Blue Sky and Other Things That Are Good For You

Chapter Twenty-Two

“okay, here's the problem,” Conner starts, “we're his friends, yeah, and we've been friends for awhile now. But you know who really knows him? Blake. And they aren't talking.”

“oh my god! Thank you Conner!” I jump out of my seat and close the top to my container.

Conner looks at me like I'm crazy, “what did I do?” he asks everyone and they all shrug as I rush through the lunchroom to where Blake sat with a group of jocks. All eyes were on me as I stood beside the table.

“Blake, could I talk to you please?” I ask.

I was waiting for some nasty reply or something but that didn't come. He nodded and got up from his seat, excusing himself from the table.

“what do you want?” he asks slightly rudely when we're away from the table.

“I need your help with something.”

“no, I'm not going to cure your virginity.”

I stare at him like he's crazy, “uh, thank you?” I say, “that wasn't what I need your help with.”

“oh, whoops.”

“anyways, you've known Ryan since you guys were little, right?”

“yeah, I guess.”

“you guess?”

“look, what do you want Sky? I don't have time for all this nonsense. And if you haven't noticed, I haven't talked to Ryan since Halloween.”

“fine. Do you have any idea what he would want for his birthday?”

Blake smirks, “I can think of a few, yeah.”

“that's not sexual.”

his face drops like he's thinking, “um, a couple.”

“and those would be...?”

“why am I helping you again?”

“you know what, never mind.” I start to walk away but he gently grabs my wrist and pulls me back.

“wait, that was out of line. Sorry.”

“yeah, cause that apology was convincing.” he let go of my wrist.

“Ryan-” before he could finish the sentence someone punched him in the jaw. I looked to my side and saw a very unhappy Ryan standing there.

“talk to her again and I'll do more damage than that!” Ryan yells at him and then pulls me back to the lunchroom.

“um Ryan?” I ask and he stops.

“what?” he asks, still sounding mad about what had gone on in the halls.

“I was asking Blake for help because I didn't know what to get you for your birthday. He wasn't doing anything.”

“why were you asking Blake?”

“because Joel, Eli, Nate, Conner, and Dominic were no help. And I know that you and Blake had been friends since you were kids so I thought he'd have an idea.”

his face softened, “so I just punched somebody for no reason.” I nod my head, “shit.”

I grab his hand and pull him back toward where we left Blake, “come on, how about you go apologize.”

“why would I want to apologize?”

“because it's not like you to randomly punch people and I know you feel terrible at the moment.”

“fine.”

Blake was leaning against the lockers when we showed up. He saw us and started defending himself, “look, dude, I seriously wasn't doing anything, we we-”