Caught In Between

Chapter Three: The Light Bulb Affect

"Hey man, you pumped for track tryouts!" Mark exclaimed cutting off my train of thought.

"Oh yeah, i'm so ready!" I exclaimed as I lifted my hand in the air for the high five Mark was ready for. We walked to our next class going on about how ready we were.

After school I headed towards the track field with Mark once we got there I sat my bag on the floor and began to stretch, just then the coach arrives with last years top track kids.

"Okay kids we're going to go alphabetically, so as I call your name please stand in a line all next to each other." one of his students then passed him a clipboard and he began listing off the names of the kids alphabetically.

—3 hours later—

Finally the tryouts were done and i'd never felt so happy in my life. I know I gave it all I had and that was going to be good enough for me even if I don't make it on the team, I'm sure i'll be okay. Mark did amazing as well, I could tell that all the saturday practices we've been having really have paid off, he'd ran way faster than last year, hopefully that'll be enough to get him in. I mean I don't mind if I don't make the team, but as long as he does i'm okay. He really proved that he completely deserved it, but deep inside I still hoped I made it as well..

After all that exercise I'm pretty sure I deserved a rest, I went into the locker rooms to change out of my sweaty clothes when Casey walked in. We made eye contact and he began to smile, I just looked away, he has such a weird look in his eyes, he's a jerk and creepy... how exciting, ughh.

"You did great out there, I'm pretty impressed," he kinda caught me off guard so I didn't really know what to say, no one was around us everyone either went home or was taking a shower.

"Um... thank you, I guess," I hesitated not knowing if I should really accept his compliment. I mean I don't like this guy, he makes the girl I completely adore seem like she's just a speck in the air completely invisible to him, I mean that should make him my enemy or at least give me reason not to talk to him, but then again i'm too much of a coward to take a stand against this jerk.

"Yeah, uh no prob man, see ya and good luck," he smiled and winked at me again with that weird look in his eyes, he then left the room humming some tune that i couldn't exactly figure out but strangely it sounded really familiar.

"Hey Tyler are you ready to go?" Mark entered the room and spoke to me breaking my train of thought which was okay because it was getting way to weird thinking about Casey and his jerkiness.

"um, yeah I think i'm ready." I got my stuff and we both headed to his truck. All the way to my house I couldn't help but try to figure out why that song he was humming sounded so familiar, it was pretty dumb getting into deep thought over a random song that must just be a coincidence it sounded familiar but I couldn't help but to think about it.

Finally getting home after a long ride of nothing but dumb overthinking and being teased by my best friend about how quiet I was being I was ready to do my homework because the sooner I got it done the sooner I could go to bed then wake up and go to school to see Ayla.

I went into my bag and got Mr. B's book out that he gave us. "The Light Bulb Affect," that sounded kind of dumb but then again not so bad, maybe I shouldn't be judging this book so easily, maybe it was actually going to be entertaining. I opened the book and began reading.

"Chapter 3: My own friend betrayed me like this, I still couldn't believe it, is he even a friend at all? He surely isn't now, he knew that I was smitten by this women and he still took action and stabbed me in the back with the sharpest reckoning he could get his betraying hands on. I shouldn't get ahead of myself I mean we've been friends since a young age, but how good do I really know this man I call my most greatest friend, is he even a friend? What if there is more to him then I actually have come in contact with. Well there must be if I hadn't even known he apparently felt the same way I did with the same girl as I, even though I had told him how I felt about this girl, yet he stay silent. If he can hide such a big secret such as that one what else is he hiding, and thats when a huge plot took form in my mind. I would act as if nothing is wrong and learn his greatest flaw one which would make my sweet Elizabeth turn away from him and I could finally sweep her off her feet and have her all to myself. I sort of have this guilty feeling for planning such an evil plan towards a companion I use to call my greatest friend but in some way it just feels normal because in my greatest intentions it feels utterly right....."

Wow so far that book is intense. Why would anyone do that to someone, I mean he completely knew that he liked her and they were best friends. I know that Mark would never do that to me and I would never to him, if he did then the biggest war would be on against us to win her heart. I laughed at the thought of us having a dumb fight like throwing water balloons or mud at each other, Mark's mom was right, we are dorks and that's okay.

This chapter got me thinking and I couldn't help but re-read it over and over again, it gave me an idea. As dumb as it may be he had a good idea, and i might just be willing to try this. Of course me and Casey aren't friends so maybe i'd have to earn his friendship. Sounds bad and stressful because it would be bad if he knew my true intentions. Other than all that I was willing to give this a shot and might as well, I truly cared for Ayla and since Casey doesn't really even pay much attention to her it wouldn't be as harmful, like if I were taking away his love too which i wasn't. In the story they both like the one girl, but in my situation i'm the only who seems to have any interest in her so it's not as bad and probably won't even bother him at all. I guess maybe starting tomorrow i can think about my game plan on what i have to do to win him over, then plan how i could get the dirt on him...