AALIYAH WAS IN a trance, her thoughts taking over as she stared at the floor.
"Rory!"
Aaliyah blinked and turned around, seeing Dylan with his hands in his pockets, his head slightly tilted to the side as he looked down at her. She was surprised at what he called her, her facial expression giving that away.
"You haven't called me that in years," She had a half smile, still confused as her brows were slightly pinched together in surprise and confusion.
"Yeah, well, you didn't respond to anything else," He shrugged.
The nickname 'Rory' obviously has a connection to Sleeping Beauty. He started calling her it when he teased her when she fell asleep during class completely by accident, so he started saying Sleeping Beauty, which turned into Rory for just a bit before reverting back to the original nickname. Rory, although having nothing to do with her actual name, means a lot to her; and she no longer knows whether it's the meaning behind it or because it's Dylan calling her it.
"The line's going to get longer, I'll just go grab a few things," Dylan said with a short nod, talking about the line that was forming for popcorn and snacks.
She went to answer but quickly bit her tongue once she actually saw him. She'd look at him, talk, glance, but she hadn't seen him just yet. To Aaliyah, there's a difference not many could understand. Same with love and being in love, something she so strongly believed was fake and unrealistic especially in this generation, so why was she suddenly stuttering and gushing over her best friend? That was something she couldn't answer. She hated it. She never once batted an eye for anyone, sure she thought some were attractive, but this was another level.
She loathed it.
It was so very wrong, and these feelings were only the tip of the iceberg. She hadn't even begun to explore these unwanted feelings that were just fake. That's what she convinced herself they were, a trick her mind was playing for whatever reason. It wasn't real, it couldn't be. Maybe her head was messing with her from how alone she's been, not giving anything a chance, so it grasped onto the only person she would let in, and how it backfired so badly and unexpectedly.
She was perfectly fine on her own, her three friends being enough. Just enough. She had her family along, and it was her life. She was fine with her life and was handling enough of things, so another thing added, especially Dylan, was infuriating to say the least. As said, she kept things to herself, so this was no different. She would do anything to rid these, knowing her heart and mind wouldn't let anything happen. She knew herself better than anyone else could.
