Leslie meets Dorian

[NarnianMelody]

(This takes place some months after Jess and Leslie have met)
Leslie wasn't looking forward to school when she got up in the morning, because she knew Jess wasn't going to be there. Even as she walked through the hallways after lunch she felt cross and sad because he wasn't with her -- he had been stuck at home ever since he got strep throat. Leslie missed him. Jess always listened, he was always understanding -- a character trait that pretty much the rest of the school didn't have.
Sure enough, just as Leslie was about to walk into her class, a shout rang through the hall and she turned around just in time to see two of the school bullies send a kid carrying four or five books in his arms stumbling to the ground. Leslie smiled, remembering Jess and how she had helped him out in a situation similar to this kid's, and turned around so she could help him.
"Hi," she said cheerfully, getting to the floor carefully so she could pick up one or two of the kid's books. "You okay?"

[Dorian Waldron]

Dorian was walking through the halls with four of his schoolbooks in his arms and his old copy of "The Secret Garden" open on top of the books, so that Dorian could read it as he was walking down the halls.

The, in a split second, Dorian felt a shove from behind and fell to the floor, his books flying everywhere.

He got to his feet and saw a blonde haired girl in front of him, helping him to pick his books up.

"Hi," she said cheerfully, getting to the floor carefully so she could pick up one or two of the kid's books. "You okay?"

"Yeah, thanks," Dorian said, picking up the rest of his books, "you're that girl that won the race on the athletics day, right?"

Of course, Dorian knew that she was, but it was one of those questions that you ask to get a conversation started.

[NarnianMelody]

Leslie smiled. "Yeah, I was. Am, I mean. But that was way back then; loads of people are probably faster then me now. Did you just move here? I haven't seen you around here before."

[Dorian Waldron]

"No, I've lived here since I was born. I just usually try to keep quiet," Dorian told Leslie, "I'm Dorian, by the way."

[NarnianMelody]

Leslie held out her hand to help him to his feet. "I'm Leslie," she said, "Leslie Burke. I moved here a couple months ago -- I haven't lived here my whole life like you." Then a thought flashed across her mind. "But I know someone who has! I wish Jess were here today. He'd like to meet you, too."

[Dorian Waldron]

"Jesse," Dorian thought, "he's the person you hang around with, right?"

Dorian had remembered seeing them in the hallways just before he had to go to class a few times.

[NarnianMelody]

Leslie smiled again. "Yeah," she answered him. "He's home from school because he has strep throat. I haven't seen him for days."

[Dorian Waldron]

"Oh, that sucks," Dorian said, "I've seen you both around, and you guys seem really close."

Dorian winced and rubbed his arm, which was still sore after yesterday, when his dad had burnt his arm with a cigarette and, even though it wasn't that cold, Dorian had put on a jacket to hide the burn mark.

[NarnianMelody]

Leslie looked carefully at Dorian as he rubbed his arm. There was a look of pain on his face, though it looked like he was trying to hide it. "Are you okay?" she asked as the first bell rang. "Is something wrong with your arm?"

[Dorian Waldron]

"I'm fine, thanks," Dorian lied, badly, "I just hurt it yesterday. That's all."

This was actually the first time anyone had ever asked Dorian if he was okay and he wasn't really used to it.

He smiled at Leslie, liking her for actually caring if he was okay. He would have told her what had really happened, but he didn't want to make her feel sad about it.

[NarnianMelody]

"Well..." Leslie said, a little uncertain of Dorian's answer. "It was nice meeting you, Dorian. Hope your arm feels better."

[Dorian Waldron]

"You too!" Dorian replied to Leslie, "and thanks!"

Before he headed to his next class, however, he asked Leslie.

"Maybe I'll see you later?"

[NarnianMelody]

Leslie smiled at him. "Who knows? Maybe."

[Dorian Waldron]

[END THREAD]