For Love Or For Lust

Chapter 2: You Again

Dinger's POV:

We were all piled on Lainie's gigantic couch, except for me, because that would require me to touch her. I am most definately gonna have to come up with a nickname for her.

"Earth to D-man who hasn't said a word since you got out the car", Bobby chimed, snapping me out of "Dingertopia". I gave him a "shut the fuck up" look, then saying. "Well Bobby what the hell would you like me to say, you know besides the fact that we have a bandit with us! Better watch out or she'll still your loafers next Bobby", I hissed, snickering at Bobby's late Michael Jackson get up.
Bobby replied with a snide remark, which pissed me off, and pretty soon we were rolling on the carpet, fighting-not fighting fighting, but still fighting.

Minutes passed and finaly we lost interest in our boyish 'fight', and Bobby resumed his seat beside Lainie, who was reading the newest Teen Bop issue.

Lainie lifted her head up and asked where Summer was. Pfft as if, I'm certainly not calling that skank 'Summer', I thought. Still pondering on how I could interpret the word 'bandit' in a nickname.

Bobby ran his fingers through his greasy hair-that's his thinking tik. My thinking tik is when I examine my poor cuticles(I tend to bite my nails at the best of times). "Oh she told me she was gonna go take a smoke outside", he finally said. It was sad, how pleased he was with this information. And as much as I hate to admit it, I do pay quite a bit of attention to her. I think it's because she tries so hard to stay under the radar, that you can't help but pay attention to her.

"Hey Dinger could you maybe go check on her, she's still pretty shook up about earlier", Lainie asked me all polite-like. I mean what a gagreel, when someone is polite to someone else, bleh. Bobby tossed me my ride or die striped cane, I pushed my self up and winced a little. Since it was only two weeks ago that my mom accidently ran over my poor leg with her Volvo.

"Make out time", I heard Lainie whisper to Bobby. I immediately swung the big oak door open and looked outside, safe from their infamous smacking and moaning.
Lightning bugs were flitting here and there in the hot, yet windy atmosphere.

I silently limped over to a crying her. She looked up at me and vigorously wiped her tears from her face, though more were obviously on the way. "Can you go away please, I'll give your sneakers back after school tomorrow.

My heart sank a little, from the fact that she was crying, and from the fact that school started up tomorrow. "Speaking of school, I bet you're awfully chipper 'bout that", I chimed sarcastically, sitting down in the other seat of Laine's swing set. She shuffled her feet in the sand, "well.........I mean I got Lainie and Bobby.............. ", she trailed off. Ouch. Why in the hell did her not including me hurt so much, I didn't care right?

I sighed and propelled my good leg back to make me swing a little faster. "You wouldn't want me anyways, Dinger is bad news". She looked at me quizzically, like she could see right through me with those amazing chocolate eyes. Finally, she said, "well go on say it", she told me, smirking. Her smirk was real nice, the exact same one from the night before. But no laugh lines, and that's when I knew I had to be the one to make her laugh.

So instead of saying what I planned on saying, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. ''I came up with a nickname for you", I bragged.
She took a long drag of her cigarette blowing the smoke out in a 'o'! Shit, I've been trying to do those for three years now!

"Well are you gonna tell me or not" she demanded curious. Mmm I kinda like this feeling of knowing something she wants to know, it's like I controlled her.

"Bandit", I said sheepishly, thanking God above, that it was dark, so that she couldn't see me blushing. I never blush, what the hell is up with that, I hated blushing. Uh the way it makes me feel like I was weak and vulnerable(which I am most certainly not). That's why about a year ago I had made myself stop blushing all together. I'm not sure how I did it, but I did, and I was glad.

"How about............ B-Bam"?!
The instant she said that I was in love with it, simple, yet creative, and kinda rough around the edges, just like her I thought. 'Course I would never tell her that, the last thing I need is her thinking I pay any kind of attention to her(I do).

"I like it yeah, Bam it is", was all I said. She wiped a strand of hair behind her ear wistfully, holy shit she was beautiful. But that doesn't mean anything, other than that she's just a nice looking girl. Besides, I have a girlfriend, her name is Brandi. Bobby's cousin-I hate that name-Brandi, that's why I call her by her first name Kristy.

A bit more time passed of us swinging and smoking in silence. Not the awkward kind of silence that makes you wanna scream just to hear something, but the peaceful kind of silence that makes you realize that you probably talk to much.

"I'm Bam nice to meet you pal", she exclaimed extending her small and delicate hand. Oh boy do I love girls with small, delicate hands-unlike Brandi, who's hands are the size of Bobby's, and that says a lot.
"The name's Dinger pal" I shook her hand, lingering their for a moment, but only for a moment. I could tell that calling each other 'pal' was now our official "thing".

Just then Bobby stormed out the front door, all the while yelling things to a crying Lainie. He looked at me, and gave me a thumbs up to say he was fine. Even though I knew he wasn't, but it didn't really matter. Because, not even three days later they'd be all over each other again.

I got up from my swing and helped Bam get up to, she seemed to be spaced out. "They fight like an old married couple, I told her, which seemed to ease her out of lala land. "I'll walk you home Bam from now on, at least 'till things clear up with Dumus", I suggested. Looks like I'll be walking Bam home for a good while, Dumus can hold a mean grudge, just like me.