Air Catcher

Best Friends with my Doubt

Hannah's pov

"Mere, have you noticed anything off with Alyx the past couple weeks?" I asked, flipping Patrick's fedora around in my hands.

"I don't think so... why? Do you think something's wrong?" Her overprotective mom mode automatically kicked in.

"Maybe... I'm not sure, but she's seemed kinda distant and cloudy eyed recently. Three weeks into school and she's already out of it. Can't say I blame her."

"Yeah, that's probably it. I'm already to be done with it." Merritt admitted.

"Yeah, but she's not complaining about it either. She's always talking about something, but she's starting to go quiet. She's thinking and zoning out a lot more." I wondered why I hadn't seen it earlier.

"We'll see her at lunch in a couple hours. We can ask her and see what's up. This is why you're a better friend than me, you notice the little things."

"Oh please, you do too, just not when you're preoccupied with Josh." I smirked.

"What does Josh have to do with anything?" Mere tried, but I saw right through her.

"Oh, honey, he has everything to do with it." I broke into a full smile.

Merritt looked down at her textbook and tried to write something down on her paper. I could see her shaking.

"Mere, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stress you out, but you've been pretty distant too." I apologized.

Merritt looked up with guilty eyes. "We're not dating, I swear, but I think I like him. A lot. Which can't..." She didn't finish her sentence. "Anyway, you think Alyx has somebody she's not telling us about?"

"It's a possibility. Just promise you'll introduce him to us soon." I begged.

She sighed. "OK, l will."

I smiled and plopped Patrick's fedora on her head. "Atta girl."

Merritt's pov

I didn't mean to keep it a secret. I just wanted to deny it for as long as I could. The second I told someone it would be real and I didn't want that. There were too many ways it could end badly. I couldn't help but feel guilty though.

Alyx was a few minutes later than normal for lunch and when she sat she didn't say anything. She only got out her lunch and started eating quietly. Hannah was right- this wasn't like her at all. Hannah and I shared a look and I opened my mouth to say something, but she beat me to it.

"Alyx, are you alright? Mere and I are worried." Hannah smiled a little when Alyx looked up at her.

"Yeah, I feel great actually." Alyx smiled.

'Is she blushing?'

"Ok, Mere said she was going to introduce us to Josh soon. Looks like you might be the best fifth wheel ever pretty soon.... Unless there's someone you want to tell us about?"

"Nope, no one." Alyx answered really quickly.

I narrowed my eyes, ready to interrogate my friend because something was clearly up when someone tapped my shoulder and nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Holy-! Oh, hey Josh." I smiled, but was a bit confused. I never saw him at lunch time and when I had invited him to come sit with us he declined. I was starting to understand why. He didn't seem like a shy guy, but in front of my two friends he seemed scared out of his mind.

"Can I... can I talk to you?" He asked. His bright yellow hair was practically trembling.

"Uh... Yeah, of course." I stood up, ignoring Hannah and Alyx's grins from the corner of my eye.

Josh didn't even seem to see them. He turned and started walking until he found a corner of a hall where no one was lingering. "I... um... I kind of... uh..." He didn't finish.

I hesitantly put my hand on his arm. He looked down at my hand and then up at me, giving me the tiniest of smiles. I melted just a little bit. He looked back down.

"Mere, I really like you." His cheeks turned bright pink.

I let a sigh of relief and my smile widened. I didn't know what to say. Josh looked back up at me and when he saw my smile I watched all the tension drain from him. He gave me one of his cheesiest grins, the most contagious kind. He knew what I couldn't find the words for.

"So, do you wanna go do something with me sometime?" He asked.

"Absolutely!"

We turned to head back to where most people eat and he interlocked his fingers with mine.