Pricked

19

     "Seraphina is her name. She was nice and she kissed me." I lean in, my mouth gapes open.

"She kissed you?" My voice raises and I can't help but think of having a new friend.

"Yeah." he said coolly, as if girls kiss him all the time.

"Yeah?! That's all I get?" I plop my hands on his shoulders, "I am flabbergasted Mitch come on, give me something! When can I meet her?"

"No." His answer is rushed as he averts his eyes from me.

"What do you mean no?"

"I don't know if I even like her," he twiddles the ties of his shirt

"But she kissed you..."

"Yeah, SHE kissed me not the other way around."

"Oohhh," I extend the word and make kissy noises.

"Stop," he moans pushing me off of him. "I don't LIKE her," he says and flops back on the bed. I flop next to him

"Fine. So I won't meet her and you won't go out with her again." We lay for a moment and stare at the cracked ceiling. He is my best friend and I didn't want to share him anyways.

"Wanna play ball?" I ask eager to change the subject and he turns to me a grin plastered on his face and without a word he springs up like a jumping spider and heads for the door.

*********

"Marriage!?" I exclaim, "you can't be serious."

"I don't want to marry," he states halfheartedly, "but it's not like I have any choice in the matter. Father wants me to marry her so I must."

"I'm going to be a third wheel. I'm going to be pushed out of your life!" Then on a much less serious note I dramatically fall into his arms. "Might as well say goodbye now. My dear, dear friend, may your new life treat you better then I..." He lifts me up off his arms and spins me to face him.

"I'm not kicking you out of my life. I'm just involuntarily making our life bigger." He smacks on a smile and I try and keep a straight face. "You might like her. Heck you might even like her more than I do."

"So you met her?" I question once past the idea of keeping him with me forever fades.

"Yeah remember Seraphina?" He says slowly.

"The girl who liked you but you didn't like her, yeah I remember." Not catching on.

"Well..." he starts.

"You didn't let me meet her and now you are marrying her!" I rise up and punch him with all my might.

"She lives in a neighboring town and her father has good crop and said he would help take care of Pa's medical necessities."

"They bought your love," I state angrily.

"In a sense yes, but she seems nice."

"You meet her again and didn't tell me? Didn't let me come with you?" I have half a mind to punch him again.

"I didn't want you to worry-" I keep interrupting him, he's never going to get a full sentence out.

"Well, I'm worried now!" I plop back down and slump back resting my head on the wall. "She's coming here right?" He doesn't speak, he averts his eyes and tries to stand, but I'm too quick. I grab his wrist pulling myself up in the process and ask again.