The Twenty Year Triangle

Chapter Fifteen

"Huh?" I crinkle up my face in confusion. "Why are you being all weird? You get into your grandma's wine? I almost did tonight."

"Almost? Do it," Brandi scoffs, "But first listen to me, I'm serious. Tell me you'll be honest and won't ask why I'm asking this. I promise I won't tell anyone either, I just need to know."

"I didn't even say I was going to talk to Hunter, so why do all this," I groan.

"Kinsey," she says in a warning voice.

"Fine, ask your darn question already."

"Okay," she takes a breath. "Is it just Hunter?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is Hunter the only one you have feelings for?"

"Obviously you, of all people, would know—"

"What I'm trying to ask is do you have any romantic feelings for Olly?"

"Olly?" I'm beyond confused. "He's my best friend."

"I know, Kinz, but so is Hunter. Is there anything there for Olly?"

"Why are you asking me this?"

"I told you, you can't ask me that."

"Well, now I want to know," I demand.

"I just think you should ... make sure, for yourself, before you talk to Hunter that he's the only one. I guess." She sounds a little flustered, and I'm baffled.

Does she have a thing for Olly? They have been chatting on the phone a lot this summer. But that's because Olly is helping her get over Wade and they're both bored. They bicker all the time and complain about each other too. They'd kill each the idea seems sort of funny now.

But... why ask that, then?

"Sometimes not answering is an answer," Brandi says, pulling me back to her question and my eyes widen.

"No! It's not an answer. Olly is my best friend, I don't... he doesn't.... we'd never see each other like that."

****

It's been a week since I talked to Brandi, and she convinced me to tell Hunter how I feel. I've been building up the guts ever since and, I can't wait on this anymore, summer's almost over and with it my chance, I just know it.

I'm standing in Hunter's room, it's honestly one of my favorite spots, at Olly's house and even my house we can only be so loud, and eat so much junk, and so on, but at Hunter's we get to do what we want mostly. His room is full of fond memories of the three of us having fun.

His wrestling obsession is ending; most of his posters have been pulled down and replaced with his favorite bands instead. However, he'll always love The Undertaker, and that poster still hangs proudly. It makes me smile, as I have the sweatshirt that goes with it. I have to admit I've been wearing it to bed every night.

I start to pace nervously, every so often glancing at the clock.

"Who you, kidding? You're just going to chicken out again." I say to myself.

I heave a sigh and walk over to his nightstand. Maybe Olly left a book here. I need a distraction from my thoughts.

I slide open the drawer and find a notebook, and one of Olly's old books in front. I grab it and toss it on the bed, but I've read it a dozen times. He also has a hackey sack, his old wallet chain, and a Snickers bar, that I'm guessing is pretty old. I'm about to close it when something sticking out of his notebook catches my eye.

"What..?" I go numb as I pull the old Polaroid photo from the book. The very one Brandi took last fall. The photo that caused him to lose his first girlfriend.