Chase

24

TUESDAY

3:56 PM

I leaned my head back on the fence, watching Kevin dribble the ball between his legs smoothly before taking a quick step back and releasing the ball from his grasp. I watched the ball hit off the rim once before entering the metal of the hoop. The ball bounced in my direction and I walked forward to retrieve it.

I bounce passed him the ball and he caught it smoothly, his eyes on my me as he dribbled slowly towards me. "When did you realize?"

"Realize what?" I questioned.

"That you liked me."

I thought about it for a second as he pulled me down to sit next to him against the fence. My hands felt the pavement of the outdoor basketball court, the bright spring sun hitting our faces. "When we talked outside my house. That night you thought I was angry at you and you ran over to my house."

"Your porch?"

"Yeah," I repeated, pulling him to sit on the steps next to me. "Where we talked, outside of school. I realized how much I really liked talking to you and I liked you but I didn't really want to acknowledge it."

A smirk came onto his face. "Oh so you liked talking to me?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Did you get more annoying by the second or did you just get more annoying because we're dating now?"

He grinned. "Both." I leaned my head on his shoulder and he took a deep breath, putting the basketball under his raised legs. "When you dated Danny, Hillary asked me out after and I went with it to get over you."

"Hmm?" My head shot off his shoulder. Sure, we were like fifteen when that happened but this was news to me.

"I did end up liking her."

"Why'd you break up?"

"This may make me seem like a dick but it got boring," He admitted. "I told her. She agreed. We still talk and stuff but it's not a friendship we're like acquaintances."

There was a brief moment of silence, my eyes finding the pavement very interesting. I turned my head to look him in his eyes. "And Alivia?"

"Alivia," The way he said her name made me move my gaze from his eyes back to the pavement. He put his hand on my face, making me look back at him.

A hint of amusement covered his face before he looked at me, realization filling his face. "You aren't jealous of her, are you?"

I made a face, hating that I had to admit this out loud to the one person I never wanted to. "Kind of."

Kevin put his hand on top of mine. "S, there's nothing there anymore. We're just friends."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and she has a boyfriend too. Alivia was the first girl I believed I really loved. Even though we only broke up because she moved away, love changes. I don't love her like that anymore."

He looked at me intently, running a hand through his hair. His eyes held all the assurance I needed. "Okay."

"And I like you. I liked you back then. I like you now. In that way."

"Kevin I know it. I've known it since you've admitted it to me drunk out of your mind."

He groaned, putting his hands on his face. "That night was wow but when I couldn't sleep it was the worst following days ever. I don't want to experience that ever again."