Make It Or Break It

End of summer (Precollege)

MICHAEL

I was staring at Jane as she walked away with Brandon. They're holding hands and all.

My eyes fell to the floor as I lean on the hood of my car--feeling sorry for myself for falling for my best friend's girl. I fell for someone I know will never be mine.

"You finally came." I heard Zac's voice.

I turned to look for him. He was standing by the cooler.
I didn't even felt his presence arrive. And his is the kind that you'll immediately feel even if he was a mile away because he's Zachary Addams--he's Zac fucking Addams.
He has that kind of presence.

He was just looking at me emotionless as he offered me a bottle of beer.

"Gonna start talking or what?" He then asked.

"About what?" I tried acting dumb.

He walked up to me and leaned on the hood of his car which was adjacent to mine. He was staring at me as if reading my face as he hands me my beer.

"Jane." He casually said as if it was nothing.

My eyes widened. I didn't know what to say. I don't even know how the hell he knew what I was thinking.

"Bet you think I haven't noticed, huh?" He has that shit eating grin--mocking me.
Asshole.
I turned away--looking at my beer instead.

"I think I have feelings for her.. I think I love her."

My jaw clenched as soon as I finished that sentence because I know how wrong and stupid this is. She's my best friend's girl for heaven's sake.
I closed my eyes as I let out a sigh. There's no more reason to lie anyway. He knows. He probably saw it in the way that I look at her.

"Sure. Of course...I love her too." I heard him say as he drank from his beer.

My eyes widened.

"What the hell?" I almost yelled.

I turned to Ali who was standing about ten feet from here--making sure she didn't hear what her dick of a boyfriend just said.

He laughed at my expression.
He just fucking laughed.
He took off his cap, ran his fingers through his hair then he put his cap back on.

"That's love you feel--no doubt there--but not that kind of love. That's just the kind of love that you give someone because you feel like you want to protect her. The kind that people always get wrong because they think that that love is love."

My eyebrows furrowed. I was confused.
Isn't that what supposed to be love is? Never letting anything to happen to that person because you love her? I mean..why the hell would you want to protect someone--risk your own safety for someone if she is nothing to you?

"Tell me what you think about Jane." He suddenly said.

"I just said that I think I--"

"No. I mean--what do you think about her? Physically?" He explained.

I shrugged my shoulders not knowing what to say.
He just stared at me waiting for a word from me.
I looked to where Jane and Brandon were.

"I mean she's obviously beautiful--I guess." I said--not having a single clue why is that information relevant to this situation.

"Exactly."

I swear every word he says just makes me more and more confused.
He got here earlier than I did, he must be drunk by now. That could be the reason why he's making no sense at all.
He reached over to tap my shoulder.