I DON'T. [harvey mills]

Seven.

It has been one week since the breakup and things are starting to get weird. Emily has been acting so distant. She hasn't said a word to me. How come? Was I really the reason for the breakup? On the other hand, Bryce has been talking to me more and more each time, so I feel like it has all really been about me.

I've come to those conclusions just now that I'm at the park, sitting on a bench and listening to some music, when someone taps my shoulder.

"Hey". It's him, Bryce. "Can I sit here?"

"Yeah, yep, sure! What are you doing here, though?"

"I just came out for a run" he says in a very natural way, he is a very athletic kind of guy.

"Oh, nice!"

"Yeah." He answers " I'm guessing you heard about everything..."

"Everything? About..."

"The breakup. My friends told me you heard"

"Right. Right, sorry, I didn't mean to pry"

"You didn't. It's okay. They were just being... idiots... saying things that aren't meant to be said out loud in a place with many people that can hear"

I laugh "friends can be assholes too"

"Yeah" he laughs "so... do you got plans for Friday afternoon?"

Plans? Me, having plans? When Bryce is the one asking me? "Plans? No, I-I don't have any plans. I'm free. Why?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to go get Starbucks with me or something?"

I smile, "sure, that'd be nice".

"Good. It's a date". My heart stops. I have a date with Bryce McPherson. Can it get any better than this? Yeah, I bet he called it a date just for the hell of it, because as far as he knows, I'm with Harvey. But I think I'll still consider this a real date.

•••

It's Friday. I can't believe our date is today. Honestly, I'm kind of nervous. What's going to happen? Is he gonna kiss me? Yeah, what if that happens? Okay no, let's keep it real. I sigh. I'll keep my expectations low as always.

"Oh, you're here. It's time to end this for once and for all" I say to myself when Mason walks by. I walk up to him fast and infuriated, and push him towards the corner. "You've made many mistakes but this one is the worst one yet. Do you not think? How stupid do you have to be to do something like this, huh? Are you like completely out of your mind? And how can everyone just believe you're telling the truth? You're fucking lying about everything! We never dated! And you should know why! You're no victim, Mason! You're a dick. That's what you are!"

"I'm sorry, Morgan. I really am. Please believe me. I never meant for this to go so far. I only told a couple of my friends and I guess it got out of hand" he tells me scratching the back of his neck.

"You guess? Literally everyone heard! And why did it ever occur to you to make something up? Like... why?"

"Why do you think?"

"I don't know. Some sort of revenge?"

"No, Morgan. I wanted my friends to believe I had done something right" he says sounding kind of ashamed.

"And tell them I had cheated on you?"

"Well that was actually something I told them after they saw you yelling at me the other day"

"Wow, Mason. You literally are way more stupid than I thought." I tell him with a fake smile "But you know what? I'm not going to do anything. I don't give a shit if people talk. People always talk. But you better not make anything else up, or else"

"Or else?"

"No, no. You know what? Actually, things will take care of themselves, you'll see. I have way better things to do than to care about someone like you"

•••

It's finally the afternoon, Bryce comes to my place and picks me up. I'm wishing Harvey doesn't see this. Don't know why. I just don't want him finding out. We talk during our walk to Starbucks, and let me just tell you, I'm enjoying this so much.

"Wait. Does Harvey know we are here? Together?"

"No", I grab the cup and stare at it. Should I tell him the truth? "I don't think he would mind, anyway"

"But you two are... a thing. Maybe you should tell him about it" he laughs as we enter the place, "I don't want him to come at me for inviting his girlfriend out for a coffee"

"Yeah... he's not... I mean, we're not... together."

"What do you mean?"

"It was... sorta a lie." And then, I lie again "It was a bet we had. I lost, and... I had to tell everyone we were dating". It's such a stupid lie, but he still somehow believed it.

"Oh... but... then... what about that Mason thing?"

I roll my eyes, "Something he made up"

"I thought so..."

"Yeah... yeah..." I say and look at the cup once again. "Why did you and Emily break up? If it's not too personal"

"We still haven't really talked about it, but... we just weren't meant to be. It wasn't working. And it wouldn't have worked. She wasn't happy... and that's okay... maybe I didn't even like her that much"

"And how are you holding up?"

"Uh..." he sighs, "it was very hard at first but that's my point: maybe if I liked her that much, we would've made it work. Whatever, you know? There are many fish in the sea"

Wow. Many fish in the sea. Could be an indirect. He wants me. He just doesn't really want to admit it, or say it to my face. He is probably way too scared to do it. That's all.

"Oh, um, I almost forgot, one of my friends is throwing a party next Friday. I'll send you the location later if you wanna go."

There's no way I could turn down an opportunity this big, honestly, so I say, "Sure, sure, I'll be there"

•••

I'm getting ready in my room, when Mae walks in. "Where are you going? You look stunning!" She says.

"To tell you the truth, a week ago, I-uh... went to Starbucks with Bryce"

"McPherson?"

"That's the one."

"Oooh. Just the two of you?"

"Yup. Just the two of us. And he invited me to a party, so I'm going!"

"But you rarely ever go to parties"

"Yeah but we're talking about Bryce. I can't just not go" I tell her while looking through my clothes.

"So you're still into him? What about Harvey? Do you not like him... or feel anything... at all?"

"Uh... no." I respond a little hesitant. Why did I just hesitate? Lately it seems like people want me to like him, but like... why? I grab my things and head towards the door "I gotta go. Talk later"

What if I do like him?