Life in Search ✔️

18 ~ Listen

Scarlett still isn't talking to me.

She's gone radio silent. Abandoned me with no sign of survival. Left the chat for no reason. To cut it short, I'm lonely, very lonely. That's how I find myself back at Gabe's house again Sunday afternoon, the silence is eating at me.

I'm a people person and Scarlett and Sage are my gateway into our entire friend group. James is usually preoccupied with Stella, although he should be here today, and ever since my conversation with Ella, I've been avoiding her like the plague.

Very mature.

Plopping myself on Gabe's bed, I eat a slice of pizza as I wait for him to come back. James enters the room, bottles of soda in hand. Nodding hello, I take one and start to drink it. Something I regret seconds later when Zev walks through the door.

Automatically soda goes through my nose as I choke on the bubbles. What the hell is he doing here? 

"Dude, you okay?" He asks, handing me a napkin.

Eyeing him, I snag it from his hand. "Yeah, dude, I'm fine." But I was doing a lot better before you walked into the room.

I watch him take a seat on the edge of the bed, fighting the urge to kick him onto the floor. That would be petty. As Gabe comes back, I shake my head. How long do I have to stay until it's socially acceptable to leave?

Thirty minutes later I'm about to just get up and leave. It doesn't matter what I do, Zev has to make a comment. I lose a game, he tells me it's no big deal. I win a game he's the first to congratulate me. I can't handle it.

Gabe seems to read my annoyance, finally pausing the game before I strangle his best friend with the controller cord. "So, James, how's Stella?"

He shrugs, that stupid grin appearing on his face. "Good, it's weird to feel like a person with valid opinions."

I snort at his sarcasm as I tear into a piece of pizza, relationships are the last thing I want to talk about. Zev seems a little too happy to be on this topic of conversation.

"So, you've already found out if you're... compatible?" Zev asks.

We all share a look before James laughs, "You want to know if I'm sleeping with her yet?"

"Well, yeah, but you're a more emotional dude." He says, "I didn't want to upset you."

James stops laughing, "No, what's wrong with you? It's only been two weeks. I know you idiots are foreign to real relationships but good ones don't work like that." He slaps Zev upside the head.

"I'd just be curious to know who's better." He says, rubbing the side of his face.

Why are we talking about this? I have to look Stella in the eyes tomorrow and she scares me too much to be listening to this.

"First of all, I wouldn't answer that question even if we had slept together so stop being weird. Secondly, Avery and I only did it a couple times so it's not like I'm super hung up on her."

Gabe coughs, pounding on his chest. "You only slept with Avery a few times?" James nods his head, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"We didn't like each other. We both knew that months, maybe even over a year ago." He clarifies.

That's so much wasted time on someone. Imagine all the gifts he bought her. The money he spent on food and time spent listening to her bitch.

"But you guys dated for almost four years." Gabe mumbles out in complete disbelief.  

I must agree that it sounds crazy and painful.

"Don't remind me." He spits out.