fall +++++ j.h.

blurred and in motion

jack

Gus never texted me.

The next week drew on like a class that would never end. The next game rolled around, and I played exactly as I had seven days prior. Again, I rode back to our apartment with Nico, silent, head against the window of his car. My breath made fog on the glass, and I brought my thumb up to it, swiping a clear streak through the cloud. I could see the sidewalk passing as we drove through downtown Newark; people streaked by, all blurred colors and faces.

"Jack," Nico's persistent voice drew my gaze to him in the driver's seat.

"Hm?"

"I asked if you were coming tonight."

"Out with you guys?" I asked. I didn't want to go out. I'd played like shit tonight, I was embarrassed. 

"Yeah," Nico nodded while we sat at a red light and looked over at me. "You should. Even if it's just for a little bit."

"I don't know," my head knocked on the window as the light turned green and we started to move again.

"It seemed like you had fun last time."

"Kind of." I hadn't told him about Gus, or our night out, or that I wanted to see her again. I certainly hadn't told him that it hurt my feelings she'd never texted me, and I was kicking myself every time I remembered I hadn't asked for her number.

She has your number, Jack. She just doesn't want to text you, my subconscious sang to me.

"Come on man," Nico nudged my arm with his fist and put on the left turn signal to turn into our complex's garage. 

"Besides," he continued, "I need a DD tonight. I'm planning on getting shit-faced." His tone was firm, and it occurred to me that I hadn't heard a thing about Wes this week.

"Why? What's up?" I asked.

"Nothing really." A sigh and beeping from the sensors in the front of the car telling Nico he was getting close to the wall. "I'm just not sure its going to work out between me and Wes."

"What?" That was out of left field. "Why? Don't you like her?"

"No, yeah. Of course I like her, I'm just not sure we'll be able to get over the age gap."

"The age gap? Dude! It's like not even three years!"

"I know, I know," Nico shook his head and got out of the car, rounding back to the trunk to get his game duffle. I did the same. "I just think she deserves to be with a normal guy. Go to prom, someone who can take her to parties."

I stayed silent because Nico had a point. He wouldn't be able to give Wes what a normal high school guy could; he lived in a different world.

"Yeah, I mean maybe you can't take her to prom, but that doesn't mean you can't bring her to other things."

"Jack, I'm twenty, she's seventeen. She's in high school. I can't just bring her on the road with me. Not to mention she has hockey, and classes, and goals. Plus, I'm pretty sure she's going to college next year."

"So what, Nico? I feel like that's just a bullshit excuse. You should let Wes decide if it's really a big enough deal that you can't take her to prom that she'll drop you."

Nico didn't say anything so I continued

"You're making the decision for you both. I think you should at least give it a chance. Maybe even some effort."

Nico seemed to be deep in thought as we entered the elevator and pressed the button for our floor.

"Yeah," He told me. "You're probably right."

I smiled to myself as we stepped off and made our way to our apartment. No words were spoken as he unlocked our door, but as he disappeared down the hall towards his room, I heard him call back to me.

"You're still my DD tonight."