Boys of the Dark | ✓ (2015)

11. The Boy with the Chasing Waterfalls

No one was home.

Delilah had homework to do.

She fiddled with the pencil, hitting the pink end against the paper. Her eyes roamed over the desk, along the series of encyclopedias and landed on the dangerous stereo perched on the shelf.

A grim smile spread across her lips and she glanced over to the side before sneaking out of her seat.

She played with the tuning knob until a good beat grabbed her heart and pounded it against her chest like any nasty, rad song.

There was nothing better than dancing like nobodies watching. She began snapping her fingers, and grabbed the vase off the table.

Her socks landed on the couch, her head bowing down before she whipped it back up, hair slicing through the air. Rhythm drummed in her toes and shook her arms, waist swerving as she twisted to the music.

Her voice carried with the singer on the radio, both breaking out into the same song. Voices flowing to a sweet tune, remixing the song to something even better. Something formed in the pit of her stomach and she belted it out, rolling with the natural flow.

Sliding across tiles in her socks, she lived the life of a rock star in two amazing minutes.

A slow clap came behind her.

She whipped around and met the eyes of Ryland.

"Wow. You're even weirder when you're alone."

Delilah gave him a little smile and dropped it, rolling her eyes. "Go away. I was having a moment." She turned down the volume nob to hear his voice.

"Pssht. I can see that!" He didn't even bother to fight back the smile. His gaze followed her to the stereo where she shut it off, the amazing song swallowed by the dead silence.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"The band is meeting early today. I thought I'd be the first one to get here," he simply answered.

He moved to the kitchen, pulling out four beers. He offered her one but she already took the one he had out.

She gulped down, loving the burning sensation down her throat and held the beer as she spoke. "What's the meeting about?"

He shrugged, leaning back onto the counter. "Nothing you would be interested in."

"What if I am interested?"

"I still wouldn't tell you."

She frowned and propped both elbows on the counter. "Why are you trying so hard to keep secrets from me?"

He kept his casual stance, tipping his beer back to make this situation more settle. "I don't like having people in my business."

She raised a brow. "How come?"

"Think of it as a lesson I've learned."

She brought her beer up. "I can drink to that." They clinked cans and tipped the drink back again. She let the silence eat up a few seconds and then causally spoke. "Are you planning on going on any walks any time soon? Like, back at the highway stuff?"

A spark of interest flashed in his eyes before it disappeared. "Maybe. Why?"

He was really digging for it, wasn't he? She tightened her grip on the can. "Nothing. I just wanted to know. Unless you don't want anyone to get in your business..."

"Nono. I was thinking of doing one after the meeting today." He drank again. Silence.

Delilah could already feel the burn of rejection on her skin and she rubbed her arm, eyes averting to the ground. "Can I come?" she almost choked. She prayed that didn't sound too interested but she did need him to like her.