Stay

Lydia walked into school and smiled and greeted everyone. They were all talking and catching up, and Lydia was talking and laughing with nearly everyone. Zoe, Chloe, Gigi, Brady, Dawson, James, and Elika. They all got along well. 

Lydia was helping Brady with his reading. They are so close to each other. Lydia’s heart is fluttering. Does he feel the same? Probably not, she thought. He could never like a girl like me. 

“That one’s too blue, too yellow…” 

“Just pick one already!” Lydia said. Brady had insisted on picking out her bracelet from the Christmas Program.

“There. This one’s perfect!”

“Thanks!”

“LYDIA!!!” Her dad called and beckoned.

“Bye!” Lydia called to Brady

“Brady, come to Districts! It’s so fun!”

“I bet it’s not that fun.” He shot back

“Please! You’ll have so much fun! You stay up late and there’s seminars and a speaker and loud music and dancing and a long bus ride and it’s great!”

“What do I need to go? Not saying that I am, but what do I need?”

“Here’s Dawson’s medical permission slip thingy he needs.” Dawson looked her in the eye.

“I don’t want that!” As he turned Brady shoved him forward and said with enthusiasm,

“He does want it. Definitely wants it.” Brady snatched it out of Lydia’s hands and forcefully shoved Dawson into a chair.

“Your going to this Districts thing with me, whether you like it or not!” He said. Dawson gave Lydia a side eye that said “this is all your fault.”

“Why?!” Lydia said, looking back behind her on the bus. Guess who?

“Ug. You.” Brady said with a smile. Lydia whipped out her phone and texted Dawson. He didn’t respond. Lydia turned around and soon they are all talking. Brady put his feet in the isle and leaned his head around the seat. Lydia did the same, and for three hours they sat like that, faces inches apart, talking about music.

“Morgan Wallen is the best.” Brady said.

“I disagree.”

“Have you even heard his songs?”

“No…”

Soon Brady was all talking about Morgan Wallen and he became Lydia’s favorite artist too. 

They all got off the bus and soon it was Rally time and Brady (still sitting behind her) was a nervous wreck on the bus ride to the conference center.

“It’s so fun, I promise!!” Lydia assured him. 

Lydia was on her period and unfortunately in the middle of the message got a horrible cramp. The bus was going back to the hotel early for people who didn’t want to stay at the conference center and later at like midnight for those who wanted to. Lydia and her friends Faith and Lauryn wanted to head back early, but unknown to them, so did Brady and Dawson. 

“You need chocolate.” Lauryn stated, trying to get Lydia off the hotel bed. Lydia had been groaning on the bed for forever. After a little convincing, Lydia, Lauryn, and Faith all trooped down to the vending machine next to the hotel pool. As Lydia exited the stairwell, Brady stood in front of the machine, shirtless. He had been swimming with Dawson. Lydia’s breath was taken away. He had abs. But, she told herself, he doesn’t like you so just keep to yourself. Faith and Lauryn were supporting her because she could barely stand. Brady left. They got the chocolate and left. She couldn’t forget the look of surprise and pity he gave her. 

“Districts was amazing!!”

“I. Told. You. So.”

“I liked the speaker.”

“He was great.”

“I didn’t like the one seminar I went to though, the lady just screamed at us.” Brady chewed on his sand which thoughtfully. 

“I went to two great seminars.” Lydia grinned.

“Good for you.” Brady said. She thought he meant it sarcastically. The look in his eyes told her different. She just looked down. 

“Lydia!” 

“What?”

“Have you heard You Proof by Morgan Wallen?” Brady called as the crowd dragged him away from her. 

“Yes! I love that one!” 

“I wanna pour the Root Beer! Zoe you suck!”

“What?!” Zoe said to Brady, pretending to look offended. 

“You can pour if you sing me Happy Birthday!” Lydia said playfully 

“Happy Birthday to you….to you…..Lydia….happy birthday…” 

“Good enough I guess.” It actually was her birthday. Brady came behind the counter to help her serve her birthday treat. They made eye contact and she blushed. 

“Get a room!” Someone called.

Lydia and Zoe were trading spots so that Lydia could have a change. Zoe wanted a turn with the wall to lean against anyway. Lydia noticed right away that this put her next to Brady. 

“Help? Help!” Brady said throwing his math book on her desk. She shoved it on the floor. 

“Please?” He said. “I actually need help.”

“Fine” she said, a smile playing at her lips. 

“Are you going that retreat thing?”

“My moms making me.” Brady said. 

“It’s like Districts but smaller.” Lydia explained. 

“I have a hammer!!” Levi said waving it around in the back of the van. 

“But that down, idiot!” Brady said snatching it.

Lydia laughed. Brady grinned. He doesn’t like you, she told herself. 

“You like Simon?” He asked on the ride home.

“I don’t know.” She answered. Simon was the biggest player, he had asked for her number. She had given it to him. She would regret it, but right now it was giving her butterflies. Brady looked a little let down. Lydia, barely registering the look on his face, had her attention on her friend Leiana who was near tears. Lydia gave her phone and earbuds to Leiana. Leiana felt better. 

“Can you play ‘She had me at Heads Carolina’?”

Lydia, putting the song on, heard Levi say 

“That’s Reece’s favorite song!”

“Really?” Lydia said, uninterested. 

“Reece likes you.” Brady said, smirking. 

“Your lying.” Lydia had no romantic interest in Reece. 

“No, he’s not.” Levi said. 

“Is it going to be Lydia…?! Or Brady….?!”

Mrs. Davis called to the excited Sock Hop attendees. Cheers went up. Lydia focused on her hula hooping. Brady was staring her down. He would not take his eyes off her. The look on his face was serious.

“Dang it!” Lydia shouted as she lost her rhythm and the hula hoop clattered to the ground. 

“You cheated!” She said to Brady as they were dancing away. 

“Fine! Rematch!”

“Ok, but you can’t do it around your neck!”

“Deal!” As they tried, Jack and Gavin kept sabotaging them. As they tried to find a quieter spot, they just decided to call it a draw, they shook hands, his eyes never leaving hers.

“Oh, by the way, my favorite artist has been replaced!”

“Oh my!” She said sarcastically. “I didn’t think ANYTHING could replace Morgan Wallen.”

“His song Last Night I still think you should listen to.” 

“You know I can’t.”

“Well, I like Kid LAROl better now.”

“Why?”

“He’s a pop artist and wrote ‘STAY’ which is amazing!” 

“Ok…”

“Oh,” she called a week later as the crowds were shoving them apart. “I looked up ‘STAY’ and it’s unavailable for explicit content! Half of his songs are!”

“Oh yeah,” he called and then as on a second thought, “wait you looked up..”

She just waved. 

“Reece, what happened?”

“They think I love you or something.”

Lydia acted shocked. 

“Well, they’re just idiots!”

“I guess.” He walked away sadly. 

“Brady! Brady!! Braaaaaddyyyyyyy!!!!!!” She called. 

“Whaaaaaaat?!” He said as she sprinted up to him.

“What did you say to Reece? I know it was you, don’t lie to me!”

“What? Me? Never….” He said smirking. 

“What. Did. You. Say.?”

Brady sighed as Dawson approached them. 

“I don’t know if you’d want to know, it might make you mad.” Dawson said. 

“Tell me now.” She said fiercely.

“Fine.” Brady said, taking a deep breath. “Lucas was talking trash about you.” He blurted as if it would hurt less if he said it fast. Lydia said nothing for a hot second. Shock covered her face. Then, to Brady’s relief, she laughed! Snorting, she said,

“You really think I care what Lucas thinks?!? But what did he say?” 

“I don’t remember.”

“I just need everyone to shut up about Reece it’s hard enough to cope as it is and everyone is just making it worse!” Lydia, close to tears, told Gigi. Brady, within earshot, said 

“I’m sorry.” Lydia turned.

“You mean it?”

“It’s been a long time!” He grinned. She blushed. Their eye contact held. His brown eyes staring deep into her green ones. 

“Hey, mushroom!” Brady said, his eyes lighting up when Lydia entered the room. 

“Hi!” Lydia said, her mushroom like hair bouncing as she walked. 

“Please play me in chess?”

“No!” She said, walking her books to her backpack. 

“Please?!”

“No.”

“Please!! I bet I can beat you!” He stood in front of her challengingly. 

“Fine. Tomorrow after the program.”

“I totally won. Sailors check I’ve never even heard of!”

“It was a draw!” He said. Everyone was watching.

“I would’ve won!”

“No! I would’ve beaten you.”

“Chess? Chess?” Brady said.

“Not until you finish your math homework! You're three days behind!!”

“I’ll be fine!”

“No. Homework first!”

“I finished my homework!”

“I said that yesterday, Dawson was already gonna play me.”

“No I’ll play you!”

“I asked first!” Dawson said 

“I don’t care who plays me.” 

“I will!” Brady shoved Dawson playfully off the bench.

“Have you listened to STAY or Last Night?”

“No.”

“Dang.”

“Last day.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, bye!”

“Yeah, see you around.” Lydia watched him walk out the door.

“He’s ignoring me.” Lydia said to her friend. “It’s like we were never friends or talked or~”

“He likes you!”

“He does not!”

“I need you to stay…..need you to stay.” Lydia sobbed into her pillow.

“I love him.” She whispered to her best friend.

And suddenly, she realized he loved her too. All the talking, songs, the look in his eyes….

She knew. And now he was gone.