Just You

Twenty

Twenty

#Jake

"Hey, Jake," Nicko Jenkins greeted me with a nod in the locker rooms. 

Weird. That dude never said anything to me before, even though our lockers were right next to each other. I nodded back and proceeded to tie my shoelaces. Something must be up.

"I heard you and Dylan are pretty close, right?" Nicko said.

Oh, you know we are, douchebag.

"Yeah?" I said slowly.

"Do you like Dylan?" he asked seriously, looking me straight in the eye.

"I have a girlfriend," I said automatically, but the words sounded foreign in my mouth.

"You didn't answer the question," Nicko helpfully pointed out.

"Dylan and I are just friends," I said. It was the truth.

Although, maybe not at the moment.

Dylan still wouldn't talk to me. I tried everything. I called her, I texted her, I used gummy worms, and I even re-installed the shelf in her locker. I wasn't giving up though. 

"Good," he said, but quickly caught himself, " I mean, that's exactly what I thought."

"Uhm, Okay." I said, totally uncomfortable with the conversation. I hoped he got the hint, that I didn't want to talk to him about Dylan, and just shut up.

But of course, being the douche that he is, he continued.

"So, I was wondering if you could help me, us being teammates and all. We gotta look out for each other you know?"

I forced a nod, still focusing on my shoelaces.

"Help me with Dylan."

I looked at him, shocked.

"Don't you have a girlfriend?"

"Who? Gwen? She's a bitch. We broke up," he said casually.

"Don't you guys break up and make up every other day?"

"Yeah, I'm so sick of it. I'm sick of her. I was stupid to be with her in the first place. She's no Dylan."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the reason Gwen and I fights all the time is that I still haven't gotten over Dylan."

WHAT?! That's not what I heard.

"So, now, you're going after Dylan?"

Oh, he had my full attention now. He looked at me and ran a hand through his hair.

"I guess you'll have to know the whole story if you're helping me," he sighed.

I don't remember agreeing to help him, but I let him continue anyway.

"I never stopped liking Dylan. Okay, I'll say it. I love her. Nobody could ever compare to her and every single day I see her, I just regret everything. I should never have gotten involved with Gwen, her bestfriend no less, but she wanted me and she came to me and I just couldn't say no, you know?"

That's no excuse you asshole! You hurt Dylan!

"But soon, I was in too deep, and i couldn't get out. But I know I still like Dylan. I really do. For a while, I was even jealous of you."

"What? Why?"

"She likes you, man. It's obvious. But thankfully, you don't feel the same for her."