The Quiet Game

Chapter 2- Then

Then:

There are several differences between Connor Sanderson and Miles Holloway.

1)      Miles Holloway owned The Car. In their collective group of friends it was the only car between them and thus made the important shift from indefinite to definite article. Miles called it the bat mobile because its primary colour was black, but the resemblance ended with the jammed back passenger door and lousy air conditioning. Connor didn’t have a car and was therefore banned from insulting his only mode of transportation.

2)      Connor Johnston was incredibly boring. Not in the way that some people are, with long pointless stories about That-One-Time-When-I, simply in the way that he didn't do anything. He studied a little. And hung out a little. And dated a little. And ran track a little. But he never did anything worth talking about. Miles Holloway was almost comically exciting. He made a point of never doing anything halfway. And he made a point of doing everything.

3)      Miles Holloway was extremely short. Five nothing short. Connor was tall enough that he had taken to running away from the basketball coach whenever the overly zealous recruiter approached him. This meant that when they stood next to each other, Connor was capable of resting his elbow quite comfortably on Miles's head. Not that he did.

4)      Miles Holloway knew who Amy Green was. Connor Johnston did not. This is important because had Connor Johnston been acquainted with Amy Green before that early February day, things would have gone very differently. There would have been no Quiet Game.

5)      Also they had nothing in common.

  But, the two were in fact, best friends. These things happen quite often.

"You're late."

Connor said as he slid into the passenger seat of the bat mobile. Miles shot off, ignoring both the speed limit and the multiple glaringly obvious red stop signs.

 "When am I not?" Miles retorted loudly. Miles always spoke at a volume far louder than necessary. It was part of his whole Life Fast and Die Young philosophy. Connor didn't get how shouting everything you said connected with living fast and dying young, but mainly he was thinking about how Miles's philosophy was going to end up killing him too. "Could this weather be any more depressing?" Miles yelled. The snow was melting and turning to a disgusting grey slush on the roads. It was typical for early February, but that didn't make it any more bearable.

"So there is this party tonight at Sarah O'Reilly's house. We’re going," Miles said. Miles also didn't believe in asking questions, he just used orders. Connor had gotten used to saying no to his orders.

"I don't think so," he said.

"What?" Miles yelled, shocked. "Why not?" Connor glanced at Miles incredulously.

"Because last time I went to one of her house parties the cops crashed it and we ended up lost in the woods at three o'clock in the morning. That's why."

"Seriously? I don’t remember that," Miles said, his thick eyebrows drew together in an expression Connor could only describe as pensive confusion. Connor knew he didn’t remember. He knew because Miles had been particularly unhelpful in getting back to civilization and had instead decided to sing Celine Dion songs at the top of his lungs and slam into unsuspecting pine trees when Connor got distracted and forgot to pull him out of the way. They arrived at school.

“Do you want to go anyways?” Miles asked cheerfully.

Connor shook his head. Miles groaned as he opened the door and stepped into a puddle of water right outside.