168 Hours of Miles Fonte

Chapter 15:Wednesday

"I cannot believe you didn't tell me!" Heather squealed.
She used her oversized sweater sleeve to wack me. Kali was leaning up against the fence, grinning.
"Brandon really freaked out didn't he?" She asked satisfied.
I nodded. I wondered if what Miles said is true, maybe Kali and Brandon did fight.

The team was starting to line up on the track, I went down the line looking at each face until I came across one already looking at mine. Miles smiled and hugged the air mimicking how Brandon and I hugged this morning. I giggled and pulled my hair behind my ear, I think I was far enough away that he didn't see my face blush. But Kali did.
When I turned away from Miles she was standing right in front of me, playing with her nails but her eyes were straight on mine.

"I'm gonna get a drink." I said promptly.
I hurried down the bleachers towards the vending machines.
As I slid my dollar bill into the slot someone put their arms around me from behind. I knew it was Andre once one of his dreads fell in front of my face.
"So...cousins." He said as he twirled me around.
"I know, I'm sorry." I apologized to Andre because technically he was the only one I lied to. "I just went along with Miles." I explained.
He nodded. "I get it, Heather would've made things weird."
I laughed. Of course Andre would process and understand it immediately, that's what made him so great.
"How is he by the way?" Andre asked nodding towards Miles.
I looked over at him stretching and laughing at something Tyler said. "He's...tired. It was a long night." I said.
Andre lifted his eyebrows, "I bet." He smirked.
"Oh my gosh, not like that!" I hit him.
He laughed.
"How is Brandon?" I asked as I picked my water out of the machine.
We began walking back towards the track.
"He has a massive headache, but he's here."
"What happened last night?" I said as I struggled to open the bottle cap.
Andre gestured for my water bottle. I handed it to him. He opened the bottle.
"I don't know. Tyler was screaming karaoke when I noticed Kali run out. Then I noticed how out of control Brandon was."

We walked closer to the bleachers and noticed Heather gesturing wildly, Kali glanced at me and then hit Heather, she shut up. It was blatantly obvious that they had been talking about me.

"Hey Andre!" Heather smiled.
"Hey girls, I gotta get back." Andre waved as he jogged back to the track.
"So, what were you two talking about?" I folded my arms.
Heather glanced at Kali then asked, "We just were wondering...has anything happened between you and Miles?"
"What? No." I responded quickly.
"Come on, really? He is super good looking," Heather said staring at him wistfully.
"If you think that, you date him." I snapped back.
Heather waved her hand dramatically, "don't even get me started."
I looked at Kali for some intel.
"She used to be in love with him." Kali said flatly.
My eyes widened.
"In love is a bit dramatic." Heather said.
I didn't know something could be too dramatic when it came to Heather.
A twinge of pain hit me when I realized that they would make a great couple. She's this fun, confident girl and he is this authentic, likable guy. They would be that power couple you imagine. An extraordinary person deserves to be with an equally extraordinary person.

I was waiting for Heather to elaborate, she didn't, but my curiosity got the best of me.
"What happened?" I asked.
Heather sighed. "Basically, I built up the courage to ask him out and he turned me down, he was super nice about it though; said that we were friends and that's all he'd ever seen me as."
She said all this while picking at a sticker on the bleachers. I thought about it, hard, liking a guy and being rejected is not fun. It made me realize that Miles played the friend card with me just the night before.
"I'm...so sorry. That sucks."
She blew her bangs out of her face. "I'm really happy that we stayed friends now. His "girlfriends" are flings and it wouldn't have been good for the group if we had gotten together and broken up."
"Well, that's good then." I said.
His girlfriends are just flings. A disappointment rose in me that I hadn't been able to explain yet.
Heather clopped down the steps in her white boots, sat down next to me, and stared me right in the eye. She weirded me out sometimes.
"But that doesn't mean what you have will be a fling! You guys have commitment. You're living with him, now you're snuggling up in the same bed! Are you kidding?!"
"You haven't even kissed?" Kali chimed in.
I blushed. "No we haven't. Miles sees me as a friend."
"Well I'm not sure about that." Heather said, squinting at Miles. "I've been looking at you two like cousins. Now I can see if he's into you or not."
This is becoming a bit much to handle. To think of Heather almost spying on me and Miles, it's uncomfortable. So I started to get up, trying to get away from the hot seat.
"Nah that's okay Heather, wouldn't that be weird? Since you used to like him?"
She shook her head. "Is that what this is about? I wasn't meant to be with him. April, if you're meant to be with him I'm not getting in your way."
It's the opposite actually; she wants to get involved and practically shove us together.
"I'll just watch how he acts around you and if I notice anything...noticeable I'll ask him about it." Heather concluded
My nerves spiked.
"That's unnecessary, and a waste of time." I stood now by the fence. Heather wrinkled her nose.
"Leave them alone, Heath." Kali said.
"Fine!" Heather said, throwing her arms up and back down on her lap.

Heather didn't let it go. I felt her watching me. I needed to either ignore her or lessen my time with Miles around her. I didn't know her as a gossipy type, but she was very open. I didn't want her thinking I liked Miles and spreading it. As if we were all thinking the same thing; Kali, Heather and I watched Miles as he stretched. Suddenly Tyler sprinted toward Miles and slapped his butt. I gasped, it was so unexpected and funny (you expect nothing less from Tyler), Andre was on the ground laughing, and even the coach couldn't hide his smile. Miles started chasing Tyler around and around. Geez, he must be exhausted. Miles mentioned last night how he felt he needed to look after his friends, look after his team and look after himself. No human can do all three so well. How does he do it? Kali said no guy can be perfect, right? I desperately wanted her to be right. I missed thinking he was a jerk, it made things a lot easier.
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I tried really hard to not look at Miles during practice. It's not that I wanted to prove Heather wrong exactly, I just didn't want her inspecting me every time I watched, talked, or walked with Miles. I made a point cheering for Andre, but only clapping for Miles. When Miles had an amazing running time I didn't make a big deal about it. When he drank water and his friends all roughed up his hair, I stared at his friends. When Miles took off his shirt, I looked at Heather. This continued for another 45 minutes. Afterwards, when the group met up, Heather asked if everyone was going to Danny's Bonfire.
"Who?" I asked.
Andre explained that this guy, Danny, throws insane bonfires at least twice a year.
"I don't really feel like it." I started to say. I felt like anxiety had been building up in me all day. I wanted to go to our dorm, change, and relax. But Miles came over, with a light blue shirt on that brought out his eyes, and put his arm around me.
"April, you're coming, it's gonna be great."
I felt flutters in my stomach with Miles' arm on my waist. I looked over to Heather, and she had a smile forming on her stupid, symmetrical face. I tried to back out again.
"No Miles, seriously-"
"Hey Miles can I talk to you for a sec." Heather came up to us eagerly. The group was getting rowdy behind her.
My face turned red and I mouthed no to her.
"Uhh, sure." Miles said looking back and forth between us, "something wrong?"
"Oh it's no big deal I just need to talk with you." She said, she raised her eyebrows at me.
This was the first time I disliked Heather's drama. I had admired it before, her confidence was inspiring, but right now she was just being nosy. I needed to do something fast, or else everything would be out of my control.
"Actually, Miles, we really need to go home and change before this bonfire." I used it as an excuse.
"So you do want to go?" He said enthusiastically. "Great. Heath, can it wait?
She blinked,  "Oh...sure! See you soon!" She waved at us as I pulled Miles toward his car, trying to avoid this confrontation from happening in front of me and all together.

We were out of earshot from the group when Miles said "Woah, what's the rush girl?"
"Sorry," I stopped pulling him.
I just wanted today to be over.
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