Decisions and Mayhem | ✓

Chapter 17

"David, wait," I yelled, making him turn to look at me with wide eyes. He had been avoiding me all week, and I had finally had enough. "We need to talk," I muttered, walking up to him. He was standing by his locker, and he looked like he had been in the middle of swapping his books when I had called him.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" I asked when he turned away from me to continue looking through his locker. He didn't answer me, and I frowned, reaching out to shake him by the shoulder lightly. "Come on, explain why you've been avoiding me."

That seemed to have gotten to him because he shrugged my hand off. "What the hell do you want?" he asked in a hush yet firm tone as he turned to face me. A frown had formed on his face, and I realized how shifty he was being.

"I just want to talk," I said raising my hands up in mock surrender. "really."

David's frown softened a bit, and he let out a sigh. "Fine," he said before locking his locker and making to walk past me towards an empty hallway. I followed him, and when we had both gotten there he rested his back against the wall before staring straight at me.

"Why are you avoiding me?" I asked, and his frown fell before he made to look away.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked, and I sighed, running a hand through my hair. Why was David acting like this? He looked angry and nervous at the same time, and it didn't make any sense. What's up with that.

"I just want my friend back." I shrugged, and David bit his bottom lip before letting out a sigh.

"Tim asked me to give you guys time together, so that's what I'm doing," I heard David confess as his freckled face seemed to grow red with color. "He likes you a lot, you should give him a chance."

I frowned at him, watching him shuffle bit before he looked up to stare at me with a forced smile. I looked away, not knowing how to respond to that.

"I've talked to Tim about it. I don't like him that way, so yeah," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. I had suspected David avoiding me had something to do with Tim, but David looked so shifty and miserable about it. I hadn't expected him to just go with it just because Tim said so.

"I like Wyatt, so," I said, feeling the silent void as I looked down at the ground. "So, yeah."

"Oh," David simply said, covering his freckled face. "Okay."

"Will you stop avoiding me now?" I asked, watching as David took his hands away from his face and looked at me. His red curls bounced with the motion of him nodding his head, and I smiled.

"I will," he said audibly. We both chucked after a while of just staring at each other, and when the laughter died down we were both just smiling.

"You like Tim, right?" I asked and watched as David's face turned three shades redder. I laughed, watching as he looked away from me. "I kind of figured it out. I mean, there's no way you would agree to no talk to your best friend just because a random person said so," I said as David looked up at me again.

He let out a sigh before shrugging. "Okay, maybe I do, but he doesn't like me so..." he trailed.

"You should go for it and ask him out — okay, maybe not ask him out ask him out, but ask him to hang out," I suggested, and David's eyes grew wide before he shook his head like I had asked him to cut off his big toe.

"He likes you, not me," he said, making me roll my eyes as I hummed to myself.

"Well, you don't know what will happen. Just ask him, okay?" I said, and after a while, David nodded in response.

"We should be heading for lunch, the time's running out," I said, looking down at my watch. David nodded, and together we headed for the cafeteria. Tim seemed surprised to see us walk towards the table together, but he didn't say anything. For the first time in a long while the table wasn't so quiet. David and I talked, and from time to time Tim would chime into our discussion.

After lunch, I had the rest of my classes and I sat with David in the ones I had with him. At the end of the school day, we headed to the school gates to wait for the bus. Juana was far off talking to her friends, and Tim was nowhere in sight yet.

"So, does Wyatt know that you like him?" David asked, making my eyes go wide as I turned to him.

"Don't look at me like that. It's not like anyone's listening in," he said, and I relaxed a bit before thinking about how to answer his question.

The day was bright, and the gate area was noisy as usual. I let my eyes move to the concert pavement as I tried to put my words together in my mind. I eventually just let out a low sigh before looking up at David. "I really don't know if he knows. I haven't told him though," I said, watching as David nodded at my words.

"Well, are you going to tell him?" he asked, and my face grew warm as I looked away. Wyatt was Twenty and in college, and I was well — the high schooler, who also happened to be the son of his father's girlfriend. I'm not sure I was high up on the list of probable date options.

"I'm taking my time," I muttered, and David laughed in response. The bus came to pick us up a few minutes later. I sat beside David like I used to, and he rambled on about the game he was into and the moment, and he also complained about his school workload. Sometimes he would talk about Tim, and there would be an odd glint in his eyes as he spoke softly. I smiled, looking away from him and out the window to observe the passing scenery. I hoped things worked out for David.

My mind suddenly moved to Jay, and I wondered how he was doing, and where he was. I hadn't seen him all day, and he hadn't tried to contact me again. A grimaced, realizing that what he was going through right now was largely my fault. I sighed, reaching into my pocket to take out my phone before I searched for Jay's number. Pressing his name and loading the text bar I sent him a message.

Message to: Jay.

Hey, how are you?

THURS, 3:22 PM.

Message from: Jay.

Fuck off Ant.

THURS, 3:23 PM.

I blinked at the almost immediate reply, not quite sure how to respond to his text.

Message to: Jay.

I'm sorry, okay? If there was a way I could help you out, I would. You just have to tell me. How are your parents taking it? Have they calmed down? Would it be bad if I asked you to keep me updated?

THURS, 3:25 PM.

Message from: Jay.

My parents are still mad about it, but they're now pretending like it never happened, and I'm not sure if I'm relieved or uncomfortable.

Typing...

Well, I'm glad no one's yelling at me anymore.

Yes, it would be bad to ask me to keep you updated. You've already done enough damage.

Typing...

You can't do anything to help, damage done.

Typing...

Urg, what the hell did I see in you.

THURS, 3: 27 PM.

I stared down at the texts not knowing what to do, so I just locked my phone and shoved it back into my pocket. I rested my head on the glass window, looking out of it as the bus drove through the streets.