My Butterfly

said.
    She smiled politely this time.
    “You going?” I asked.
    “If Rachel has anything to do with it, we’ll be there early,” she replied.
    “Good,” I said, nodding my head.
    Suddenly, she stopped and peeked her head into a classroom.
    “Coach Hill, you didn’t see any volleyballs lying around after P.E., did you?” she asked him.
    My eyes instinctively fell to the floor at my feet.
    “Okay, thanks,” she said and then continued her hike down the narrow hallway.
    “No luck?” I asked her.
    “He didn’t see any,” she replied.
    “Don’t worry, we’ll find it,” I said.
    We made our way down the rest of the hall and then outside toward the school’s only other hallway. I held the door for her as she walked in.
    “So, you and Rachel are friends?” I asked her.
    I watched her as she peered into the band room, littered with instrument cases, chairs and stands.
    “Yeah,” she said, without looking up. “She’s pretty cool.”
    “Yeah, she’s all right,” I said. “She talks a lot, but she’s all right.”
    “You’ve known her for awhile?” she asked.
    Her thin frame was still preoccupied with the search, and every once in a while I would act as if I were looking under or around something.
    “Yeah,” I said. “All of us townies pretty much grew up together. Rachel was my neighbor when we were kids, until she moved to a house right outside of town. I’m sure it was kind of the same for you guys, right?”
    I picked up a chair and looked under it.
    “Us country folk, you mean?” she asked, pausing to look up at me.
    She sounded as if she were trying to act offended, but I could tell it really didn’t bother her.
    “Julia, my dear, I know that toy tractor in front of my grandpa’s store wasn’t the last tractor you’ve driven,” I said, with a boyish smirk smeared across my face.
    She stopped what she was doing and looked me square in the eyes. She was wearing a half-smile, but I didn’t so much see the smile, and the other half scared me.
    “Don’t call me dear ,” she said. “And you’re right, turns out I found some much bigger tractors to play with. I didn’t need yours after all.”
    She smiled, and then her dagger eyes fell from mine. I let out a happy sigh and followed her back into the gym again.
    “I just don’t understand where it could have gone,” she said, dramatically throwing her hands into the air.
    I silently prayed that she wouldn’t look up.
    “Hey,” I said, stopping in front of her.
    I took a chance that she wouldn’t punch me, and I grabbed her small hips and hoisted her up onto the stage.
    “Look, it’s late,” I said, looking at the imaginary watch on my wrist and positioning my body so that it was square with hers and touching her legs.
    She looked a little thrown off, but she didn’t protest.
    “We’ll look for it again tomorrow and the next day and the day after that, if we have to,” I said. “And we’ll keep looking for it, until it turns up.”
    Her eyes fell to her lap. She looked defeated. And I wasn’t sure if she even noticed that I was touching her.
    I dramatically sucked in a big breath of air. Then, I brought the back of my hand to her chin and gently lifted it until her eyes were in mine.
    “We’ll find it,” I said.
    She smiled a pouty smile.
    Damn it. I loved that smile too.
    “It’s just my favorite,” she said. “I bought it with my babysitting money. I’ve had it for a long time.”
    Ugh. For the first time, I started to feel bad about hiding it from her. I paused, while the words, Let’s look for it in the rafters , fumbled around on my tongue.
    But quickly, there was a second thought. That precious ball of hers could buy me some precious time with her. Time, I quickly and easily decided; I wanted time.
    “I’m sure it’s in a safe place,” I reassured her.
    She half-heartedly smiled.
    “Thanks for helping me look for it,” she said, meeting my gaze.
    My eyes immediately turned guilty, and I quickly tossed them to the floor before she could read them.
    She sighed, and then I looked up again.
    “In the meantime, are you hungry?” I asked.
    Her green, suspicious eyes were on me fast.
    “I was thinking maybe we should grab some dinner at Donna’s,” I continued.
    “Will Stephens,” she scolded and pushed past me, jumping off of the stage and landing with both feet onto the wooden gym floor.
    “Nice try, but I’ve got to get home,” she said, grabbing her duffle bag.
    “Maybe tomorrow