Jealous (Anthony Padilla)

Anthony

I'm not stupid. I could still obviously feel the tension in the air when Ian and Jade are in the same area, everyone can. I understood that they didn't like each other. They were both stubborn and I knew that I wasn't going to be able to force them to get along. It impressed me to see them both trying to get along around me, even if it weren't a permanent attitude.

Jade and I sat outside of the cabins on a bench until everyone began to file out of the doors. We stood up and the camp counselors guided us towards the mess hall, where we would eat our dinner. I sat next to Jade and across from Noah and Keith as we ate.

When we finished, all of the girls went swimming while the boys and I moved towards the rec room to play a game of pain pong. After a few rounds and a lot of laughs it was my turn to play against Ian. I could hear him mumbling under his breath as he pushed himself off of the couch. Every time I'd smile, he seemed to have something to say under his breath. After a while it got annoying, "Do you have something to say?" I asked him as we hit the ball back and forth, "You've been mumbling under your breath for a while now."

"Maybe I have," he said to me, "What makes you think it's any of your business?"

"It might not be, but it's annoying," I told him and noticed that the entire room was quiet. He hit the ball too far, giving me the chance to hit him with it, "What was that?" I asked him with so forced laugh, "I thought you'd be good at playing with balls."

He roughly pulled his shirt over his head and I hit the ball at him. It hit in the center of his stomach at full force. Ian mumbled again as he pulled down his shirt, "What was that?" I asked him and he hit the ball, "I couldn't quite here you."

I missed the ball and pulled my shirt to cover my face. A ball his my upper thigh over my pocket and everyone jumped back. I pulled my shirt down and Ian chuckled, "That was close," I told him and hit the ball back to his side of the table, "but it didn't hurt." He mumbled again and missed the ball. When I shot at him again I hit his lower stomach and he hunched over. I lightly laughed and he tugged his shirt back down, cursing under his breath.

"I don't like her!" He shouted at me loudly after they quietly announced that I had won, "Do you hear me? I don't like her and I'm not going to pretend that I do!" He dropped the paddle on the table and the entire room got quiet.

"You don't think I know?" I asked him roughly, "I'm not stupid! I know you don't like her, but that doesn't mean you can't act like a decent human being around her."

"Anthony, you're my best friend and all you've done for the last month is fawn over that girl!" He told me harshly.

"That girl has a name, and she's my girlfriend! I don't care what your opinion is of her. It isn't your relationship, so quit trying to make everything about you!" We started making our way towards each other and Flitz immediately hopped to his feet, separating us, "You're my best friend. Why are you acting like you aren't?"

"Because you aren't treating me like I am!" He shouted angrily.

"I'm not treating you any differently! You're the one starting shit!" I exclaimed to him and Flitz's hands rested on our chests to hold us apart, "How am I supposed to treat you the same if I can't even have you and Jade in the same area without feeling the tension in the air? She's my girlfriend, Ian!"

"So was Kalel!" He shot at me and I took a step back, "Look where that got you!"

There was an overall gasp in the room and all eyes rested on Ian. Only my friends and I knew the real story and depth behind my breakup with Kalel, "Jade is nothing like Kalel," I told him a bit calmer and Flitz finally started to guide Ian away from me.

I felt someone grab my arm and quickly glanced over my shoulder to see Noah pulling me away, "You don't see it, but I do," Ian told me, "You're just going to get hurt again."

"No, I won't!" I told him a bit roughly, trying to convince myself. I was afraid of rejection. I hated being put last or treated differently. I liked attention, but had commitment issues. I hated being alone, but I was afraid of heartbreak. I didn't say anything and pulled away from Noah, marching out of the door and running into Sunny.

He blew his whistle loudly and grabbed my shirt before I could get away. Sunny stepped into the room and grabbed Ian by his shirt, dragging us both outside, "What's the problem?" He asked as he let go of our shirts.

We both started yelling and he blew his whistle loudly, "I don't care!" He screamed, "Remember what I said about arguing? This is your first and only warning!"