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© 2016 Shay Spencer. All rights reserved.
The Buddies Rule
Chapter 3
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Secrets. Secrets have been holding me back for the majority of my life. I had been trying to hide my feelings, trying to make sure nothing ever changed, and for what? What good was I doing by not telling the one person I cared for the most how I truly felt?
I knew why. Chase could never know because of what it could do to our friendship. There was, and always would be, a question of what if. It didn't matter if we never went through with a 'real' relationship, or if we spent the rest of our lives together. I would always be wondering if we could work as a couple, and now I've come to realize that Alan has been feeling the exact same way about me.
It sucks not knowing things like this.
"You were lying." Chase hissed into my ear, the man then falling back into his seat at my side. I shivered at the feeling he had left me with before standing up from my own seat. What had happened earlier, was almost irrelevant to me. But to Chase, that little white lie was plaguing him to the utmost degree. Especially since Zac had joined our bowling team for the semester.
"I wasn't lying." I hushed, feeling my face grow red as I reached down to pick up a bowling ball for myself. When signing up for this class, I had been under the impression that it would be fun. A calm, cool, collected, and complete blow off class that I could take with my three best friends. Turns out, Alan never even signed up, and that was why Lewis was freaking out so much about schedules the night before. Lewis was worried he would have to take the class alone.
"You were," Chase repeated, shaking his head at me. I rolled my eyes and stepped up onto the lane, my shoes slipping slightly as I took slow steps on the slippery surface. It was morning, they'd just waxed the floors. My clumsiness was nowhere near helpful in this kind of situation. "And since you were lying, why not just tell me why?" Chase led in as he followed me up to the lane. He kept his voice low before looking up at me, his eyes showing just how concerned he was about the little situation I had created.
"Chase!" Lewis called. Our friend began to motion for Chase to step down from the lane before pointing to the teacher. "Talk to your girlfriend later! The teacher's going to fail you for the day if you keep doing that!" Lewis laughed along as Zac patted him on the back. Chase huffed out an exasperated breath as he nodded back at the two.
He turned to me only once more. "This isn't over," Chase whispered before walking away. I took in a deep breath upon finding myself alone on the bowling lane. Every other 'team' in our class was beating us. The only reason why you asked? I actually sucked at bowling, and I had been distracting Chase from the game. So really, the reason we were losing, was my fault. Not to say Lewis doesn't suck, either, but it was still my fault.
"Come on, Bree!" Lewis yelled, catching my attention for only a second. "We don't have all day!" He chuckled with Zac again over on the sidelines. The two chuckle-buddies had parked themselves just above the team resting area near the ball return. Meaning they were standing far, far away, from where they were supposed to be. How the teacher wasn't giving them some sort of detention or grade deduction, was beyond me.
"Wasn't planning on it, Louis," I called back with a sly grin plastered on my face. He absolutely hated being called Louis. Although he did hold a special place in his heart for the member of One Direction.
"Shut up and bowl!" He snapped. I nodded before taking the allotted four steps forward and rolling the ball down the center of the lane. About halfway down, the ball began to curve outward. Within seconds of that, it had ended up in the gutter. Today was not my day. "You suck; you know that?" Lewis said with a smug smile as I stepped down from the lane. He and Zac had since made their way down into the team area. Lewis was waiting for his turn.
"You suck, too. You know that?" I countered back to him, narrowing my eyes in on the boy in just enough time for his to grab his bowling ball. He shook his head at my statement.
"On the contrary, I'm actually the master of bowling." He mused before stalking off towards the lane. I sighed, feeling two pairs of eyes on me at the moment. I glanced back to see Chase was currently glaring up at me. But upon looking over to Zac, I could see a sort of glimmer in his eyes. A glimmer similar to the one in Chase's the night before.
"Bree, can I talk to you for a moment?" Zac asked as he pointed up towards the snack bar. I nodded, taking only a step with him before being pulled back by Chase. The man in question had reached up and grabbed onto my wrist. His grip was tight if anything else.
"I was just about to ask her the same thing." Chase smiled, waving Zac off towards the snack bar. "I'll say what I have to quick. She'll meet you up there." Chase ordered as he pulled me down to sit by him. Zac nodded, not seeming to care about the current fight going on between Chase and me before he walked off towards his designated area.
"What the hell," I stated as I slapped Chase on the arm. His face hardened for a second with the contact.
"I could be asking you the same." He whispered, finally releasing my wrist from his hold. "I already know you lied to me, just admit it!"
"And how do you know, anyway?" I said as I crossed my arms over my chest. "Maybe I ran into Lewis on my way to find Zac, and somehow, you were able to find Zac before I could," I suggested.
"It's because of that reason exactly, that I know you're lying," Chase said firmly as he shook his head once more. "I talked with Zac. He had no idea you were in bowling first hour until I brought it up. He said himself that he hadn't talked with you since before school got out last year." Chase pinned me down. I hadn't planned on getting myself into an interrogation today. Sometimes, life surprises you.
"Okay, fine," I said with a trivial smile. "Maybe I never was going to meet Zac. But why is it such a big deal that I was going to meet with Lewis, instead?"
"The big deal is you never told me." Chase sighed, finally falling back in his chair. He looked almost defeated as his eyes met mine once again. "You could have told me."
"No, I couldn't have," I whispered, my own sight falling to my hands as my fingers fumbled together in my lap. "That conversation was supposed to be between Lewis, and me. Not the three of us together."
"So tell me that next time." Chase groaned, the man throwing his head back to rest against the top of the chair. "We're best friends, we tell each other everything, and when we can't, we give each other enough details to where we're still telling each other everything." Chase reasoned lamely. His words brought a smile to my face, though. He could get pretty defensive when it came to he and I. Our relationship was the most important thing to either one of us. I didn't want to be the one to jeopardize that.
"I'm sorry, Chase." I finally spoke, reaching out to grab onto his hand as I did. "I shouldn't have lied. I was listening to Lewis-"
"That's where you went wrong," Chase affirmed with a short chuckle. "Never, and I mean never, listen to Lewis. Especially, about friendship." Chase smiled as he gently squeezed my hand. "Are he and Alan even talking right now? We haven't heard from Alan all week." Chase wondered aloud before Lewis took a step down from the lane. I shook my head and rose from my seat just next to the man.
"I wouldn't know," I said, trying to be vague as I shook my head. "But I'm going to go and see what Zac wants." I mused, giving Chase a small smile before he reached up and clasped his hand onto my forearm once again.
"Maybe not?" Chase's voice raised in octave as the worry began to set in on his face. I shook my head.
"I'm going to go talk with him." I laughed. "What's the big deal this time?" I asked, putting the ball in his court.
"Nothing." Chase shook his head as he dropped his hold on me. "Go. Deal with him." He muttered. The man stood up from his chair before brushing past me to get to the ball return.
Still. He was still acting weird.
"Fine." I sighed, taking one step at a time as I walked up towards the snack bar. Chase had never been this way around me. Though I wasn't completely sure how he felt about Zac. He had never made it entirely clear whether he liked him, or hated him. Though the two had never really gotten along back in middle and high school.
I shook my head, trying to force Chase out of my brain before looking up towards the snack bar. Zac was there, sitting on one of the stools near the bar as he fumbled with the soft drink he had ordered. "Little early for soda, isn't it?" I teased as I took my seat next to him. He shook his head, his fingers running along the edge of the Styrofoam cup.
"Nah. I don't drink coffee, so I need something to wake me up." He kidded, his sight falling to his feet in embarrassment.
"I usually just drink juice," I said, resting my arms up on the counter. "The sugar count is about the same."
"You don't drink coffee?" Zac questioned with a sly smile as he pointed towards me.
I shook my head. "Nope."
"Well good." He sighed, the man turning his sight back to the drink in front of him. "Then I know where I'm not taking you on our first date." He spoke quietly, almost quiet enough for me not to hear him. But his words still made their way to my ears.
"First date?" I asked, my nerves bubbling over as my heart began to race. I had only been waiting for him to ask me out since we were kids. Now being almost three-fourths of the way through college, I may be getting what I've been waiting for.
"Yeah, if you're into that kind of thing." Zac shook his head worriedly as he turned back to me.
"I am. Totally." I reassured before placing my hand over his own. "A date sounds amazing." I smiled happily, feeling the butterflies erupt in my stomach once again as his eyes met my own.
"Good." Zac nodded. He quickly reached out and picked up a napkin and a pen. Zac wrote out a number, a time, and a place before he handed the napkin to me. "I'll pick you up Friday at eight?" He added with a cautious smile. I nodded vigorously as I jumped up from my seat.
"I'll text you." I smiled, spinning around before the blush fully appeared on my cheeks. He actually did it. Zac actually asked me out. I couldn't contain my smile as his words replayed over again in my head. Friday at eight. It was perfect.
I walked back towards Lewis and Chase, my blush finally subsiding at the sight of them. The two were still standing down next to the ball return, watching as the scores zeroed out on the screen above them. It must have been time to leave.
Lewis turned at the sound of my bowling shoes squeaking against the tile. Chase, however, stood with his back faced to me and arms crossed over his chest. "How's my new best friend?" Lewis wondered aloud, his hand waving off towards Zac. "Did he finally grow a pair and ask you out?"
I rolled my eyes at Lewis. He had a way of making an ass out of himself in moments like this. "Yes. Zac asked me out." I affirmed, my words being enough to get Chase to turn around.
The happiness that had been shining in Chase's eyes earlier had been completely forgotten as his eyes locked with mine. He looked almost broken but definitely defeated. "Well good for you, Bree," Chase muttered, reaching up and scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "I know how in love with him you are." He repeated his phrase from this morning before he stalked off towards the entrance.
Lewis and I stood back, half in shock as my best friend walked away. Chase never acted out like this, and I felt like I was having to come to that conclusion a lot lately. But I could tell Lewis was pondering the same thing I had been as we stood in silence. Neither Lewis or I made the move to follow after Chase or to speak of the conversation after he was gone.
"Return the shoes!" The teacher called sternly from the back of the bowling alley. Within seconds, the students were making their way out of the place. We only had about ten minutes to get to our next class, anyways, and the campus was at least a five-minute drive.
"Come on." Lewis sighed as he reached out to pat me on the shoulder. "He's our ride."
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