Behind Shaded Eyes

Chapter 6: Waiting It Out

Christian

Senior year was definitely a year to remember.

The only things that kept me going were Brayden and Hazel, but once Maya came into my life, I knew I lost my best friends.

Brayden may be all tough and macho, but he was definitely the softer one of the trio. Then he got together with Bella and it was like something morphed him into a giant lovesick puppy. But they kept each other in line and that's what I liked about them,

When they came to my house and told me about Hazel's breakup with Tate, I felt like an absolute prick for not being able to comfort her. Tate had been missing out on an amazing human being Hazel was; she didn't deserve what he did to her.

From the second Maya and Hazel laid eyes on each other, I knew they wouldn't get along.

Three months later, I realized I was just another guy to play Maya's stupid games. By that time I'd lost Hazel and was on the brink of losing Brayden and Bella too. So I broke things off with Maya and word got around quick. The one day I tried to tell Hazel was the day I knew I lost her completely.

April 6th.

I'd gotten the balls the see Hazel after being such a dick to her in the first place. When I got there, I saw a gray Chrysler in the Marks' driveway, so I assumed there was company. What I didn't know was the James Kallway was there.

When I'd first met Hazel, one of the first things she talked about was James and how dreamy the kid was. I thought nothing of it at the time because we were like four years old and I wasn't in love with her. Then middle school came along and she transferred over to my school without a word about James Kallaway.

A couple years after that she fell in love with Tate Neilson and everyone thought they were go to last forever. Then he cheated with Jessica and things just got all sorts of fucked up.

The day I found out about Tate's infidelity, I thought Hazel deserved, but only for that one second. Being the dick I was, I didn't bother to see if she was even okay. Elliot was the one seeing her more than me, which wasn't normal for the Marks or the Durans. I was being the idiot everyone knew I was, and it took me a while to figure everything out.

Then I finally grew the balls to see Hazel, and when I saw her with James on that piano bench that night, my hands clenched at the sight. James was the one that broke Hazel's heart and then I see them talking like nothing had happened.

I knew things were basically done between Hazel and me. The only words that I clung onto before I left were: "Give me time to let everything sink in."

Brayden

A lot of people could say that the second half of my senior year was something I'd learn from.

Yeah, obviously if you have two best friends there's bound to be some drama. I just didn't expect it to be so much.

It was always us three: me, Christian, and Hazel.

I was the overbearing softy everyone could go to. Chris was the popular athlete every guy wanted to be and almost every girl swooned over, expect Hazel.

Christ tried so hard for Hazel. Then Tate came along and swept her off her feet for three years, and Maya Sanders eventually snatched Chris. Bella came to me out of nowhere and I suddenly thought that every one of us was happy, but we all know that's not how it happens.

Suddenly Tate cheats one Hazel, Maya influences Chris to be a dick to everyone, and our trio is broken into secrets and not hanging out with each other at all.

They thought it was hard on them, how about how hard it was for me?

l was the one who kept going back and forth from Christian to Hazel every single day, worrying that our friendship might have fully collapsed. It felt like I had a set of divorced parents.

I was worried for Hazel though. She'd decided to have lunches by herself and never updated me on anything until Chris' accident at the ledge. Once Chris had his mind cleared, he finally grew the balls to apologize to Hazel and I was proud of him for that.

It was scary to think that our trio might have been cut off over stupid things people try to do. I didn't want to be in the middle of it all, so I let them fix the problem while I sat back and watched with Bella by my side.

I honestly didn't think this would be such a roller coaster ride.