Page 16 of Dirty News
She’d flipped things around on me. “And were you everbullied?”
I had to laugh. Me, bullied? No way inhell!
But I couldn’t say that and sound like an asshole in front of her. “No, I wasn’t bullied. Mostly because I didn’t take any shit. If a guy came at me sideways, I dealt with him rightaway.”
“Would you consider yourself a bully then?” Her eyes sparkled as she asked me the question. Almost tauntingly, itseemed.
“No.” I shook my head. “Just because you’re quick to stand up for yourself doesn’t make you a bully, doesit?”
“I suppose not. I guess this class will soon let us know the answer to that.” She smiled and jotted the question down on her notepad. “I’ll be sure to ask. That way you can know for sure if you’re a bully ornot.”
“I have a feeling you think I might just be one. And I have a feeling it has to do with me being a football player. One who pushed people around to win a game.” I was onto her. She was working on making me feel bad about myself. So, I pointed out how that in itself was also bullying. I made a note about that to ask the teachermyself.
She looked over at what I’d written and read it out loud, “If a person tries to make someone feel bad about themselves for things that were out of their control, does that make them a bully?” She looked at me. “Do you think I was trying to do that to you justnow?”
“Weren’t you?” I shook my head as I said the words. “I can read you pretty good, Lila. Just so youknow.”
“Well, you’re not doing a good job of that so far. I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad about anything. I was just asking you a question.” She shrugged. “Do you always get so defensive, or are you only this way with me,Duke?”
I was only this way with her. But I’d be damned if I gave her the satisfaction of knowing that. “Defensive? I’m not defensive, Lila. This is just me having a productive conversation is all. And by the way, if you use this same approach to asking questions during interviews that you’re using on me, you’ll probably provoke your subjects too. You should work onthat.”
“Provoke?” She grinned like she’d just won an argument. “Hmm, if you felt provoked by me then you were reacting defensively. Funny how you can’t be honest with yourself. If you can’t be that way with yourself, how can you be honest with others? I find thatinteresting.”
“I bet you do.” I clenched myjaw.
“On another note, Nina told me that Ashton took our videos to the boss early this morning.” She looked at Nina. “Did they say anything about when they’d be making adecision?”
“Soon.” Nina’s head jerked as Ashton took the place beside her. “Hi!”
“Hey,” Ashton greeted her then looked at Lila and me. “Hi, there. Ready for another fun-filledday?”
“Sure,” came Lila’s unenthusiasticreply.
I decided to try to make the day more interesting. “Hey, let’s all write down a bunch of questions to keep things going. The lecture yesterday is what made it all so stale. Maybe we can keep this interactive and the time will pass faster than it did with the otherclass.”
Ashton was on board. “Great idea,Duke.”
We all got busy writing down questions. Lila sat back first. I caught her reading over my shoulder. Cocking my head to the side to look at her, I asked, “You trying tocheat?”
“Cheat?” She waved her hand as if waving the idea away. “You can’t cheat at this, Duke. Do you think everything is acompetition?”
“Most things are. And you and I are definitely in one.” I stopped writing, having already come up with ten greatquestions.
“And if we weren’t?” she asked with a thoughtful expression. “Then could we befriends?”
All I could do was blink. She’d stumped me. “You want to be myfriend?”
“I don’t know. I don’t really know you. Not when you’re not trying to beat me at something, at least. You seem to get along well with everyone else, so I guess it’s only me who rubs you the wrong way.” She looked down then back up, holding her head high, her jaw firm. “You can be honest with me, Duke. I won’t break. I’m not achild.”
“Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m not myself with you because you’re thecompetition.”
“The enemy,” sheadded.
I didn’t like to think in those terms. “Not the enemy. Just the competition. I don’t dislike you—I just want the same thing you do. We’re competing, not going to war to kill each other. And I really hope you can be a good sport if you don’twin.”
“And vice versa.” She winked at me. “And for the record, in the spirit of honesty, I’m not entirely my normal self with you either. This competition has me in uncharted territory, I’m afraid. Competing isn’t really my thing. I’m the kind of person who’s always looking out to help others. The kind that will stop running a race to help another runner who’s fallen. Fuck the race; he’s down and he needs help, youknow?”
She is superhuman afterall.
