Proving Webster Wrong

Chapter Six -- Drew

Chapter Six

Drew

The words came out of my mouth before I realized what I had said. Seeing Chloe's face with so much anger made it sink in. You're an idiot, Drew. The voice in my head scolded. I my palm against my forehead. Things had been starting to feel comfortable again, like there was a chance none of the other stuff had ever happened. And then I had to ruin it.

The lines around our friendship had changed so much and now I had just crossed one. I had barged right over it without thinking, without caring. It left a bad taste in my mouth. It had caused my stomach squeezed and turn over.

"I didn't mean that." Impulse told me to reach out a hand to comfort her. Seventeen years of knowing Chloe kept my hand firmly on my side of the truck.

"You thought it." Her face didn't seem to move. It stayed fixed in the glaring expression, moving only just enough for the words to form.

"I did." It didn't matter that I hadn't thought before I said them, I had still thought the words long enough for them to make it from my brain to my mouth. Did it give them some truth? "Sometimes we think things that we don't actually believe."

"Andrew, it's okay. The four of us were friends for years. That's not going to change." She reached for her cup for another piece of ice. It must have all melted because she placed it back into the holder after peaking in the lid and without bringing it up to her mouth. "Just don't do it again."

I nodded, keeping my mouth shut this time.

Her face cracked into a smile. "I'm kidding. I'm not going to tell you what to do and think. I may be controlling, but I'm not Crystal."

But Crystal was controlling. How was it possible to be what she was but not be her? It didn't make any sense. Maybe she did take it to extremes with how much she made sure that I acted exactly how she wanted. That's control.

My brain couldn't figure it out. The thoughts just kept going in circles jumbling up until they were not even complete sentences.

"Now, for the rules." She cracked the spine of the blue journal.

"Why do we need rules? All we're doing is challenging each other to things." I stretched my arms out in front of me. "And can we go somewhere else to do this? Sitting in this truck isn't really all that comfortable."

Chloe chewed on the end of her new pen and stared at me, or rather in my direction since her eyes were sort of blank she was probably doing some looking into the distance thing. I made a mental note to never borrow a pen from her.

I reached across her to open the glove compartment. She needed something else to chew on that wasn't not so gross. Or had the potential to burst and send ink squirting into her mouth, no matter how interesting it would have been to watch I was in no condition to deal with the freak out it might cause.

"What are you doing?" She seemed to spit the question at me in a whisper.

"Looking for something."

She shrank away from me and further into the corner formed by the seat and the door. Her challenges would defiantly need to get her out of this. How could she be on stage coming into contact with people but she couldn't stand to have my arm close at all?

After shoving things around I found the pack of gum kept for stressful days. Gum had always been a go to thing for dealing with Crystal. It was a brand new pack I had bought the night before on my why to end things but I had managed to chew my way through all but one piece.

"Here. This might help." I offered the gum to Chloe.

At first she shook her head, probably thinking about how melted it would be from the heat. But then her eyes went to her cup of melted ice. Slowly she lifted a hand and accepted the gum. "Thanks," she said in a quick breathe.