Setting the Record Straight

Chapter Six

A/N: Heh, long chapters for the win! :')

This chapter is dedicated to starlight_ who created that awesome banner of Chris on the side! :)

Chapter Six

“So let’s say what if hypothetically you liked someone, and you don’t know if they like you, but you’re really hoping that he or she does, and you’re also willing to gain their feelings, what would you do?” Sarah said one morning. We were in the kitchen; she was sitting on one of the countertops whilst I was trying to find some cereal.

Chloe had already left with mom by the time I woke up. They were off to get our books and arrange some school matters. I had only been up for precisely about an hour when Sarah came. She seemed to be in a good mood, which was quite nice.

“Aren’t you supposed to still be in a relationship?” I noted, glancing at her from the corner of my eye as I finally found a box of Koko Crunch. I set the box down and opened the fridge to get some milk. Sarah heaved an overly loud sigh.

“Of course I am,” she said, “this isn’t about me. It’s my cousin, she’s the one in the situation, and she called me last night for advice. She really likes this guy and – ugh, never mind. What would you do?” I shrugged as I grabbed two bowls and two spoons from one of the cabinets. I handed one to Sarah.

“I don’t know,” I said. I honestly didn’t. “Get close to them, maybe. I don’t know. Everything starts with friendship, right? Maybe try and be their close friend or something.” Sarah laughed out loud at my statement as if it were the funniest thing she ever heard in her whole life.

“The best friend dynamic, god, that’s corny!” She continued with her laughs even as she poured herself some cereal. I handed her the carton of milk afterwards and she looked at me, “I’m sorry, Chris. But honestly, it’s a corny dynamic!”

“Right, and what would your dynamic be?” I asked, as I sat onto the counter right across her. I poured a bit more milk on my cereal, and set the carton away. I watched as Sarah, still smiling, stirred her spoon in small circles around her bowl.

“My dynamic? You mean my ideal and awesome love story?”

I nodded simply, and Sarah sighed. She took a spoonful of cereal and cocked her head to her side, as if trying to ponder my question and thinking of the most absolute and perfect answer to it. “Well, the guy would be a ninja trying to save the planet, but he doesn’t know how to start, but that doesn’t matter because he’s badass and then one day whilst trying to break in into some bad dude’s bank vault, he accidentally falls off from the ceiling and onto me and we meet and we become awesome ninjas together.”

I stared at her for a long moment, trying to take in her story. But she wasn’t looking at me. After telling her story, she paused for a moment and started eating her cereal. You see, that’s the thing with Sarah. When she was silent, she was silent. When she was loud, she was loud.

There was no ‘in between’ with her, but you had to know how to read between the lines. Or maybe it was just me. Either way, it was complicated. I always felt like there was something about her that you needed to find and see in order to unlock the unusual enigma that was her.

“No offense, but the ninja part of that dynamic, the ninja’s backstory, sort of sucks,” I told her.

“At least it isn’t corny,” was all she said, aiming a look at me.

“Now, that is something you cannot do to me while sitting on my countertop, eating my cereal, in my home,” I said in my most snobbish voice. Sarah choked on the spoonful of cereal she had in her mouth, and laughed. So I went on, “It’s impolite as hell y’know? Try and grow some manners, girl.”