Chase & Adrienne

3

CHASE

MONDAY AFTERNOON

I walk into the gymnasium with Andre by my side. The last few weeks of basketball practice have been grueling, and I pray silently for an easier day today, knowing full well that my prayers will simply bounce off the ceiling back at me. Andre and I shoot around while we wait for the running to commence. The rest of our team trickles in slowly as the clock ticks away.

"Chase, I just hatched a brilliant idea. You're gonna wanna listen to this," Andre announces suddenly. Excitement is etched across his face, and for a second, I'm totally suspicious.

"Hatched...?"

He ignores my comment, continuing right ahead. "You should ask Adrienne to the dance."

"Alright," I respond, shooting a free throw. It swirls in and out of the rim. 

"No," he says sternly. "Ask her."

"I don't have to ask her, man. We're gonna end up going together anyway."

"That doesn't count."

"Sure, it does," I argue. "I've already gone to every other dance with her. It's just an unspoken deal. Nothing wrong with that."

"Where's the spirit, man? Where's the romance?"

"Romance?" I repeat, making a face. "Romance and Adrienne don't go together."

"Oh, yes they do. Besides, Adrienne's hot," Andre says matter-of-factly, draining a three.

I let out a full-belly laugh, turning to Andre to give him a goofy grin. "If Adrienne's so hot, why don't you ask her, Andre?"

His face contorts. "Dude, that's weird. We are way too good of friends for that," he retorts. I launch the ball in his direction, and it clocks him on the side of the head. 

"Ah!" Andre cradles the side of his head, but I didn't throw the ball that hard, and he knows it. 

"You deserved it," I tell him. 

"Maybe so," he responds. "But I have a point, and you know it."

I nod my head politely, letting the conversation fizzle out. As more players join in on pre-practice shooting, the gym fills with the sounds of basketballs bouncing against the furnished wood floors and the voices of my teammates. Several of the underclassmen discuss the game that was on last night. I watched it with Adrienne--her team won, and my team lost. She wouldn't let me hear the end of it. 

Much to my surprise, however, the group of seniors on the next basket over talk fervently about the dance. From the sound of it, most of them plan to ask out popular cheerleader types. One voice stands out to me, and it belongs to none other than Luke Gates. 

"You know who I'm thinking of asking, dude?" he says to his best friend, Todd. "Adrienne La Londe." 

This doesn't sit well in my ears. Does this guy really think he's good enough for someone like Adrienne? For one thing, he's just about the most arrogant guy I've ever met, and he's a total ball hog. Adrienne would never go for a ball hog. Besides, me and Luke have never gotten along, and we likely never will. I grab Andre's arm and yank him toward me. 

"Dude, we have a problem," I hiss. 

He looks over at me with concern in his eyes. "Is coach here already?" He looks around frantically. 

"Calm down, man. Luke thinks he's gonna ask Adrienne to the dance."

"And who's fault is that, Mr. 'romance and Adrienne don't go together?'"

"He's gonna break her heart, or take advantage of her, or, like, try and date her. He hates my guts, dude. Plus, if Adrienne gets a boyfriend, me and her are never gonna talk again because boyfriends always feel threatened by the "guy best friend."

There is a pause. 

"Bro, are you jealous?" Andre asks, wiggling his eyebrows. 

"You can't be serious."

"Fine, fine. Well, you know what you have to do, right?"

"What?" I ask. 

"You gotta ask Adrienne before he does."

"...THAT'S BRILLIANT, ANDRE. You're a genius!"

"Do you ever listen to me, man??"