𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 | 𝐠𝐮𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞

⁰¹ | The diagnosis

"Maybe you can go with your mom for Christmas this year," he suggests, turning into our newly paved driveway. "I think she'd like that, and you'd get to see your friends again."

"Maybe," I say even though Christmas is still over six months away, and thinking about it now goes against my whole 'living in the now' thing. "I think I'm gonna go play with the guys. Russ told me they're having a game today."

Dad purses his lips and in an uncomfortable voice asks, "All those boys?"

I roll my eyes and lightly laugh. "Dad, it's been two years. If anything was going to happen, it would have already."

"Okay," he hesitantly spoke. "Be safe."

He was still adjusting to raising a teenage girl by himself. He didn't understand that I can be just friends with boys--not everyone has to like everyone. He still hasn't mastered the art of shutting my bedroom door after he leaves or how to socialize with my girl friends from school. And most of all, he didn't get that I wasn't interested in anyone within 1,930 miles.

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 1996 was miserably hot, and living in California's desert didn't make it any better. The street puck boys apparently hadn't taken this into consideration last night and were utterly shocked when it was decided to be too hot to play in the beating afternoon sun. They argued that no one was going to pass out from the heat (this time), though we all knew that was bullshit.

Instead, I lay on the bed of my air-conditioned room and dial in the numbers I knew by heart.

"Banks residence," a voice answers after three rings.

I can hear the muffled munching of probably some wholegrain ten-calorie protein snack. "What are you stuffing your face with now?"

"Hey, Maeve," Adam says. "A high protein granola bar. My dad thinks that if I eat these all summer, it'll give me a better chance of making varsity hockey for high school."

"Wow, he's going for varsity," I pretend to be shocked even though it's a given that Adam Banks will make the team. "Any Charlie updates?"

"Well besides the fact that he's a complete idiot...nothing."

I groan and roll onto my back. "What'd he do now?"

"He's still so oblivious to the fact that I like him! I mean, how dense can one person be?"

"Have you ever thought about, you know...just telling him?"

I hear his back sink into his couch and he puts his feet on the glass coffee table (his mom hates this). "I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because I could screw up the entire team."

"They all practically know, Adam."

"It could get around and the town will accuse me of witchcraft or something."

"Are you living in Salem all of the sudden?"

He sighs out of frustration. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I'm just trying to defuse the tension."

"I feel like Charlie wouldn't know how to respond. He's so on and off with me. I just want him to make up his mind already, you know? Does he want me or not?" Adam continues.

Flashbacks hit me and my nose gets stuffy. "Yeah, I get it."

"I don't want to rush him if he is like me, but I can't be his little science experiment. If he likes me back, great. But I'm sick of being led on."

"It sounds like I need to kick his ass," I comment.

He laughs and asks me about the Les Averman joke of the week.

"Seagulls fly over the sea because if they flew over the bay, they'd be bagels," I repeat.

"That's incredibly corny."

"Yeah," I agree. "But at least he's joking again."

"What's going on in Cali? How's Russ?"

"He's good. There was supposed to be another game today, but we called it off."

"Is he still trying to set you up with random friends of his?"

I laugh. "He thinks he's found me the one every time, but it doesn't work out."

"Maybe you should give it a shot. Russ told me about that Anthony guy."

Hesitation fills me and I sit up suddenly. "How is everyone else?"

Adam pauses for a moment and I know he's thinking about his words carefully. "They're fine. You know, you might have left at the best time because you're missing the awful effects of puberty."

"Tell me more."

"Well, Fulton broke his hand punching a wall a few months back."

I hum in sarcasm. "Sounds like 15 is really treating you guys well."

"Yeah."

The phone went silent for a long second. Adam's breathing was quiet like he was in deep thought.

"Anything else?" I ask.

"Maeve..."

"I just want to know what's going on," I claim, but I think we both know that wasn't the full truth.

Adam sighs. "He hasn't been around a lot lately, but when he is, he's just angry. He can be snappy."

I twist the phone cord around my finger slowly. "Are you guys going to the Hall's tonight?"

"Yeah, they're having another dinner of Jesse's favorites. You know the one they had for his birthday and first anniversary?"

My eyes start to sting and I can feel the meds wearing off. "I can't believe tomorrow is two years already. Will you tell everyone I say hi and that I'm thinking of coming back for Christmas?"

"Yeah, of course," he answers.

"Okay, I've got to go," I blurt out. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too, M."

The connection cuts out and I bite down on my fingernail. I love my dad and living in such a beautiful place. But it doesn't feel like home--not the way Minnesota does. California doesn't have frozen ponds or outdoor skating. It doesn't have the tree in between Adam's window and mine. It might have movie stars and millionaires, but it doesn't have the Ducks.

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a/n - A short chapter to start the last one. If this goes in the way I hope, it's gonna be full of drama and heartbreak. Comments and votes are highly appreciated!