Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 23:36:08 EDT
From: Sunsethape000@aol.com
Subject: frailness 3

    Note from the author: Again, if you are eighteen, leave. Please
enjoy.


    The video store was practically empty when Tally walked in later that
evening, the only other person a clerk at the computer check out desk.
She shook her hair, skattering the light drizzle that had fallen on her
head as she walked over from her house.
    The store was fairly large, with each section (comedy, drama, horror)
labeled with a sign above the long racks of videos. Tally headed
immediately for the comedy. She could use a good laugh tonight,
especially after her father had had to cancel on their veg out night. It
had been his superior officer on the phone, telling him he needed to come
in for more shifts or something like that. All Tally knew was that he was
pulling in another all-nighter his tired body couldn't afford.
    Just then a bell sounded, signaling the entrance of another customer.
Tally looked up, only to feel her heart sink. Baily.
    She had on a long leather jacket, with blue jeans that clung to her
legs in all the right places. Her shirt was red, both casual and dressy
at the same time. Her hair was up in a messy bun, wisps of her bangs
falling over her smooth face.
    Then Tally saw it. Baily's face was red and blotchy, her mascara
running down her lashes and cheeks. Her eyes were red from where they had
been rubbed, cast downward in an effort to shield them from whomever
might see her. Before Tally could do or say anything, Baily ducked behind
the horror section at the front of the building.
    All the shame and guilt Tally had been feeling ever since Home Ec.
class came rushing back to her. Never being one to leave things
unfinished, Tally walked slowly over to the horror section. And, though
she didn't want to admit it, she was curious as hell as to why Baily was
crying.
    Baily's sobs could clearly be heard over the pounding of the rain,
which had gotten much stronger since the time Tally had left home, when
Tally walked over to her. Head held in her hands, Baily was the picture
of beautiful agony.
    "Hi," Tally said softly, bringing attention to herself.
    "What are you doin here?" Baily asked harshly, her deep brown eyes
resting on Tally's sharp blue ones.
    "I was about to ask you the same thing," Tally replied. Baily looked
away, putting her head back in her hands. She was sitting with her back
to a rack of videos, her legs crossed Indian style with her elbows on her
knees.
    Tally sat down agains the wall, facing her.
    "Well OBVIOUSLY," Baily spoke out after a few minutes of silence,
"I'm here to get a video."
    "Well OBVIOUSLY that's not the only reason why you're here." Tally
gently said, putting her hand on Baily's shoulder. Baily pulled away, but
not before she felt a bolt of awareness throughout her entire body. She
looked at Tally, realizing how wonderful she appeared.
    She was wearing a skirt, a few inches above knee length, her tan legs
muscular and lean. She had a pink shirt on, clinging to her tight stomach
and body even more than usual with the rain that had fallen on her. Her
brown hair was down, damp but still nicely styled. Her eyes were
absolutely the most beautiful color blue Baily had ever seen. Whatever it
was she was feeling, she had never felt it before. Never wanted someone
more.
    Baily was terrified. She looked down yet again.
    After a few more long minutes without an answer, Tally could take it
no longer. "What's wrong?" she asked sincerely.
    Baily looked up, her eyes shooting daggers.
    "Nothing is wrong with me! You don't know me!" She exclaimed. "Oh
wait, that's right, 'my reputation precedes me', I forgot. You know all
about me, don't you?" Her sarcasm cut deep, but Tally knew she had this
coming.
    "Listen, I came over here to apologize," at Baily's incredulous look
she went on, "No, really, I really am sorry. I didn't mean to be a jerk,
I just have had a bad year, moving a lot, and I made too quick a
judgement of you. Under normal circumstances, I never would have ever
done that. I'm sorry." Tally ended her words with a hopeful look.
    Baily didn't know what to think. This girl, though beautiful, had
hurt her today, just like everyone else. Baily wanted to believe her
words, wanted to finally have someone to confide in, but she just
couldn't. She couldn't get past the pain she had felt for so many years.
Even though when she looked into Tally's eyes her heart melted, she
couldn't just forgive her...couldn't just trust her.
    "Yeah, well, whatever. I'll see you tomorrow at school." Baily
finally worded after a silence.
    Tally didn't know what to say. What more could she say? She had
apologized, but it hadn't been accepted. From anyone else, Tally might
have been able to say, Oh well, if she can't forgive why should I care,
but with Baily she couldn't get over it that easily. She wanted to know
the girl...on a level more than friends? It embarrassed Tally to think
about that, but that's exactly what she did...exactly how she felt.
    She was terrified. Now it was Tally's turn to look away.
    "Fine," She said sharply, leaving the other girl with even more tears
in her eyes than when she had started.
    To Baily's great unnease, she wasn't happier when Tally left. Far
from it, she found herself wishing she were in her company yet again. She
wanted someone to talk to, wanted someone to there for her...and she had
just thrown it away. It's for the best, Baily thought yet again, she
would have hurt me eventually anyway.
    Baily had not cared about the movie she picked when she came in the
store, nor did she now, so she just took a video off the rack nearest to
her. Oh great, she thought, getting into line. Tally was checking out her
movie as well.
    They did not talk to each other while Tally checked out, didn't even
look at each other, even though both were very aware of the other's
presence. The other's heat.
    When Tally had checked out, she went outside, and started walking.
Doesn't she have a car? Baily wondered.
    The rain outside had gotten significantly stronger, blowing the trees
in the parking lot and whipping Tally's beautiful hair around her. The
other girl was getting soaked. Baily couldn't let her walk home, no
matter how much bad blood was between them, so when she got her movie she
went outside, got in her car, and pulled up beside Tally.
    "Hey, do you want a ride home?" She asked. Tally was soaked, but her
pride still had control over her.
    "No, I wouldn't want to inconvenience you," She answered, her
annoyance and impatience said loudly enough to be heard over the roar of
thunder. Less than a few seconds later lightening struck.
    "Look, I don't care what you say, get in the car right now! You're
gonna kill yourself!" Baily screamed, creeping her car beside Tally's
quick pace.
    Tally looked up. The rain was getting harder, and the lightening WAS
pretty bad. Still, she didn't feel like compromising herself yet again to
Baily, no matter how much she was intrigued by her.
    "No, I'd rather not," She stated calmly, trying to run ahead of the
car.
    Fine, if that's how you want to play it...Baily thought. She pulled
the car up fifteen feet in front of the running girl, got out of the car,
and stood in Tally's path.
    "Look, you had better get out of here, the rain is getting harder,"
Tally said, now concerned for this girl who seemed to only want to help
her...even though she couldn't trust her.
    "What about you? Am I supposed to let you just die out here? How far
is your house?"
    Before Tally could respond, Baily fell. Fell hard. The dirt
underneathe her had long since turned to mud, and her feet slipped right
from beneathe her. Tally ran to the other girl, hoping she was alright.
    Tally dropped to her knees. Baily wasn't moving. Fear gripped Tally's
heart. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to handle this?
Questions she could not answer popped into her head, filling her with
fear and doubt.
    She decided no matter what she had to do, she needed to move Baily
out of the rain...so she did, into the passenger side of her own vehicle.
Tally got in the driver's seat, and headed for her own house.

Note from the author: I always appreciate feedback...helps me get things
typed faster (wink wink). Also, thanks again for the replies I have
already gotten.