You can never be ready

3. Girls Talk and a Date (Mitch)

After confirming the BBQ date for the day after, Kirstie and I drove over to her flat immediately. After all we had a few things to do and not that much time. She was going to her date and I'd be going out with Damian. I also hoped that she could help me with Scott. Perhaps he had told her more about the problems he and Sarah had in their relationship. I just wanted to understand why he was acting so strange.

"Penny for your thoughts, Mitch." Kirstie's soft voice made me return to reality.

"Nothing major. Just processing everything that happened since yesterday" I answered and sighed.

"I understand that. I feel so sorry for Scott. He really loved her." Kirstie looked at me shortly before concentrating on the street again. "But that's not it, or is it?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know..." I started off but couldn't sort out what I was thinking.

Kirstie noticed that and smiled. "How about we postpone this conversation to my living room and add coffee to it? That way you can sort out your thoughts beforehand" she proposed.

I nodded thankfully. "That's good." I tried to sort things out but wasn't nearly half finished when Kirstie parked the car in front of the apartment complex she lived in.

We got inside and as promised she prepared two big mugs of coffee while I waited in the living room.

"So... Mitch..." she handed my one mug and took a seat beside me. "What do you want to talk about?"

I took a deep breath to calm down and started. "Well... I just don't understand Scott. Yesterday we talked on the phone and he said that the current situation concerning Sarah would only be a 'bump in their relationship'. Only an hour later he calls again to tell me that she's throwing him out. But I don't know what happened between them. I asked him why they fought but he didn't named any causes for it."

I studied Kirstie's face hoping to find a sign that would show that she knew more than me. But she looked confused. "He didn't tell me anything, either. "Of course I asked him about his relationship every now and then but he never replied with more than 'fine'."

"Hmm... I had hoped that you'd know more than me." I sighed and took a sip from my coffee. "There are just a few things that are weird. He doesn't want to talk about the cause of his break-up, saying that he and Sarah were morenor less happy together. Yet he always points out that he is relieved that he's single again. I just want to understand him. He's not being himself right now and I do not like him being this way."

"I want to help him as well, Mitch. But we should give him a break. It's only been a day..." Kirstie remarked. "Give him some time to think things over and you'll see that he'll be back to his own self in no time."

I nodded. "You're right, Kirstie. I think I'm just a little bit... overwhelmed by everything that happened. Maybe it's just that he doesn't tell me what's wrong like he always does. I feel like he doesn't trust me anymore. He is hiding something from me."

Kirstie smiled at me sympathically and put an arm around me. "You still kind of love him, don't you?" she asked me, referring to a time back at highschool when I was just coming out of the closet and fell for him. I never told him, because it would've ruined our friendship for sure. I decided it would be better to be best friends with him than to never have him around anymore.

"I... I mean of course I do. But not like I did before. He's straight and my best friend. We've been through this" I answered. "Nevertheless... seeing him like this hurts and him having secrets when we tell each other every little thing hurts, too." I ran a hand through my hair, pushing my bangs back into place afterwards.