Chasing Possibility

Eli Wesley - T H I R T E E N

© an affiniteas 2012-2013 ink on Wattpad

 Eli Wesley – T H I R T E E N

 

 From the confrontation with Haley to Mr. Clarke ending up in the hospital, all that mattered to me were the Clarke's.  After coming home from the hospital, I was sure of my decision. Those feelings I had for Haley were long gone. 

 The next afternoon, I spent it with the guys. I wasn't able to think of a way to tell them. They still didn't know.

 Preston continued to nag at me while we were racing at his place — with a game console and controllers, of course. This was the usual thing to do when we're too lazy to drive anywhere. Right now, I was owning Preston. 

 During Haley's party, Coops and Preston scored dates with these girls we met during spring break at a USC frat party. I helped them get in despite coming from different schools. There was a third girl, Kate, but since I was with Lana, they ended up asking Tyler Benson. A horrible replacement, if I say so myself. Not really responding to Preston's question due to my focused mindset, Coops grunted. 

 “Tyler wanted to get in her pants the entire time.”

 Coops hated hormonal crazed guys like Tyler. Make that two of us. Preston peeked over his shoulder for a quick second and laughed. 

 “And Francesca seemed more into you than you were, bro.”

 I stifled a laugh — not only because I was close to the finish line — but, Coops also had to add that Francesca O'Henry was a complete psycho.

 As my car passed the finish line, I threw my fist up and grinned in triumphant at Preston. Coops whooped in the back while Preston rolled his eyes, saying that I was just lucky. I doubt that.

 Handing the PS3 controller to Coops, we switched places. Coops plopped onto the black bean bag couch beside Preston, and I sat on the gray suede futon against the wall. Preston's bedroom was bigger than ours combined. This was the ideal place to chill. We were always jealous of him since middle school. He even had a fully furnished one bedroom loft back in Boston where he goes to college. The perks of being a single child.

 As they started another round, I blurted out my thoughts. “Couldn't you have picked someone better? Tyler, really?”

 Coops' attention was stuck on the flat screen TV as he teased. “We told Kate that Tyler was just like you, so it wouldn't make much of a difference. She's probably scared out of her mind now.”

 The two burst into laughter. I ended up throwing my plain black snapback at them even though Kate's opinion about me didn't matter. Preston tossed my hat back, and it was only then they asked about the party. The only thing I told them last night was that I would tell them everything tomorrow — which was now. 

 There was no way I could avoid this. I glanced down at my hat and felt my mood slowly drain out. The feeling of victory beating Preston was no longer there. 

 “Yesterday was... complicated.”

 All of a sudden, Preston paused the game. There was only one thing that would cause Preston to ever stop a game. If a zombie apocalypse happened. Last time I checked, there were no flesh eating monsters outside, so it surprised me.

 He cursed before he said, “This whole time you're acting like everything's okay! What went wrong?”

 Preparing myself, I stared at their worried eyes. “Hear me out, guys.”