "What?"

  "How about you find out yourself. Just the way you found out my name." I walk a little faster to get ahead of him, the annoyance from earlier fighting it's way to the front of my mind.

  "What? Delaney isn't a bad name."

  "It's not my name that's bugging me, it's the fact that you found out and I have no idea how."

  "So not knowing things bugs you?" He asks. Obviously he's found that cocky arrogance again and it's falling off his every syllable.

  "Yeah, it bugs me. Alright?" I say as we turn the corner.

  Our neighborhood is right around the corner from a nice strip of coffee shops, restaurants and shops, all privately owned. The café I work at is right down this road to the left. Oakridge Lane. I've worked at Pete's Diner since I was a freshman. Pete Jerome, the owner, is a good friend of my mother's and gave me a job working at the diner even though you're supposed to be eighteen to serve. Pete told me as long as I didn't pass out any beer or tell anyone else then I could keep the job as long as I needed it. Well I've worked that same job for the past three years of my High School career and I plan on keeping it up for my last one. I use the money to pay for my dance classes, and whatever's left over I'm saving for college.

  That's my big thing this year, is making sure that, with the money I've saved from birthdays, Christmas, Easter, and my job, that I'll have enough to go to this small, private, liberal arts college that I've been looking at going to since I was eight years old.

  Glancing at the bulletin board outside Pete's I see a sign advertising the college. I smile as I think of how much Pete supports my decision to go to college as he didn't, and how much extra I know he's paying me so that I can achieve my dream.

  Once again Teigan holds the door open for me, sweeping his hand in front of his torso saying, "After you, Ace."

  Rolling my eyes I walk through the door and step into the bustling shop. Seeing how many people there are and only one man behind the counter I begin to wonder if I should offer to help Pete. Then again, I remember the last time I tried that, and he told me I work specific days for a reason.

  I decide against offering my services.

  Teigan and I walk to the end of the line and lean against the wall as we wait. After a moment he says, "So I bet you hated it this morning when I told you the answer."

  I give him a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

  "Because I knew something you didn't. I knew the answer and how to get it, while you were struggling to figure it out."

  "I was not struggling." I mutter, folding my arms and staring at the floor.

  I hear his deep laugh before he mutters, "Sure." I glare at him and move up with the line, we're next and after I buy some hot chocolate and a coffee I'm out of here and away from Teigan as soon as possible. In an attempt to ignore the boy next to me I listen to the woman's order in front of me.

  I may not be out of here as soon as I think.

  Leaning my head back against the wall I close my eyes and try to clear my head. Usually thinking about something like my first bike ride or my first book made everything around me seem much more calm and relaxing. I focus on the thought of my favorite children's story; a book about a fairy dinosaur trying to grant the wish of the dinosaur's on earth and his quest to save their babies.

  It's as I'm thinking about this book that I hear Teigan's full name squealed in two, high-pitched, valley-girl voices that I open my eyes and the moment of superficial peace is shattered.

  "Darren baby!" One of the girls squeals. She buts about six people in line behind us and practically tackles the boy next to me. Looking at his face, I see he's just about as startled as I am to see these two girls, and has no idea what to do. He mouths 'Help Me' in my direction but I pretend to not see him.

  "Darren do I get a hug?" The other girl says, pulling her bottom lip into a pout. I fight the urge to snicker as it just makes her face look disproportionate. Both girls are obviously bleached blondes, the first girls' brown roots showing about half an inch. With their faces so caked in make up I'm surprised there isn't a huge skin colored circle on Teigan's white shirt after hugging them.

  "Darren school isn't the same without you." Blonde number one says, drawing circles on Teigan's chest as she loops her arm through his.

  Blonde number two mimics her actions on the other side, saying, "We both got transferred to Jeremy High and there aren't any guys near as hot as you there…" I cringe as she practically purrs while she speaks. Looking down at Blonde number two's skirt I have to say that I think there could be a little bit more fabric covering a little more skin, especially at this time of year.

  "Next." Pete calls. Hearing his familiar voice I smile and move up to the front of the line.

  Smiling, I say, "Hey, can I get two hot chocolates and a caramel frappuccino?" I glance back at the two girls, still fawning over Teigan, whose arms are draped around their shoulders.

  "Sure thing, Duke." Pete sets about making my order while I search around my pockets for money when I realize: When I left my keys at the house, that means I left my wallet too.


  "Crap." I mutter, searching my pockets frantically for any change whatsoever. Maybe I can have him charge it to my paycheck? But that would hold up the line if I had to ask him to do that. I turn around to look at Teigan again and find him smirking wider than ever before.

  "Don't have any money Duke?" He asks smugly.

  Glaring, I place my hands on my hips. "What do you want Teigan?" He jerks his head towards each of the girls in turn, neither of which have noticed me in the least, and mouths once again 'Help Me.'

  Rolling my eyes I turn around again, seeing his eyes widen.

  Patience, Teigan. Patience.

  Turning around and putting on a shocked face I shout, "Darren? Is that you?" I tweak my voice to sound a little higher pitched and valley girlish like his two cling-ons, surprising both Teigan and myself. "Oh baby!" I squeal, walking closer to him, and pretending to suddenly notice his attachments. "Who're they?"

  Teigan smirks for a moment before resorting back to a sort of poker face. "This is Nicole and Shelly. Nicole, Shelly, this is Duke Knight, my… girlfriend." He chokes out the last word and my eyes shoot open for a moment before I catch myself. Get rid of the girls, then beat the crap out of him. Worming his way out of their grasp, he walks up to me and wraps his arm around my waist. Again those stupid chills race their way down my spine and leave my limbs feeling almost numb for a moment before returning to normal.

  "Duke? What kind of a name is that?" Blonde number one, Nicole, asks, putting a hand on her hip. Obviously she's not a very nice sort of character.

  "It's a nickname."

  Teigan turns around halfway, his arm still draped around my waste, and addresses Pete. "Can you add another caramel frap onto that order?" He asks while taking out his wallet from his pocket with his free hand.

  "I'll pay you back." I whisper to him as he leans closer to my head.

  "Don't bother, you're saving my ass here you have no idea." He hands the money to Pete and turns back to the Blonde Twins. "If you wouldn't mind I'd like to have some time with my girlfriend here." He says, stressing the word for them.

  They sigh in unison and slouch a bit. "Bye then Darrey-poo." Nicole pouts.