Chasing the New Girl - (Complete)

Chapter 11 - The Fight with Austin

Why would I be off limits?" Jolie asked Austin with scrunched eyebrows, but before he could answer that they both looked up and saw Blaze McDaniels, strolling towards their booth wearing his hoodie pulled up over his head.

Blaze was smoking a cigarette even though smoking obviously wasn't allowed in the diner and he stood over their booth for a second taking a drag from the cancer stick hanging loosely between his lips and exhaling, blowing smoke straight up into the air.

"Can I help you with something?" Austin asked, glaring at him.

Blaze ignored him and looked over at Jolie. "Hey, I was wondering if you were busy tomorrow? We could ride my motorcycle down to see a movie and and go eat somewhere after."

Austin cut in. "Wait, are you seriously asking her out while she's on a date with me?"

"A date? Jolie told me you two were just friends," Blaze said, taking another drag off of his cigarette, raising an eyebrow art her.

Austin looked over at her with a wounded expression. "Did you tell him that? I thought we both liked each other."

Jolie's face flushed red and she suddenly felt put on the spot. They were both staring at her in anticipation, waiting for an answer.

"I'm ummm. I'm just confused right now," Jolie told Austin, letting out an exhale. "I'm not trying to rush into a relationship with anybody. I mean, I literally JUST moved here and I'm not even settled in yet. I need some time."

"Time? How much time?" Austin asked, looking concerned.

"I don't know," she shrugged, looking down at her hands in her lap.

Blaze smirked. "Ewww. Did the Golden Boy just get rejected?" he asked, looking amused.

Austin gritted his teeth and glared up at him.

"Blaze, if you know what's good for you, you'd get lost. Trust me, I'm not in the mood to put up with your bullshit right now."

"What? You would actually tarnish your perfect little reputation by getting in a fight? I would love to see that," he smirked.

Austin continued glaring at him intently with his jaw locked and you could practically see steam rolling off of him.

Blaze laughed and put up his hands in surrender with a smile. "Fine pretty boy. I can take a hint," he said, looking over and giving Jolie a wink with a flirty smile before backing away and then turning and walking back over to the table where his two friends were.

"I can't stand that guy," Austin growled, looking down at his plate of half-eaten food.

Jolie started eating again too but she couldn't help but glance over at Blaze from time to time and she noticed half the time he was looking at her too.

Austin barely said three words to her as they sat there in awkward silence, before he finally took his last bite and asked, "Are you ready to go?"

"Ummm. Yeah," she nodded, grabbing up her things and scooting out of the booth, following after him. He walked with his head down and his hands in his pockets, not even saying bye to his friends before walking out the door.

It didn't seem real that Austin Fox liked her. She felt like she should've been elated. She should've been jumping up and down and thanking her lucky stars, but instead she had rejected him. Was she crazy? She couldn't believe she had really done that. If Kerrigan and Molly were here they would grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her right now.

The ride home in his Jeep was silent and he didn't even turn music on like he normally did. He pulled up in his driveway and turned the Jeep off, but he didn't get out yet. She sat there for a minute, waiting to see what he had to say.