It's tough, being best friends with the person you love. Especially if the feeling is... mutual?
Wait, what?
Truly, neither Mason Byrd nor Cody O'Neill wanted to be just friends. It's just that Cody was fast in the swimming pool but not so much...
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Cody
Beep... Beep...
The phone was dialling, Mason on the other side of the line, and my heart was trying to leap out of my body through my throat.
I wanted to kiss Mason.
I wanted to kiss Mason, my best friend.
I'd honestly tried to do as coach Carta said. Told myself I'd shower, chat with Dylan, Britt and Benjamin about our training, and then forget about that feeling in the pit of my stomach the moment I exited the building.
Funny thing was the funny feeling didn't go away. Sitting outside on a park bench in the fresh air did nothing; I still felt the heat and tingling in my body. And the more I tried to stop thinking about it, the more I thought about it.
And now Mace wanted to talk about our summer holiday. Today. Right now. How was I going to go on a holiday with him? What if it turned out like Manhattan, and we had to share a bed again? How was I going to plan it with him in the first place? If I saw him, the butterflies might get worse, plus, I'd be going against coach Carta's advice of getting it out of my head. But I couldn't just leave Mace hanging and not answer his messages either.
What should I do? I was half hoping Mace wouldn't pick up. That I wouldn't have to hear his voice, his laugh, and most of all wouldn't have to decide. Was it normal to both intensely hope someone picks up and doesn't pick up at the same time? The phone was still dialling. I'd heard the beep eight times already.
Click.
I nearly dropped the phone in surprise when Mason finally picked up. My hand quivered lightly, and I'm not sure I could blame it on tired muscles from the swimming training. But something was off. Instead of Mason's voice, all I heard was noise: clanging and rattling. It sounded like something or someone falling?
"Uh, hello?" I asked.
"Oh Cody Wody--" I heard what I think was Noel call out sing-song from far away. "Smurf boy lov--!"
Clatter! Bang!
"Ow! Son of a bitch!"
"It's your mom too, idiot-- you're also calling yourself a son of a bitch!"
Mace's voice was mixed in with growling and groaning. Like he and Noel were fighting, actually physically fighting. Were they still at each other's throat from what happened at the bar? Mason had seemed pretty pissed about being teased last night. Noel turned out to be spot on about me with his game, though. I could only hope he didn't realise just how right he was.
