PROMISES » #MeToo ✔️

THREE // Micah

A/N: I forgot to post this one omg

Tyler shoves my shoulder as we enter the gym, heading over to the locker rooms. "So. You an' Piper?"

I furrow my eyebrows. He knows her? "What about her?"

He breathes out a laugh, shaking his head. "C'mon, man. You know."

It's my turn to laugh then, but I only do because I'm uncomfortable. "I don't know, actually."

I'm telling the truth. I talked to her once, when she told me she wanted me to try out for choir – which was insane, really – and then a second time in the hallway, but for not even a full minute. She didn't seem interested then, and that puzzles me. Of course it does. She's bold from what I've seen, and when she offered to give me her number I swore maybe she was interested, and that was why she was trying to get me to audition for choir.

But then I bumped into her after lunch, and it was like she had never asked me about choir or offered me her number or anything. She was...chill. It's confusing.

"Dude, you in there?"

I blink, my eyebrows knitting together as I look over at Tyler. "What?"

He chuckles, shrugging off his bag. "You were zoned out."

I stare at him for a moment longer before I realize we're already in the locker room. I guess I zoned out for a moment there.

"Sorry," I try to laugh it off, turning to unzip my bag.

"S'fine," He shrugs, tugging his shirt over his head. "She on your mind?" He asks, and then when I look at him in confusion, he adds, "Piper," with a short laugh. "Really, dude? You're not on top of it today."

He's right. But still I shrug. "Just tired. And nervous."

"For homecomin'?"

            I hum in response, tugging my shirt over my head and tossing it down.

            "What for?"

            "We always lose," I say, probably a little too quickly. Tyler knows me extremely well, and sometimes our close friendship bites me in the ass. Like now. He can definitely tell I'm not really worried about the game, and he can definitely tell I'm talking just to keep the subject off of her.

            But, like the good friend he is sometimes, he ignores it.

            He nods in agreement. "You're right. We do. Maybe we won't this year. We've got you."

            I scoff. "Like I make the team any better."

            Tyler frowns, stalling for a second. "I know you've had your bad games and your bad days, but you really are one hell of a player, man."

            I shrug.

            "How's church been?" He asks absentmindedly, letting the question hang in the air.

            I look up at him with narrowed eyes, wondering where the question is coming from. But he isn't looking at me. He's busying himself with the shoelaces on his tennis shoes that are clearly fine the way they are. I purse my lips.

            "Haven't been in a while," I respond truthfully. I haven't been. School is making my weekends busier than usual, and my mom hasn't really wanted to go the past couple weeks. She goes through spells like this sometimes, where she needs a break from the people at church. And I don't blame her. I need a break from groups of people sometimes, too.

            Tyler hums thoughtfully, setting to work on his other shoe – which is once again, fine the way it is. "Why not?"

            "Dunno," I say. "School's making me busy. Mom hasn't wanted to go," I pause. "Just needed a break from it, I guess."

            He nods, chuckling quietly. "Can't relate."

            I laugh, straightening up after finishing tying my shoes. "Seriously, why don't you stay home? I would."

            "Mom would skin me alive," He says seriously, but I can sense the underlying joke. "She says it's family bondin' time."

            "I say it's sleep time."

            Tyler laughs loudly, shoving my shoulder. "I enjoy it, though. Get to see a lot of cute girls."

            I roll my eyes. "That's the only thing you're ever interested in." I zip up my bag, setting it up on the bench the same time Tyler does. We glance at each other and smirk at our movements. Sometimes we make each other laugh with how similar we are.

            "You could come one day," He shrugs, throwing the offer out there nonchalantly. "Find you a girl," He adds after a pause.

            I blow a sigh past my lips, shaking my head at him before turning and heading to the door. Today we are just lifting weights since it's a Friday, but I don't mind.

            "Oh, c'mon!" Tyler cries out through a laugh. "It's been, what, two years since Jess? You gotta find a girl, man."

            "Not interested."

            "You're full of shit," Tyler snickers. Then I see the lightbulb go off in his head. "What about Piper?"

            I groan loudly. This is why I don't tell him things, sometimes. He never lets me live anything down.

            "Piper's not interested in me," I reply, trying not to sound disappointed. What am I even disappointed for? This girl is confusing me more than anyone else has before and it is practically eating me alive.

            Tyler is silent for a while, causing me to look over in his direction. I find him staring at me, his lips tugged into a smug smirk. I sigh, closing my eyes because I  know what's coming.

            "It's eatin' you, isn't it?" He nearly laughs. "That she's not interested. It's tearin' you a part."

            "It's not doing anythin' to me, alright?" I snap, probably a bit more harshly than I should have. I immediately sigh, setting one of the weights down on the bench. I glance over at him, my shoulders slumping in defeat. "She's confusin', okay?" I hold my hands up in surrender. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

            He merely smiles, shrugging casually as he picks up a weight of his own. "As long as you see what I see."

            What the hell is that supposed to mean?