Just You

Twenty Two

Twenty Two

#Jake

I could feel Nicko's annoyance radiating off from the driver's seat. He must be pretty pissed about me ruining his plans. He never would have thought I'd come along, huh? I rode alone at the back while Dylan took the shotgun seat. Dylan glanced at me,I wiggled my eyebrows at her. She smiled timidly.

When I saw Nicko and Dylan heading towards the student parking lot, I asked Coach to let me go early. He wouldn't let me, but I went anyway. I'm probably going to be on ball duty tomorrow with Nicko. Coach does that to everyone who disobeys him. He gets us to clean all the soccer balls by scrubbing off te mud, dirt, and grime. It wasn't so bad, actually. It just sucked cleaning balls that are never clean for more than a few minutes. 

But it was worth seeing Nicko's face when Dylan invited me to tag along. 

Aparrently, my excuse was perfect because that was exactly what she told Nicko that she had to do, that she needed to go get some milk.

Talk about coincidences, huh?

"So Jake, tell me about Farrah," Nicko began. He glanced at me through the rearview mirror. 

I wonder what game he's trying to play here.

"Farrah's alright," I said, not giving much away. I leaned back on the seat. He drove a fancy car, but I loved Emma more. What? I'm a guy.

"Alright, you say, huh? I heard she's good," Nicko said, "If you get what I mean."

Dylan cleared her throat and looked out the window. I just shrugged at Nicko's little comment. That ass. He dared talk to me about that? He'd actually want to say that in front of Dylan? 

"What about Gwen?" I tested, just to get back at him.

That seemed to really piss Nicko off.

"We're long over," he said with finality, "You know that, Dylan, right?"

Dylan smiled, but her expression looked strained. I noticed she didn't really answer but Nicko didn't push on.

Way to be subtle! Jerk.

Nicko parked his car in an empty space of the local grocery's parking lot. All three of us climbed out of the car and crossed the parking lot to the grocery entrance. I've never been to this grocery store. Dylan and I always run errands at the one in the mall. I think it's much cheaper over there. The automatic doors slid open and Nicko grabbed a grocery cart from the side. 

"That's not really necessary," I told him, "We're only getting milk."

"Actually, I have to grab a few other things as well," Nicko said, pushing the cart along.

I looped an arm around Dylan's shoulder just to piss him off, but Dylan shrugged my arm off. Truth be told, that surprised me. And yeah, it bruised my ego a little as well.

Nicko smirked at me. I pretended not to see him. 

That prick.

Dylan had wandered off on her own. She's being awfully quiet, though. 

Nicko roughly grabbed my shirt sleeve. He pulled me aside in the peanut butter section. 

"What the hell?" I said, aggravated.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked me.

"Uh, getting milk?"

"No, cramping my style," he whisper-yelled.

Seriously?

"I'm just being a good friend to Dylan," I said, resisting the urge to laugh in his face.