Three's Company

3.23 | Broken Confidence & Broken Pride

Broken Confidence & Broken Pride

flirt: [flurt]; verb; to court triflingly or act amorously without serious intentions; play at love; coquet.

"It was definitely a good game. You're a great player, Caleb."

"Thanks! You're too nice."

The short conversation was something that Caleb had become accustomed to in his junior year, since making the varsity basketball team had bumped up his reputation around the school. He didn't mind it--the attention was something he had always wanted from the opposite sex, like most guys his age--despite the fact that he was in a committed relationship.

"I don't think that there's anything wrong with it," Caleb informed Ethan as he raised his eyebrows at his best friend, watching the girl walk away. "I just accepted a compliment."

"While your face turned beet-red." Ethan laughed, "It's cool, man. Trust me, Scarlet doesn't know about all the girls fawning over me either."

"Such a humble person." Sasha's voice came from Caleb's right and he jumped at the sound, "I couldn't help but notice that you said 'either', though. Is there something you want to tell me, Caleb?"

Caleb turned to face his girlfriend, shaking his head adamantly.

"Not at all, sweetheart." He grinned, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Someone just congratulated me on the game last night."

"Was this someone a girl? Our age?"

Caleb swallowed nervously.

"Yes and yes."

Sasha rolled her eyes.

"You're looking at me like I'm going to go on a witch hunt. I understand that girls are going to be into you, I know who I'm dating."

Caleb nodded.

"Right, of course. You're not crazy."

Sasha raised her eyebrows.

"I'm not crazy. But that also means I'm not dumb; I know that guys like getting the attention just as much as girls like giving it."

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"Give it up, Halpon!"

Caleb shook his head, his mouth shut tight as Scarlet walked beside him in the hallway during homeroom two weeks after his little hang out with her. Nothing had happened; he had simply continued to comfort his best friend's ex-girlfriend in her time of--admittedly prolonged--grieving.

"I will not." Caleb replied, "Nothing you could possibly do could make me tell you our secret play for the game. Literally nothing."

"Oh, yeah?" Scarlet asked, stopping in her walking and turning to Caleb, placing her hand on his arm carefully. "Wanna test that theory?"

Caleb was about to reply before he felt someone tap his shoulder.

"What's going on here?"

Caleb turned around and felt Scarlet let go of his arm.

"Hey, Sash." He grinned, giving her a kiss on the cheek as a greeting. "I was just telling Scarlet that we have a great play for the game tonight, but it's a major secret."

"I'm sure that Scarlet is vastly interested in basketball, from all the times I saw her on her phone during Ethan's games." Sasha smiled and cocked her head in Scarlet's direction, "Run along, now."