Simple Deal

Twenty: A

Justin:

"Man, have you been in touch with Katie lately?" Ryan asked, the moment I dropped the controller down next to me on the empty seat. "I heard she's coming here for like four days—"

"Are you talking about Katie, the little nerd we grew up with that detested sitting on airplanes?" I questionied back, feeling a little bit of guilt piling in my chest as I thought about the last time I'd actually spoken to her. . . It's been months. And I don't just mean five months. . . it's been nearly a year since I'd contacted her.

I mean, sure, we grew up together but it didn't mean we were close. She was always closer with Ryan and Chaz, just not me. No, we were perfectly fine and I liked her as a friend but that's just it. Besides, I didn't mind that, she wasn't very approachable as a kid. . . always too shy to socialize with people.

"Yep, her," Ryan took a long swig of his drink before setting it down on the coffee table. "She's still the same little nerd. She told me last night she'd be reaching here tonight, and I thought maybe the both of us could fetch her?"

My eyebrows furrowed; I let out a low hiss. "I wish I could, but I can't, man. Tonight's the night I'm supposed to bring Beth out on our date. It's the night I'm finally able getting her to be my girlfriend. . . I've been waiting on this damn day since forever," I told him honestly, turning my head to look at him.

All he did was nod, but his sharp blue eyes that bored right through me was telling me otherwise. He wanted me to go and fetch Katie with him; he didn't want me to go on a date with Beth. But I just couldn't tell him yes, I couldn't. It's been so long since I've spoken to Katie that I didn't even think she'd still consider us as close friends. Now, we were probably just acquaintances with mutual friends. . .

Beth meant more than anyone to me at the moment, and that's just that.

"She's gonna be disappointed," Ryan said, seriously, pulling a sympathetic look. "It's a pity, though. She told me she misses you and shit."

"First of all, I'd like to point out the fact that we've never been close ever since we met," I lifted my eyebrows, holding out my index finger at Ryan. "Second of all, the last time I actually spoke to her was about ten months ago. . . I don't really know why we just stopped keeping in touch, but basically, we stopped. Third of all, she's always so quiet around me that I don't quite know what to do with her sometimes. Now she probably thinks we're not even friends anymore."

Ryan squeezed his eyes shut and barked a laugh, shaking his head, looking like he had just been entertained. I narrowed my eyes down to slits, feeling my frown deepening by the second. Just what exactly was so funny about the facts I'd just stated?

"Wrong," he said. "You're wrong. All these time, she still considered you one of her best friends. I know she thinks you never placed in effort into your friendship with her, but I also know she'd never let anyone know about that. She thinks you dislike her or something, since you never really talk to her. . . you always just smile at her and make small talks, never making it last. That's why."

"What the fuck was I supposed to do?" I raised my voice, becoming slightly agitated, thanks to my frustration. "She never came up to me, and I think it's rather tiring having to go up to her when I have other friends that would come up to me and talk to me about other shit. I tried, bro, I tried. I tried putting in effort to be a better friend but it just seems like she's too fucking shy to speak to me. It just ultimately made me give up."