Chapter 20

As soon as I returned to the dorm, I went straight to Maby’s room. Although Candy and I had been friends for much longer, Maby had a wisdom about her that made me turn to her for advice when the situation was serious. And to me, this situation was serious. In fact, I’d never experienced anything more serious.

I knocked lightly on her door and a moment later it swung open. 

“Apple, are you okay?” She pulled me inside. “You look a bit shaken.”

“I’m okay.” I smiled. I couldn’t stop smiling. I sat down on Maby’s sofa. “I’m more than okay.”

“I see.” She smiled too as she sat down beside me. “I’m guessing that this has something to do with Ty. Am I right?” 

“Right.” I took a deep breath, then blew it out from between my lips. “He told me he has a crush on me. He said he wants to see where our connection might lead. Isn’t that amazing?” 

“Amazing and surprising.” Maby narrowed her eyes. “Did he say what he expected?” 

“Not exactly. He just said that he wanted to get to know me better, and I would like to do the same.” I tilted my head to the side as I noted her strange reaction. “Why don’t you look happy about this?” 

“I am happy about it.” She patted the back of my hand. “I’m happy if you’re happy. Are you happy?”

“I think so.” I squeezed my hands together. “I feel like the whole world is spinning around me. I feel like someone finally cares about me for real—not because of who my parents are.” 

“I know that’s a big thing for you.” Maby scooted closer to me on the sofa. 

“You don’t think that Mick told him, do you?” I frowned. “Maybe that’s why he’s interested?”

“Honey, he’s interested in you because you’re a gorgeous, intelligent, amazing person. That’s all you need to know.” She sighed. 

“If that’s true, then why don’t you seem thrilled?” 

“I’m not sure. I guess because I keep seeing love bloom right in front of me and possibly it makes me wonder about myself and my own decision to wait for romance. Plus, I do worry a little about you and Ty.” She winced as she lowered her voice. “He does seem to be a bit of a troublemaker. You’re the furthest thing from that.”

“I know.” I shook my head. “I don’t know why he’s always late, he’s always getting detention, and now he has these service hours to do. But Candy is always getting herself detention too. She usually has a good explanation for it. He might be just trying to find his way.”

“As long as you feel that you can trust him, then I support you one hundred percent.” She looked into my eyes. “Do you feel that way?” 

“In some ways.” My heartbeat began to slow as I thought through Maby’s words. “I guess I really don’t know much about him. Hopefully that will change.”

“I’m sure it will.” Maby squeezed my hand. “Your instincts are telling you that he’s the right person for you. I trust your instincts. You should too. But make sure that you find out the answers to your questions. There’s nothing that troubles a relationship more than lack of trust.”

“That’s true.” I paused as a terrible thought clouded my mind. “Do you think I’m wrong for not telling him about my family?” I met her eyes. “Do you think I’m being untrustworthy?” 

“I think you’re being cautious. There’s nothing wrong with that. I’d love to tell you that having famous parents doesn’t make a difference to people, but it does. I can’t lie to you. The school has worked hard to keep your identity under wraps, and you don’t want to expose yourself if you don’t know for sure that Ty won’t share that information with everyone.”

“I don’t think that he would. But you’re right, I’m not sure. If I knew him just a little better, I’d feel more confident. But I don’t. I just hope that he is willing to talk to me a little more. It’s hard. When I’m around him, all I can think about is—”

“Okay, okay.” Maby held up her hands and laughed. “I don’t need the naughty details.”

“Isn’t it crazy?” I laughed as I blushed. “I never thought I would be in this position.”

“Just keep in mind that no matter what happens between the two of you, it’s natural and healthy to want to love. It’s a good thing.”

“I see that now. Do you?” I looked into her eyes. 

“Do I? Why does that matter?” She grinned. 

“You’re always giving everyone advice, but you never seem interested in dating yourself. Is that because you’re afraid of something?” 

“Afraid?” She shrugged. “Maybe. I’m not sure it’s that. I think I’d rather just wait. High school is complicated enough. The kind of love I’m looking for—well, it’s just different. I don’t see myself finding it until I’ve graduated—maybe even from college. I’m willing to be patient.”

“You’re right.” I rolled my eyes as I leaned back against the sofa. “High school is complicated enough and this certainly does make it even more complicated. I haven’t even thought about my homework. I need to get to it. I can’t lose track of everything just because Ty is running around in my head all day. If my grades drop, I won’t be allowed to run the art club anymore.”

“Don’t stress.” She patted my shoulder. “Just keep your head on straight. You’ll be fine.” 

“Thanks, Maby.” I hugged her. “I really appreciate you always being here for me. I hope I can do the same for you.”

“You do.” She smiled as she walked me to the door. “I love being able to help. Good luck with Ty. Just remember what I said.” Her smile faded some. “Trust is very important.” 

“I’ll remember.” I stared into her eyes for a long moment, then I turned and walked away.

All the way to my dorm room, I thought about her words. Yes, trust was very important. It was amazing to think that there could be something so real and powerful between Ty and me, but without honesty to back it up, I doubted that it would last very long. 

When I stepped into my dorm room, I found Candy with a bowl of popcorn in her lap. 

“There you are!” She tossed some popcorn at me. “We had a movie date. Did you forget?” 

“Oh, Candy, I’m so sorry.” I sat down beside her. “I got caught up in something.”

“In Ty?” She raised an eyebrow. “If so, I don’t blame you. He’s tasty.”

“Stop!” I laughed and threw some popcorn back at her. 

“It doesn’t matter, you’re here now.” She snuggled up next to me and started the movie. 

As I enjoyed the evening with my best friend, I realized that Ty really could be quite a distraction. If I could forget about Candy and my homework, then perhaps he was too much of a distraction.

Maby had a point. We were in high school. Could real love even happen in high school? Was it all just hormones and chemistry? What was it about Ty that I even liked?

Sure, he was good with the kids and intriguing, but what about the things I didn’t like? He was always late, way too secretive, and he seemed to carry a chip on his shoulder despite the blessings he’d been given. 

When I fell asleep that night, my mind was full of doubt, but my heart was full of the desire to see Ty again.