Superposition (Starting Position Sequel)

Chapter 23

Ian, Justin, Dev, and I were seated on the coach that weekend, perched in front of the TV playing Mario Kart. Dev and Ian were currently in the middle of a match; Dev leaned forward with his mouth open, and Ian was now standing with his fingers flying over the controller.

    "Suck it, Ian!" Dev exclaimed after he passed him on the course.

    Ian swore under his breath as his fingers tensed further.

    Justin snickered at the two of them before casting his eyes out the window and doing a double take. He yelled, "RAB alert! RAB alert!" and jumped off of the couch, cramming his nose against the window.

    Dev dropped his controller and followed immediately behind. The two guys were now staring point blank out of the window.

    Ian laughed triumphantly and shouted, "I won!" to which Dev stated in a muffled tone, "Doesn't count. RAB's walking by. All rules are void – that's rule number twenty-two."

    Ian shook his head and glanced in my direction. "That doesn't even make any sense."

    "Are you guys gonna come look, or what?" Justin asked, barely turning around before snapping right back into place, his hands sealed against the glass beside his face.

    Ian started, "I happen to be sort of dating –"

    "– Hoping to date," Dev interjected.

    Ian flared his nostrils and continued, "Samara and I are basically together, and I don't need to stare at some girl traipsing across the sidewalk like you animals."

    "She's wearing a mini-skirt, Ian. A mini-skirt in winter." Justin emphasized. "Have you ever seen Samara in a mini skirt? Doubt it. And you probably won't for another few months." Justin pressed his face further against the glass. "Ben, better get over here!" He ordered. "She's almost gone, and you need a look more than any of us now that you and Elliot broke up."

    I ignored the twinge my chest suffered at his words, and, despite not having any desire to watch some girl creepily from the window, I strode beside the guys and fell into place just as the girl – who he and Dev dubbed Random-Attractive-Blonde, or RAB – strode passed the window, indeed wearing a tiny skirt.

    Soon after, Ian shuffled towards the window and joined the line of guys ogling the pretty blonde walking by.

    "Someday, I'll work up the courage to talk to her," Dev said.

    "And say what? How much you've admired watching her walk to and from class every day?" I said.

    Ian laughed and released himself from the window just as the girl with swaying blonde hair fell from sight.

    "Maybe," Dev responded. "It's possible she likes being watched. Some girls do, you know."

    "Dev," Justin started. "You don't know jackshit about girls. It's a miracle one managed to take your V card. I'm stunned, honestly."

    A faint blush worked its way up Dev's neck and he desperately tried to disguise it by dipping his chin.

    "Girls like attention," Justin said, as though he were some guru. "But they don't want attention drawn to liking attention. You get what I'm saying?"

    Dev's brows meshed together. "No."

    Justin flailed his hands and sank onto the couch. "Yeah, girls like attention, but they don't want you to know that. It's like – okay – take that girl for example, RAB. She probably loves that she can cause a bunch of guys to watch her walk to class, but she doesn't want the guys to be aware that she has that power. So, us guys, fully aware that girls crave attention, don't bring it up, so they think they have the power, or whatever." Justin folded his arms across his chest. "Also, equally important, don't willingly give a girl too much attention."