Don't Get Angry

19- Otis: Girl Friend and Girlfriend

I walked into the diner with clammy hands. I couldn't understand how it was so easy to tell Taylor off, but so hard to tell her that I liked her. I walked over to Taylor's table. She looked up at me, then she returned to stirring her milkshake with her straw. I slowly sat in front of her, putting my hands on the table. She lifted her head and glared at me. "What do you want?" Her harsh tone made me want to tell her off, but the nervousness overpowered my annoyance.

I sighed and looked down, then I looked at Dalta outside. She nodded and smiled, and all my fear drifted away. I sat straight and looked at Taylor. "I'm not going to lie to you about anything. I'm going to tell you the truth... I like Dalta."

Taylor's face went stern.

"And I like you too. A lot," I gulped.

Her face softened.

"You're awesome, and you seem to like how stupid and weird I am and that's great. Because that's what I need. I need someone...who will tolerate how annoying I can be." I looked over at Dalta. She was gone. I looked at Taylor again. "I brought Dalta here to see if she would be okay with dating me. And she wasn't. So, I need to know if you're not okay with dating either-"

"So," Taylor folded her arms," you chose to ask her before me?"

"I did. Because I knew deep down, she would say no. But with you..."

Taylor shook her head. "I can't with you, Otis. You're selfish. Do you honestly think you're that irresistible?"

I furrowed my brows. "No-"

"Because I'm not going to be your second choice. I know that if I date you, you'll still hang out with Dalta and still have feelings for her while you're with me."

"How could you be so sure?"

Taylor rolled her eyes.

"The whole point of me being with you is so I know whether I want to be with you or not."

She looked down.

"Please, think about it. I'll give you as long as you want."

"And what if Dalta changes her mind while I'm thinking?"

I looked over at my car. Dalta stood beside it pacing around and talking to herself. I furrowed my brows and slowly stood.

Taylor looked at her. "What's she doing?"

"I honestly never know." I looked at Taylor. "Think about it, okay?"

I rushed out of the diner, making my way over to Dalta. I stood in front of her putting my hands on her shoulders. "What's going on?"

She flinched and a panicked smile spread across her face.

"Crazy Eyes."

"Nothing," she shook her head profusely.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

I sighed and let her go. I looked at Taylor in the diner. She was on her phone. She looked at us and shook her head, then turned away. "Let's go home, okay?"

Dalta nodded glaring at Taylor. She opened the door and got inside. I got into the car after her.

"Did she say yes?" Dalta turned to me.

"She said she'll think about it." I fastened my seat belt.

"Okay. That's good because I have to tell you something. I think-"

Someone knocked on my window. We both flinched and turned to it. Taylor stood with folded arms. I rolled down my window. "Hey-"

"I'll go out with you," she said sternly, looking around with a high brow as if she couldn't care less about it.

I smiled. "Awesome. How about next weekend?"

"Sure. Does swimming sound nice?"

"S-sure-"

"Awesome. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah-"

She walked away, making her way back into the diner.

I sighed in relief, then I turned to Dalta waiting for her to continue.

She looked shocked. "Never mind." She sat back.

I squinted at her, hoping she wasn't about to tell me that she had changed her mind about dating me. The way she glared at Taylor right after she told me to go ask her out made me irritated. I started the car and we drove off. We drove for a while in silence then she sighed aloud. "Otis, I really think we need to look for Betty."

"Why?" I shrugged. "She ran away with some guy-"

"Exactly. Betty may be smart enough to be skipped to twelfth grade. But she's clearly just smart when it comes to... that."

"Academia?"

"Aca-what?"

"Never mind."

"Betty isn't street smart. Her dad does everything for her and shelters her from everything-"

"Well, if we go looking for her, we may be looking for a body," I said in a nonchalant tone. The car went quiet. I looked at Dalta. She was staring out the window with tears in her eyes. "Dalta," I sighed looking at the road.

"You didn't have to say that."

"I know and I'm sorry."

"She's a kid. She doesn't deserve this."

"Neither do we. Now we're getaway drivers. Have you heard anything on the news lately?"

"No," Dalta wiped her cheek.

"Okay... Neither have I."

The car got quiet again. I could tell Dalta had something that she wanted to tell me but couldn't. She kept her eyes fixed out the window. I dropped her off at her house, then I drove to mine. I pulled into the driveway and got out of the car. Penny walked onto her front porch. She waved at me with a smile. "Hey, Otis!" She skipped down her steps and walked over to me. "Where'd you guys go?"

"We're not dating, if that's what you're thinking." I pushed my hands in my pockets. "She told me to ask Taylor out."

Penny raised her brows. She sighed. "Otis, Dalta's sweet, okay? I'm pretty sure she said that because she thinks it'll make you happy. Ask her out again-"

"She said she wasn't ready."

Penny rolled her eyes and smiled. "She's ready-"

"Why do you think that you know what's best for her?" I tilted my head and squinted at her.

Penny froze. "Because I know her better than you do-"

"Yeah. You know her enough to tell people that she's skinny and has a body like a boy."

Penny's face went red. "Y...-you can't tell her-"

"I won't... But she'll find out eventually. At least she's the kind of person who won't hate you for it-"

"I took pictures of her because she asked me to but-" Penny suddenly shut her mouth. It was obvious she didn't intend to say that. But she talked so much that things slipped out. She frowned. "She was trying on some clothes we'd bought and I didn't think anything was wrong with her. She was the one who said she had the body of a thirteen-year-old boy. I told one girl and she's the one who made the name."

I glared at Penny. "Did you show the pictures to anyone?"

She shook her head. She pouted. I felt no empathy.

"Dalta might not be the type to hate, but I am. Goodnight, Penny." I walked away feeling rage cooking soup in my skull. How could she do that to Dalta? Dalta was her friend...my friend. I couldn't trust Penny with anything. Especially with her brother's secret.