Racing Down Sunset Boulevard

Chapter 34

Ari's POV

"Okay seriously, what's up with you?" Seth's voice was calm but by looking at him I could tell he was irritated. I knew I hadn't been paying attention for the better part of the hour, but I tried to seem nonchalant, hoping he'd let it go.

Malik silently offered me his cue, which I gratefully took, thankful that now I had a reason not to look at Seth. I took aim and took a shot. With a stroke of dumb luck, I pocketed a stripe; only to then helplessly watch the cue ball slowly but deliberately make its way forward, soundlessly tumbling inside the pocket.

"Can't win them all," my voice sounded odd, even to my own ears.

"You can do much better than that. I've seen you do much better than that," he looked at me, perplexed, and I felt an urge to laugh. I stared right back, and for a few moments, we locked eyes. His greenish eyes looked sad, even a little lost, and he was absentmindedly chewing on his bottom lip, seemingly staring through me at something far away. He looked innocent; the eternally victimised. Why was I even here? Why did you invite me, out of all people? What do you want from me?

We laughed, we joked around, we smiled and made innuendos like nothing had ever happened. Like we were still juniors and had never started avoiding each other's gaze in the hallways or thought twice about saying good morning. Like they'd never cast us aside when we stopped being useful. I was tempted to ask just that, but I knew I'd be met with the same answer I've gotten for weeks: I don't know what you're talking about.

A shrill laugh from the nearby table seemed to shake us out of our silent staring contest, Seth taking aim and pocketing, one ball, then another, and then a third. Show-off.

Malik cleared his throat, and I looked at him expectantly. I knew he'd been meaning to say something, ever since he'd tried to hug me and I'd jumped back, one hand instinctively going to my neck. The bruises were gone, but the feeling would never fully disappear. I always thought I was okay with dying, until I stared it right in the face; after that, all I wanted to do is live. It's why I'd started sleeping with my hair tied up. The feeling of it tangling around my neck makes me want to crawl out of my own skin.

"Are you okay?" I snorted before I could stop myself, and immediately felt bad when he looked genuinely confused and the slightest bit hurt. That might just be the most useless question of all time. Was he really expecting a straight answer?

I didn't have a problem with Malik. We've always gotten along surprisingly well, since he'd been Kaylah's friend for years so he fit in our little odd circle almost immediately. But sometimes, he failed to grasp the bigger picture.

"Suppose I am," I shrugged, maybe a little self-deprecatingly, before I turned back to the pool table. I was gripping the edges of the table so hard my knuckles turned white. I felt a warm hand on my shoulder, and involuntary jumped. This time he wasn't taken aback though, and I let the simple permanence of his hand ground me. It somehow made me feel less alone, even if only for a moment.

Seth didn't seem to notice, engrossed with something on his phone, one earbud already in. How typical.

After a moment, Malik cleared his throat, getting a grunt out of Seth. Even he looked annoyed when he failed to take his eyes away from his phone, now smiling down slightly. I rolled my eyes, watching Malik let out and indulgent sigh "How about we get out of here after this round? I'm not really in the mood anymore"

In that moment, I was surprisingly grateful for him. I turned to look at Malik, his tall brooding form looming over me, his deep-set eyes soft and caring. A giant awkward teddy bear. I gave him a tight-lipped smile, and he nodded.