Not Of Language

7.

The rest of the evening went fine. No surprise visits, no rocks, no posts. It was okay.

I decided I'd call Jade since I had promised her. I kept in mind me and Sean's conversation and respected the space I'd need to put between Jade and I.

In all honesty, I had never called a girl before. I had received girl's numbers unwillingly but I never thought to call them because I never even wanted them. It was new for me.

In the heat of the moment, I thought up the best possible way to address this; get Sierra. She's a girl, she'd know.

"Hey, Sierra!" I yelled from my room. "Can you come in here for a sec.?"

She didn't reply but I heard her footsteps just before she entered.

"Yeah?" She asked as she sat on the bed next to me.

"Well, I'm gonna call this girl and I need you in here just in case I jack up."

She laughed. "A girl? Interesting." She was mocking me but I ignored it as I searched up her name in my contacts.

I took a breath before calling.

It rang for a moment before her voice came through on the other end.

"Hello?"

***

Sierra left with a smirk after awhile. I hadn't needed help at all and we were already on the call for forty five minutes.

We talked about everything you could possibly think of that wasn't flirty.

I didn't tell her directly that I wasn't going to flirt with her but I just simply ignored the topic entirely. She didn't seem to notice.

I threw in some good words for Sean and she seemed to soak it all in.

When our call ended, I swear I had goosebumps. I don't know why but it felt weird. Bad yet good.

I was just sitting there, a smile on my face. I just know I looked like an idiot but I didn't care. I liked her, and I hated myself for it.

***

I lay in bed that night, darkness all around me. The fact that I liked Jade as more than a friend was eating at me. I didn't want to like her but I did.

I mean, of course I wanted to like her but i couldn't. Sean would hate me and I wouldn't even think about doing that to him.

I went to sleep with the idea of just not telling either of them, it would be best.

Yet guilty, I was smoothed over by the fact that it was finally the weekend. Being myself, I had high hopes that this would all be a forgotten memory come Monday and I'd go back to being Kade, football playing, nice guy.

***

I slept well and today I had plans with Jade and Sean. I'm not sure exactly what the plans were but that's usual for teens I guess.

Mom was home all day today and I know she had been stressed all week. I made breakfast for her before she had awoke.

It wasn't necessarily "breakfast in bed" though. I didn't have the heart to wake her so I left it on the counter for when she got up.

Because of our age, us kids are allowed to leave the house whenever as long as we tell our parents before hand and I had told mom yesterday but I still left a note.

It was 12:00 in the afternoon when I left but no one was up yet unsurprisingly.

I was to meet Sean and Jade at the park closest to my house, maybe a block away. Kilgore I think was the name.

The air was warm, the sky blue, my favorite type of weather.

The birds are just awakening and cars were beginning to start for afternoon weekend shifts.

To my luck, I didn't have to walk all the way there by myself because I had spotted Jade and Sean walking together before we had reached the park.

"Hey, guys!" I greet as I interlock paths with then.

They both shoot me the dirtiest of looks I had ever gotten and I stopped, surprised.

They kept walking.

"Guys, wait up." I jogged up to them. "What's wrong?"

They didn't even pay attention to me, they just walked together. I walked behind them still in hopes they'd acknowledge me.

Soon, I saw them interlock fingers and my heart dropped. Of course I understand how he liked her first but I didn't think he would get her before me in all honestly.

Them holding hands didn't bother me as much as the fact that they were completely ignoring me and excusing my presence.

"Guys, stop!" I was growing impatient.

They heard the anger in my voice and spun around to face me.

"Look, we're not dumb. We heard what you said and we get it, just leave us alone." Sean ordered.

"But...I didn't say anything about you guys to anyone only my sister and they weren't negative at all." I pleaded but they weren't buying it for some reason.

"Then what about what you posted on your Instagram. It was your profile." Jade pointed out but I still had no idea what they were talking about.

They must have seen the confusion in my face because Sean said, "Don't play dumb, Kade. We understand and we're not mad, just a little upset that you'd lead us on like that. I knew being friends with a football player was too good to be true."

"I told you not to compare me to-"

"Save it, will ya?" Jade spat with an annoyed edge but her voice shook. "I thought you cared."

"I do. Please believe me, I haven't posted anything. Guys, come on." I felt the tears coming but there's no way I'd let them fall.

Sean looked as though he believed me for a second but then he replied with, "I'm sorry, but what's said is said. Who else would have posted it if it wasn't you?"

Before I could answer let alone think of words to muster, they turned around with disappointed looks and began their walk again...without me.

The only thing I thought to do was check Instagram.