How Cliche (Narry Storan)

How Cliche (Narry Storan) Part 10

Have you ever spent days not talking to someone close to you on purpose and then you see that person somewhere and they're right there, ready for apology or explanation, but nobody says anything so you just avert your gaze and walk away with that feeling of heated embarrassment?

I swear I meant to apologize to Harry that time in the hallway. It was before the last period of the day and we were both rushing to our classes but we stopped dead when we saw each other. People continued to rush past us but we stood still, not noticing anything but each other. His expression held was one of mixed concern and surprise. I couldn't say mine was much different.
I had run over this moment so many times in my mind. I never expected it to actually present itself to me. I was ready with an apology or a demand for an apology. It was right there on the tip of my tongue and I was going to say it, I was just going to open my mouth and say, "Harry...."

But I glanced to the left and quickly pushed past him, losing myself in the hoards of people hurrying to their classes so as not to be late. And I hated myself for being such a coward. To make matters worse, Chelsea waved to me when I was leaving the school later on. I needed to get away from everything, to think alone somewhere. So I went to bridge. I suppose it was a contradiction since I was trying to get away from thoughts of Harry, but it was basically a comfort zone.

That plan was shot, however, when I got close enough to realize that the usual one car every ten minutes had been traded in for ten cars every ten minutes. I instead headed for the diner. As if my day hadn't been as horrible before, Chris lowly told me they got a new manager. No problem, I figured. Just give me my usual pick-me-up order. But no, Chris said, this manager had fired Jerry and gotten some chef from the city. It was as if everyone was trying to make me miserable.

So with no nice view of a rushing river, no usual pick-me-up order from Jerry and no best friend, I walked the streets alone and just plain bored. I set off down the sidewalk away from the diner, kicking a stone as I went. I didn't think any of this to be fair.
Everything was Chelsea's fault. If harry had never met her, then they never would have gotten together, and my friendship with harry wouldn't be completely ruined.
Except she still got the good end of the deal: no attachments from an ex and a new boyfriend. And possibly, if she would have been as selfish as I expected her to be, she could have had a really nice ring, too.

I sighed and stopped in front of another diner a few streets down, one that was much more popular and much less familiar to me. I walked inside somewhat out of defiance-if I found a new place to eat without harry, I had officially moved on. But the busy sound of clinking dishes and shouted orders and the stifling hotness of the place made me uncomfortable and I needed to get out.

I stopped short right in front of the door. Fortune appeared to be following someone else because I was suddenly standing in front Harry once again. It was exactly as it had been at school, except this time, a glass door was separating us. His jaw was dropped and his hand was mid-air when he had stopped reaching for the door handle. And I couldn't do anything but stare at him. I couldn't move or look away or even blink even though my brain was screaming for my muscles to obey.

I was dreading the probability that Harry would regain composure before I would, causing him to open the door and leave him free to say anything he wanted. I was deathly afraid. But I was saved by the kindness of strangers. I felt a hand on my shoulder and an old woman's voice say, "Excuse me, boy, are you alright?"

I managed to tear my gaze away from Harry and force a smile at her long enough to respond, "Yes, thank you. I'm sorry I was in your way."

She smiled back at me and kindly said, "Oh, it's no problem, dear. You have a nice afternoon, now."

I nodded and by the time I turned around to see her go out the door, Harry was no longer standing on the other side. Once the old woman was gone, I cautiously walked out the door, looking left and right to make sure Harry was really gone before I started walking home. My hands were shaking, I unfortunately noticed. My best friend shouldn't have made me so unnerved. Even if I could place 'former' between 'my' and 'best.'