Miriam’s Revenge
The next morning, Aspen peered through the dirty bus window as the vehicle turned onto the school property, and saw Dylan leaning nonchalantly against the short wall that separated the parking lot from the schoolyard. He seemed to be waiting for someone, and her heart fluttered nervously. At her bus’s approach, he stood up and brushed off his jeans, then ambled toward it.
Her cheeks warmed as she remembered the dream, and she wondered how he’d react if she said, So, Dylan. Thanks for teaching me how to shoot electric bolts from my fingers last night.
Rising from the bus seat, she smoothed the hem of her gray top over her white shorts as she moved to the exit. Having bare legs made her feel nervous, but she’d taken extra care with her appearance and hoped that she looked better than she felt. The cork sandals she wore had a bit of a heel to give her some height, and she knew that they made her legs look longer. She took a big breath to steady herself, then turned and waved good-bye to Mamma Megs as she walked down the metal steps.
Dylan was waiting for her as she turned back around, looking up at her as she paused on the last step. His gaze traveled from her head down to her toes and then back up again. Smiling, he held out his hand.
Aspen didn’t know what to do, so she handed him her backpack instead of taking his hand. He looked at the bag and grinned, but grasped it and waited for her to jump down.
“Hi, did you have a good night?’ he asked as she joined him on the asphalt.
She squinted up at him. “Um, yeah, thanks. Did you sleep well?”
“I had the best dream ever,” he said, smiling broadly.
“I’m glad. Thanks for waiting for me.”
“You’re welcome. I wanted to introduce you to someone. This is my good friend, Sandy.”
He motioned to a small girl with long silver-blond hair as she stood quietly behind him. She smiled hesitantly, then bobbed her chin toward her chest.
Aspen’s heart dropped. Was this his girlfriend? They weren’t holding hands or anything, and the girl seemed almost scared of her.
“Hey, I’m Aspen,” she said, greeting her with a small wave.
The girl lifted her head and gave her a big smile. “Hey, I’m Sandy. I’m so happy to meet you.”
They stood and watched each other awkwardly, but Sandy didn’t seem interested in Dylan and it didn’t look like they were involved, so Aspen relaxed her stiff shoulders and smiled.
“We have the same hair,” she commented wryly, lifting her ponytail to show Sandy how similar the length and color was.
“Yes, we do,” Dylan’s friend agreed.
“It’s a pain brushing it, though, don’t you think?” she jabbered, trying to fill the silence.
The girl seemed to sense her nervousness and suddenly became animated. “I know. Don’t even talk about washing it.” Grabbing her hair, she fluffed strands of it upward, causing stacks of shiny bracelets to jingle on her arm. On her other wrist she wore a leather strap similar to Dylan’s, and was dressed in a white sleeveless shirt and brown capris.
Aspen nodded. “Yes, I know. Um, okay. Well, I’d better get going.”
She claimed her backpack from Dylan before he could protest, and walked toward the school building, threading her way through the throng of students standing around talking and laughing before classes started. Car horns sounded in quick toot-toot good-byes from parents dropping their kids in the parking lot, and a group of girls huddled in a nearby group squealed with laughter.
Dylan called out, “Aspen, wait.”
Stopping, she turned to face him.
He jogged to catch up with her and came to a stop just inches away. “I wanted to ask if you slept well last night,” he said, and she was convinced that his smile was tender. “Did you have good dreams too?”
Aspen’s mouth opened in surprise. He couldn’t possibly mean . . . ?
“Um, I can’t remember . . . ,” she lied.
It looked as if he wanted to say something more, but Sandy had followed behind and joined them, and chose that moment to interrupt. “It’s going to be a scorcher today. Do you think it’ll get hotter?”
Dylan continued to stare at Aspen over Sandy’s head. He inhaled deeply after a few seconds and then said, “Yes, it’s going to get a lot hotter today. I’ll see you both in class. I’ve got to get something from the office.”
Aspen stood transfixed, watching him as he strolled away. Blue jeans really suited him, and his T-shirt outlined firm muscles. He looked way too good, and she wished the previous night hadn’t been a fantasy. If only it weren’t a dream.
“So, um, which class do you have first?” Sandy asked.
Aspen dragged her eyes away from his delicious body. “I’ve got political science. Where are you going?”