HAUNTED || chris sturniolo

𝟎𝟐𝟎. stop thinking and start doing

CHAPTER 020 -
╰┈➤ ' stop thinking and start doing ' ♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧
「 real life 」

─ real life ᥫ᭡

CHRIS LEANED AGAINST THE CHAIN-LINK FENCE SURROUNDING THE OUTSIDE BASKET BALL COURT, his fingers drumming idly against the metal. the air was humid, clouds hung heavy overhead, and a faint breeze barely cut through the heat. the game had ended a while ago, but chris hadn't left, caught between going home and just... standing still.

he spotted zayn approaching, earbuds in, his usual easy stride slightly slowed. chris pushed off the fence and took a few steps toward him, clearing his throat to catch his attention.

"yo," zayn said, tugging out an earbud. "thought you'd be gone by now."

chris shrugged, eyes narrowing. "didn't feel like heading home yet. you wanna hang out for a bit?"

zayn hesitated, shifting his weight, his hand drifting to the back of his neck. "uh, i can, but just for a bit. i'm meeting cecelia later."

chris's jaw tightened at the casual mention of cecelia. the words shouldn't have hit as hard as they did, but they left an unexpected sting. "oh. didn't know you two were that tight."

zayn gave a half-smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "yeah, it just kinda happened. she's cool to be around, you know?"

chris nodded slowly, a bitter taste settling on his tongue. "right. no, it's fine. don't worry about it."

but zayn caught the shift in his tone. he studied chris for a moment, then sighed. "hey, i can hang out for a bit. what's up?"

chris kicked at a loose stone on the pavement, watching it bounce away. the weight in his chest felt unbearable today, like it had been building up for weeks. he exhaled sharply, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

"man, i feel like just giving up."

zayn's brow furrowed. "on what?"

chris let out a humorless laugh, shaking his head. "the bet. adriana. all of it. i don't even know what the hell i'm doing anymore."

zayn's expression tightened, surprise flickering across his face. "you serious?"

chris didn't answer right away. he stared at the cracked pavement, the lines of the court barely visible beneath layers of dirt and scuffs. "yeah. every time i try, it doesn't matter. she doesn't care. and maybe she shouldn't. i messed it up. maybe it's too late."

zayn exhaled through his nose, his jaw clenching. "that's a load of crap."

chris frowned. "what?"

"you heard me," zayn said, his voice edged with frustration. "you're talking like a quitter, and that's not you."

chris's teeth ground together. "maybe i'm just being realistic."

"no," zayn shot back. "you're being a coward. yeah, the bet is messed up. i hated it then, and i hate it now. but giving up? that's worse."

chris blinked, caught off guard by the conviction in zayn's voice. "you think i should keep going after everything i did?"

zayn crossed his arms, his eyes serious. "i think you screwed up, yeah. but you care about adriana, right?"

chris swallowed hard. "yeah."

"then you owe it to her to make things right," zayn said. "but giving up now? that's just gonna prove you never really cared. and i know that's not true."

chris looked away, his jaw tight. "what if she never forgives me?"

zayn's voice softened, but his words held weight. "then at least you'll know you tried. you messed up, but that doesn't mean you can't try to fix it. if you walk away now, you're proving you're still that guy who broke her heart in the first place."

chris exhaled slowly, the knot in his chest loosening just a fraction. "i just don't know if it'll matter."

"it will," zayn insisted. "maybe not right away. maybe it'll take forever. but at least you'll know you didn't quit on her. on yourself."

chris's shoulders slumped, the exhaustion of it all settling deeper into his bones. he rubbed a hand over his face. "i just... i don't know how."

zayn gave him a small, reassuring smile. "then figure it out. stop thinking about how hard it is. just do something. you can't change the past, but you can damn well try to change now."

they stood in silence, the rustling leaves and distant hum of traffic filling the space between them. chris let zayn's words sink in, uncomfortable but grounding. giving up would be easy—but that's not who he wanted to be.

finally, chris nodded. "alright. i'll try."

zayn smirked, clapping him on the shoulder. "good. now stop being so dramatic. you're not a lost cause yet."

chris let out a weak chuckle. "thanks, man."

zayn grinned. "anytime. now, seriously, don't screw this up."

chris rolled his eyes. "yeah, yeah."

as zayn walked off, chris stayed behind, the weight on his shoulders feeling just a little lighter. he didn't know how he'd fix things with adriana, but maybe zayn was right.

it was time to stop thinking and start doing.

evie speaks
hi