"NO!" I said loudly, startling both of us.
"What?" he asked.
"I just...can't," I said, putting my hand on his chest, but only to keep him at bay.
Jared sighed.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come off this strong," he said, shaking his head.
"No, it's not your fault dude, really. It's not you, it's me," I said, resting my hand on his arm, realizing how cliche that must have sounded.
"Sure..."
"No, I mean it," I said. "It's just...I'm having trouble getting over my ex completely."
"Oh..."
"Believe me," I smiled, "it really IS me."
Jared sighed & placed his glass of wine on a nearby cabinet.
"So what do we do now? For the rest of the night I mean?" he said.
"I think I should go," I scratched my arm.
"Go? C'mon Noah, stick around. We can watch some movies, I know how to cook an awesome microwavable mac & cheese dinner...we won't do anything you don't wanna do, you have my word."
I shook my head sadly. "Sorry Jared. Maybe another night though, you have MY word. But I just can't tonight." I felt bad. It really WASN'T him. He was being a nice host actually.
His eyes dropped to the floor & he sighed. With a pout, he nodded his head & turned around to lead us back upstairs. When we made it back up, I grabbed my coat & headed for the door. Opening it, I turned around to see Jared standing in the kitchen, looking rather upset with his hands in his pockets. Not that I could blame him.
"Text me later ok? We can set something else up for another time, how 'bout that?" I said with a smile.
He nodded, unconvinced. "Sounds good."
"I mean it."
"I believe you," he smiled, lying.
I gave him one last smile before I left.
When I got back home, I saw a note on the fridge from dad, saying he would be in London for the next six days. I headed up to my room, took off my shoes & fell face down onto the bed. Just then I heard the doorbell ring. Moaning, I lifted my head & took a big breath. I didn't feel like getting up.
"THE DOOR'S OPEN!" I bellowed. I didn't think they would hear me, whoever it was, but apparently they did, for the next thing I heard was the front door opening from downstairs.
"Who is it?" I yelled down.
No response.
"Hello?" I called.
Still nothing. I could faintly hear somebody walking around downstairs.
"HELLO?!" I shouted louder.
Still, I heard no voice. The footsteps were becoming louder.
I sat up, a teeny tink of fear creeping into my stomach.
"Dad?!" I called.
There was still no response. I began to breathe heavier & feel my muscles tighten in fear as I heard footsteps approach my door.
I nearly jumped out of my skin as I heard what sounded like nails....or claws...being scratched & dragged against my door. I gripped my bedsheets as the hair on the back of my neck stood up, my skin feeling cold all of a sudden.
I just about wet myself as I heard the door open & footsteps coming up the stairs. It was Collin.
"Hey dude, what's up?"
I shot him an angry look.
"What is WRONG with you?!"
"What?" he laughed.
"You know WHAT. Why didn't you answer me? You nearly scared me to death."
"That's the fun, dur?" he said. Oh, well of course. Silly me.
"What are you doing here?
"A pal can't come by to see how his pal is doing without being questioned?" Collin said femininely with a hand to his chest.
I raised an eyebrow.
"I'm bored."
I rolled my eyes.
"What about you? What are you fancied up for?"
"I just had a date with Jared," I said, brushing my bangs aside.
"Who?" he cocked his head.
"Jared..?"
Blank.
"The kid we met at that club you took me to."
"Ohhh!" he said. His face seemed to darken, but only for a moment. "I didn't know you guys were seeing each other."
"I don't know if we are either," I said.
"What do you mean?" he asked, walking over & sitting next to me on my bed.
"Well," I offered him a pillow to hold, "We had a nice time out, but then we got back to his place and-"
"YOU GUYS DID IT?!" he shouted.
I stared at him. "No...we didn't..."
"Oh," he calmed down. "Go on."
"Well, he brought me down to his parents' wine cellar & he kissed me & he was obviously trying to go much further but I just couldn't do it."
"Couldn't get it up, huh?"
I turned to him.
"Sorry."
"THE POINT IS," I tried to clarify, "is that I'm not ready for a relationship right now. I mean with everything going on, that's just too much stress." I stood up & began to slowly pace back & forth across the floor.
"Unless it was getting back together with J," Collin said.
I stopped my pacing & picked up a nearby pencil off the bureau to fiddle with.
"Yeah."
"So you actually like this guy Jeremy-"
"Jared."
"Right. But unless it's with Parker next door, it's a no-go?"
"I don't know...GUH!" I grunted & pulled my hair, plopping back down on the bed. "I'm SO confused! I don't know what I want. Do I want Jared or Jade? I mean Jared is new, he's fresh, he has this very care-free attitude & he's super cool. I mean Jade is all that too but a lot's happened lately so I haven't really seen that side of him in a while. Ugh...I dunno. I just can't figure out what I want..."
"Hey," I felt him pat me on the back, "maybe it's time to try the ladies."
"COLLIN!"
"Sorry."
But just then, I lifted my head. Try the ladies. Not ME obviously but...Jade. Jade had told me he had developed feelings for a girl he encountered every time he went to work at Dade's. Maybe if...
"What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?" I turned to my loyal friend.
"What exactly am I doing again?" Collin asked as he stared through the binoculars.
The next day, I had decided to bring Collin along with me while I observed what Jade could be so enthralled about in this "mystery girl." The two of us hid behind a few bushes across the street from Dade's, allowing us to look through the glass windows of the shop.
"You're looking to see if any girls who walk in seem to flirt with Jade & the other way around."
"The other way around? I was kidding yesterday when I said he was straight now," he looked at me incredulously.
"Don't worry about it right now, keep looking."
He sighed & shook his head. "Man, I've heard of jealous ex girlfriends doing this kind of shit but YOU?"
"JUST...keep on the lookout."
He scoffed.
"Sir yes sir," he muttered under his breath.
As Collin kept his eyes on the store, I looked up & down the sidewalks, wondering if by some sense, I'd be able to tell which girl would walk in & would be the girl Jade was apparently infatuated with. But there were just too many people. How could this girl stand out? What was so special about her? What did she have...that I didn't?
For the next 45 minutes, we squatted in the bushes watching people come & go, some noticing us & giving us strange looks. I didn't care. If they cared about somebody they'd understand it's perfectly ok to hide in bushes across the street from that person.
"I'm bored," Collin whined like a child.
"Just keep looking," I replied. I was now sitting on my butt, legs sprawled out in front of me, my back against Collin, who was still on his knees looking through the binoculars.
"Why don't YOU try your hand at espionage?" he said.
"I have too much on my MIND to be looking," I said rather stupidly.
"Ugh."
To be honest, I was getting bored too. And hungry. I looked at my watch & was just about to concur with Collin when he spoke.
"Hey uh, captain?" he said.
"What?" I said, ignoring his sarcasm.
"I got a visual," he said with a fist over his mouth like a radio call.
My ears perked up.
"What does she look like?" I asked, looking up at him.
"Female. Possibly 16, 17 years old. Styled light brown hair, shoulder length. Nice big eyes. Color unidentifiable."
"Collin..."
"Approximately 5'6". North Face jacket," he kept going with his officer voice. "Blue jeans, dark green shirt on..."
"Collin, just let me-"
"...oooh man & an ass you would not BELIEVE. Aww she turned around. WAIT! Ohhh she's got a nice pair of hoots dude. Makes ya just wanna take 'em & go- GAAGHH!!" he yelped as I yanked the binoculars from his hands so I could see for myself whatever it was he was blabbering about. The strap that had been holding the binoculars around his neck pulled Collin's face right up against mine, cheek to cheek.
"Uhhh, Noah?"
"Shush."
Looking through the glass, I saw the girl he was talking about. She was normal-chest-sized. But I guess for Collin that was just as good as being bigger. Men.
I had to admit, she WAS a pretty girl. She had a cute face to her & I got the sense that she was one of those girls who had a cute face & a cute personality to go with it. As I watched her & Jade, I noticed that...they weren't talking to each other. In fact, all they were doing was stealing glances at each other here & there. And they seemed to LIKE it. It was like a movie with them going back & forth. He'd look, she'd look up, he'd look down, only to look back up...& see her looking back, followed by a few embarrassed smiles & chuckles. They were flirting. They were flirting right in front of me. Jaden...with this...this...this girl.
"They're...they're just looking at each other," I said.
"Huh?"
"They're flirting, but they're not saying anything to each other. They're just looking back & forth at each other."
"Maybe he fixed his curves & went straight. I mean look at her dude, she's bajangin'," Collin said.
"YOU'RE NOT HELPING!"
I looked back through the binoculars. This was just too weird.
"So what are you gonna do?" he asked me.
Guess there was only one thing TO do.
"We're goin' in," I said.
He groaned. I was suddenly aware of our physical predicament.
"Dude, shave. I can feel your stubble," I said, feeling the roughness of his cheek against mine.
"Whatever you say captain."
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