Game, Set, Match

{20}

Chase

"Josh likes Stevie." Nate blurts randomly, ruining the comfortable silence I found myself lost in.

"Who the fuck is Josh?" I ask as we make our way to school in the rays of the morning sun. His name not triggering any memory or conjuring up a face.

Nate dramatically gasps, pausing in place and forcing me to halt as well.

"Josh? My best friend? You seriously don't know who he is?"

I shake my head in response.

"Damn, I need to introduce you two." He says as he begins to walk again. "He's a great guy. You'll like him." Nate says with a little too much optimism.

"I don't like many people."

"You see this is the type of mindset we're trying to change. Remember when you didn't like me?" Nate says.

"Yeah but you're different." I reply because I could never imagine liking someone as much as I like him. It terrifies me how attached I'm getting.

"I think the word you mean is special." He says, looking at me with a cheesy grin on his face

I roll my eyes.

"Whatever makes you happy."

*

After two hours of me not paying attention in my lessons, I head outside to my designated spot, waiting for my two friends.

"Woah, what happened to the silver hair?" I ask as Stevie sits opposite me on the wooden bench.

"Got my sister to dye it. Thought I needed the change." She says as she takes out a lighter from the pocket of her leather jacket and lights a cigarette.

Her once silver locks are now a pastel pink. Her hair hangs in loose curls that slightly brush her shoulder blades.

"It suits you."

"Thanks." She replies before breathing out a puff of greyish smoke. Out of the mist Niall arrives, sitting next to Stevie.

"Cool hair." He says.

"Thanks." She smiles. "Ms O'Neil has been giving me hell for it but I told her that I believe we should all be able to express ourselves freely without the confines of the school regulations."

"Preach. She made me take my eyebrow piercing out when I got it done." Niall adds.

I smile at the memory of Niall coming into school with a piece of metal in his right eyebrow. I hated it while Stevie, on the other hand, thought it made him look more edgy. But no ones more edgy than Stevie.

I subconsciously look around the student area outside and spot Nate sitting on a bench table with the guy I assume is Josh. I can see that they're good friends just by the way they're talking to each other. When Nate isn't face palming at something Josh has said, he's laughing with him instead. And it's weird because I don't feel the need to be jealous or overprotective of him (even though losing him would break me) I just feel happy. When I look at him, I just feel-

"Why do you look so happy?" Stevie says as she stuffs out her cigarette. Niall tries to figure out what I was staring so intensely at by looking in the same direction I was previously.

"Yeah. You seem happier." Niall adds. "Not that it's a bad thing. I'm happy you're happy."

"I erm, guess I am happier."

"Why's that?" Stevie asks.

"I'm dating someone."

"What?" "Since when?" They both say simultaneously.