The Wallflower Effect

Chapter 6: A Memorable Game.

The rest of the school day had passed without anymore significant events. Gage had been in a strange mood all day. I was usually the quiet one in our friendship, but I guess he wanted his turn. It was half an hour after school was over, and I couldn't help but feel that Gage was hurt somehow. I'd never seen him like this. I decided that homework could wait. I had to fix whatever it was I'd screwed up with him. Gage was my best friend, I didn't want to see him hurt. Especially by me. Good thing he lived right next door, and I had the perfect idea of how to get him back to his old self, the Gage Prince I know and love.

I walked out of my empty  house, and since my parents weren't home it's not like they could lecture me on getting homework done before seeing friends. So I walked right on over to Gage's house and knocked on the door.

"Hey." He answered, looking guarded. He was still wearing the vans, fitted pants, and plaid dress shirt he was in this morning.

"I don't get why you're mad at me, but I have an idea." I told him bluntly, not mincing words. With Gage, I had never needed to.  Didn't see any reason to start now. I said exactly what was on my mind, and so did he. So I didn't know why he wasn't telling me what was wrong. Maybe we didn't tell each other everything after all. I wasn't going to force it out of him, that wasn't my style, but I'd do my level best to cheer him up.

"Should I be scared?" He half-joked, crossing his arms defensively.

"No." I said simply, walking past him into his tidy, but homey, living room. It was decorated with dark wooden furniture, and big leather coaches. It looked classy, yet casual. It looked more welcoming, like you could just take a glass of iced tea and sit your feet up at the coffee table. My house, on the other hand, was cold and perfect, like a museum. I hated my house, and loved Gage's. If I could trade him houses, I would. Mine may be bigger, but Gage's was more than a house, it was a home. And I envied him that.

His little brother who was seven was playing modern warfare, and his twelve year old sister was at the table eating a pb&j sandwich. They both had brown hair and eyes like him, and lightly tanned skin. The Prince family wasn't ugly by any means, that was for sure.

"Hi, Zoey!" They both called out to me.

"Hey Gabriel, hey Gwenyth. I'm just going to talk to your brother for a little bit, okay?" I informed them, smiling dotingly at them. They both nodded, going back to their tasks.

I grabbed Gage's hand, and we walked to his room. He didn't bother fighting me.

"Zoe, I-" He started.

"No." I stopped him. "Look, I don't know what your problem is, and I don't want to force it out of you. Just tell me when you're ready, and I'll be there for you. I always am. But in the mean time, I don't want you to shut me out like you did today. But that's not why I'm here." I paused, giving him time to process what I said.

"Okay, that's fair. I promise to stop being a jerk. But if that isn't why you're here, why are you here?" He took a seat down on his bed, putting his hands behind his head and settling in comfortably. I pulled out the chair from his desk.

"Come to the game with me. I'm going out with Eathan for dinner before the game, but once we're done, I'm just going to the game with him. He's playing, and I want you to be there so I'm not standing in those stupid bleachers by myself." I confessed. He grinned widely, looking happy-go-lucky-once again. My Gage was back.

"You bet it. I'll meet you at the game, okay? I'll call you when I get there and I'll find you." He suggested.

"Sounds like a plan, Prince." I confirmed, smiling. I don't know how I did it, but something I'd said or done had cheered him up. He looked at me almost tenderly, like I was a precious jewel. Like I meant the world to him. I knew how he felt because I looked at him the same way. I cleared my throat, forcing myself to not get hung up on my fantasies again.