Telepatía

20 | aspartame

His only comment to me was 'my day is getting better,' which sounded rich coming from him. Instead, I took it positively, seeing the way he sat next to me instead of walking away.

It was a subtle sign of acknowledgment and appreciation that he was likely too shy to express directly.

His body language suggested he was pleased to have me there, even if he was unable to express it openly. He may not have been able to express it verbally, but his body language spoke volumes, demonstrating his pleasure in my presence.

I take that this is Russell's personality, and I can't do anything to change it, nor would I even try. He's a very laid-back person the more I get to know him, and strangely enough, I enjoy his company even when I do the majority of the talking and he just sits there wordlessly. Anyone would think it's awkward, but sometimes silence is a safe space to be in.

On the other hand, there are times when Russell's silence is frustrating. I want to be able to have a normal conversation with him, and not feel like I'm pulling teeth to get him to say anything. I worry that he's not really interested in what I have to say and that he's just tolerating me because he has to.

It's like trying to read a map in the dark. You know where you want to go, but all of the details are shrouded in darkness and you can't see the bigger picture. You can try to guess the right path, but you never really know until the light comes back on.

In some ways, knowing someone is listening is comforting - not entirely a wall, but white noise in the background.

He's not entirely unresponsive. There were moments when I thought I heard him hum under his breath or nod once or twice when I cracked a few jokes. However, I could be completely wrong and assume he actually cared to listen to what I had to say. You never really know with Russell.

But then again, when I consider falling asleep to the sound of white noise, it's not so terrible. Could get used to it.

"Can't they just end it in a tie? Split the prize or something?" Jade says as we laugh at her ridiculous suggestions. "Our school has been defending for six straight minutes. It's unbelievable. I could have been out partying downtown instead of this high school game."

Her last sentence caused Skye to end her recording. She turns to Jade, frowning. "I thought you said you wanted to come and support Kade and Theo?"

Jade's face contorted. "Skye, you forced me."

"I did not!"

They both began to argue while my eyes stayed on the field.

"Whatever, I'm over it." Jade finally says, accepting that she'd rather lose the argument than hurt sensitive Skye.

"Oh, my God! Did you see that?" Skye's gasp causes us to turn our attention back to the playoffs.

Enter the goalie, Christian, a lean boy around the height of 5'8. He gets into a squat position as Theo races in his direction. He kicks the ball deep on the other side of the field in hopes that one of his teammates will catch up to it and score.

Christian braces himself, and with lightning-fast reflexes, he dives to the side to make a save, keeping the other team from scoring.

"And I told him I didn't care if he had a fucking Lambo," Jade began. Just as I thought her story had come to an end, she continued. "Mind you, this guy was half our age and a shit-faced drunk wanting to dance with me."

Instead of dwelling on it, I let her explanation pass from my left ear out to my right. I felt like a terrible friend, but I could barely focus on anything while having someone talk at the same time.