Summer for Suckers

3.)

You're not sure how, but you've managed to get a whole week off of work, and you're slightly thankful because you're a little embarrassed at the way you left things with Willy, who you haven't talked to since. You've spent most of your days off driving around this small town in your Jeep, parking it by the beach or off some wooden trail, sitting in the driver's seat and just relaxing, listening to music and zoning out.

Anything to keep you out of the house and away from all the testosterone.

Today was going to be just like the last - you've got to go back in two days, and you were going to spend as much time to yourself as possible. You woke up earlier than Gabe and Shawn, the latter of the two whom you've been pointedly avoiding, getting showered, dressed, brushing your teeth and grabbing your backpack.

As you climb into your car, your phone buzzes in your back pocket with a text notification.

From Will.

"can we go to breakfast when you wake up? I think we need to talk"

You groan - this was the main thing you wanted to avoid, but you knew that you'd have to work with him the rest of the summer anyway, so you type out a quick reply.

"Sure, where did you want me to meet you?"

"Vinny's?"

About ten minutes later, you pull into the parking lot of a small diner where you can see Will is already seated, two milkshakes in front of him. He waves at you from inside and you return the gesture, heading in and taking your seat across from him.

"I hope you don't mind," he says, gesturing to the drinks. "You said you like chocolate, right?"

You nod with a small smile. "Yeah, thanks Will."

He nods, then leans back into the booth. With a sigh, he suddenly leans forward again, elbows on the table and says "I don't know that I can do this."

You raise your brow in suspicion. "Do what?"

Again, he sighs. "I know that I promised you that when I got back we'd talk about the promise we made. About giving us a shot. And I know that a lot was happening back then, with all the flirting and prom and stuff, and it all kind of made it seem like you and I would eventually happen...but...but I don't know that I want that?"

You don't say anything, but he thinks it's because you're upset (which you're not, not yet anyway), and so he reaches across the table, taking your hand in his. "I've been thinking these last few days, since we haven't talked and I've come to realize a few things. I know that I like spending time with you, and that I want to do things, but since we're going to differently schools in the fall, I don't know that I'm ready or mature enough for a long distance relationship, or that I should even be in a serious relationship when I'm going to college and could be out having 'fun.'"

That last part definitely hurts you, because you realize what he's saying - he's not even going to give it a chance, not going to give you a chance, but at the same time, yeah, you get why he wants to have "fun." But you also understand that sometimes people just aren't relationship people, and you can't really be mad at Will for that.

Plus, he's still your friend, and he's always listened to you, never pushed you, stepped away when you asked him to, always respected you, and he tried so hard to impress you on that one date, treated you like a princess and made you laugh. But he's always been that way.

So you let it go, no hard feelings.

"I understand." You say.

He blinks at you in surprise. "What? You're not mad?"