Life and Times of a Keyboard Warrior

Reluctance to try

10

10th of February

Heath

"Dude, come on, it's beyond a joke now." I feel a hand on my shoulder.

I wheel around. It's Markus, who else would it have been?

"Heath, you do realize you've lead us home the wrong way?" Markus says, looking mournfully at me.

"What do you mean?" I retort, suspicious of yet another joke. None is forthcoming.

"Heath, our street is that way." Markus states, pointing down the street. "The way we've come. Mate, your leading us the wrong way."

"I am not!" I reply indignantly, annoyed at the accusations.

"Mate." Markus says, and I jolt. He seems forceful and upset. "Your obsessed with Elizabeth Reach-Jackson."

This hits home, hard. "No I'm not dude, why would you say something like that?" I ask, backtracking severely.

"Well, first there was the apology to Pippi Green, who you've never apologized to since you broke up. Then there was the sandwich thing at lunch, then you tried to be her partner in science class, and then, on top of that, you are following her home. This is her street, dude.

We'd be home now, this is like two blocks away from our street." Markus rails at me, and I start to see the issue here.

"First thing tomorrow, in gonna make you explain all this to Eli, and you can try and fix it between you then, you know?"

..............

Those words bounce around in my head. That was yesterday, but it feels like a decade. I can't believe it, me, possibly the most eligible bachelor the world has ever seen, has fallen for a girl. I curse myself inwardly at my weakness, but I realize I have bigger issues.

"Dude, stop pushing me." I groan, trying valiantly to counteract the force.

"I told you dude, I'm gonna make you fix this once and for all. No exceptions." Markus states, and I know it's no use fighting. He's just so much bigger than me, I don't have a hope of winning this match. Instead, I dig my heels and try to delay the inevitable.

"Dude, no, so I really have to do this?" I moan. This is so cruel...

"Yes, you do." Markus roars, and suddenly shoves me really hard. I stumble forward, and when I regain my balance, I realize where I am, where Markus wanted me to go.

Right in the middle of Elizabeth's group of friends.

I wheel around to face Markus, but when I turn, he's not there anymore. He's already booked.

I turn around again to face the group I've landed in. They all look confused, but Elizabeth looks almost ecstatic. Strange...

"Uhh, I'm really sorry about this, ladies. Markus Kennedy can be a real bastard sometimes." I explain shakily, backing away slowly. As soon as I'm clear of the circle, I turn and bolt, skidding around a corner.

"That went to shit, didn't it..." A voice hits me, and I jump. It's Markus, who's been around this corner the whole time.

"Wanker, that was the most embarrassing thing ever." I blurt, but suddenly, he's pointing at me.

"That's what I'm talking about. Your the biggest prankster I know, a massive loudmouth too. You never get embarrassed, you've never been like that before." He grins at me, looking like he's won the court case of the freakin' century.

Before I can respond, he wanders off around the corner, and I'm left hanging. The hell is this...?

As I begin to move away, I hear footsteps coming back at me. It's Markus, he's got a real heavy gait about him, but there's something else. I turn to face the bastard, ready to lay into him like before when I grind to a halt.

It's Markus alright, but he's bought Elizabeth along with him. She's standing there, looking at me like I'm supposed to say something profound that'll make everything clear.

"Markus says you have something you wanna tell me?" Eli says, and I suddenly get a feeling that she already knows what I'm gonna say, and maybe knew before...

"Uhh..." I whine lamely. That's the best I can do?

Markus looks chagrinned "He wants to ask you out, but he's a bloody wuss." He states bluntly, like it should be common knowledge.

I'm about to belt Markus around the head for messing with my affairs like this, when Eli says something.

"I see. Well, I'm free after school if you wanna do something then."

Again, I stop cold. What was that? She's staring at me now, her beautiful bright green eyes searching me for an answer.

"Uhh, yeah. I'd love to..." I reply, and the look on her face justified everything that's happened to get here. I almost melt. Wow...

"Alright, see you after school, Heath." She says, and she turns around and jogs back to we giggling friends, no doubt to relay the happy news.

"No hard feeling, right mate?" Markus asks me, his hand extended towards me. Instead, I wrap the big guy up the best I can in a massive hug.

"Steady on, mate." He wheezes in response.