The sun will rise like yesterday

Perhaps not mentioning Rex to Lisa would be the best idea Ellie had had in a long time. Besides, what if it was just a dream. Or maybe she heard him wrong. It could be possible.

She thought about what Leia said about Rex being Nick's stepbrother. She was now making plans that they should spend the day together. It sounded like something newlyweds planned. Ellie wasn't exactly marrying Rex. She hardly knew him.

Ellie felt bad that she hadn't taken Henry for a walk daily, like she was suppose to. So she got him ready after finally catching up on homework. She wasn't worrying about dinner, anymore. If she found a yogurt to eat or some frozen pizza, she wasn't going to make an effort that everyone ate together. Her family was falling a part and she'd just have to get use to it.

She was thankful they still had the house. She still had Henry, and she had to keep assuring herself that was all that mattered.

So she grabbed her new crocheted hat and pulled it on and went on her way to the park on a sunny but still cool spring afternoon. Maybe she'd drag Henry all the way down to Kyle's house. She'd give him his silly bracelet back. She was through with this. He just wanted to mess with her, as it was. And it left the truth that he was just a boy who was out to get what he wanted. And to think she'd felt so bad for him when Kelsy dumped him.

Still she felt uneasy about the Kyle situation. She really liked him. It was more than just a touchy feely thing. He was her friend. Practically, her only friend lately. He was her Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, all rolled into one. Obviously, he was no romantic. He was just Kyle.

She couldn't help herself but want to say mean things if she ever saw him again. It was an awful feeling to have when really she didn't want to be by herself. She wanted to be with him.

Naturally, she saw Roger and his skateboard.

"Aren't you a professional by now?" She couldn't help but make the snide remark before he had a chance to start on about her or her dog. He was really in to fat dog jokes, and Ellie really wasn't in the mood for one of those.

"What?" Roger rode his skateboard over to her. "Hey, I heard." He was grinning from ear to ear, "You and Rex. Lucky."

"How do these things get around?" Ellie rolled her eyes. "He just gave me a ride to school."

"I bet?"

"It was nothing sleazy." Ellie sighed, thinking she was coming down with a headache. She just wanted him to go away. So she kept walking toward Kyle's house.

Luckily, Kyle was in the driveway shooting hoops. Alone. Good, she thought. They really needed to get this out in the open.

"I waited for you at the park, this morning. " She told him after she crossed the street.

He said nothing. Coldness.

"What is wrong with you?" Did he know about Rex? It was all his fault about Rex as far as she was concerned. If he'd been at the park then she wouldn't have found herself with Rex.

"What is wrong with you?" She didn't like the sound of his voice. He was mocking her. He continued to dribble the ball.

"Cory's coming over." His voice was dull.

Ellie bit her bottom lip, but she didn't say anything. He shot another hoop. The ball sank in.

"We're starting a band. " He said it like he didn't have time for her. He dribbled more. She watched. Henry peed on his mother's tulips. Ellie looked away as if she didn't see that, but at least Henry was on her side.

"I know what you did."

"You do."

"Why would you do that? That's just crazy." He sighed.

"Why do you do the things you do, Kyle?" She gritted her teeth.

"Because I can and you let me." He stared back hard, slamming the basket ball on the cement.

"OK, it was crazy. The kiss. With Cory," she said. 'But it didn't mean, anything."

"You scared the crap out of Cory!" He threw the ball hard to her chest and she caught it.

She didn't know how to explain. "It happened right before I saw you. OK. I stayed with you, didn't I?" That had to count for something. He slammed the ball in the hoop then and Henry took off running the other way. Ellie had to pull him back.

"I don't know why you would do it, I thought-"

"I was thinking of you!" She felt her voice rise, and she hated being a drama queen about it. "It just happened. He said he wanted me to act like I liked him, and..and I thought about you and I just kissed him." Was that the worst thing in the world? "Don't you understand, you're all I think about?" The one thing she vowed she'd never say to anyone until she was at least twenty-one.

"Well, don't think about me while you're with other people!" He slammed the ball down, and it rolled into the garage. He came up to her then.

"I think Cory's gay so you shouldn't worry so much." She nodded.

"Uh huh, really?" He stared at her. "What? You're going start worrying about me with him, now?"

She shook her head, no.

He put his arm around her shoulder as if they were two old friends. He walked her to the back yard. Henry went to investigate some more flowers. They found the old bench swing on the porch and thats where she kissed him first.