If Only

Chapter 40

Austin's POV

I am walking around campus trying to wrap my head around the fact that I am being blackmailed by Logan Price into destroying the lives of two people. I look up at the half crescent moon wondering why God is putting me through all of this, "Why of all people in this world, did you have to let Logan Price overhear me?" I ask to the night sky but of course I get no answer only the sound of the crickets and the buzzing noise of the street lights. I take a deep breath and sit down on a bench as I place my head in my hands, I know that if I don't do what Logan wants then my life will be ruined, and if I do what Logan wants then I am ruining a relationship that I have no business getting involved in. A dark shadow is suddenly casted over me. "Austin?" I hear my name called out from whoever is front of me, and as I look up I see Zane Glasser standing in front of me.

His brown hair slightly covers his hazel eyes, he has on a black tank top, grey sweatpants, and black sneakers. "I didn't think you were part of the entomologist's club." Zane says as he slightly pulls up his sweatpants. I just look at him unsure of why he would think I was out here studying insects even though I do consider Logan a mosquito, "I'm not, I was just out for a walk to get some fresh air and hopeful put certain things in my life into perspective." Zane just nods his head and now I am the one that is wondering why Zane would be out this late, "What might I ask brings you out this far from your frat house and the frat house party?" Zane smiles a dazzling smile as he places his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants, "I usually try to avoid the frat house at nightly hours, to much going on that makes me unconformable. That is why I started nightly runs around campus." I can kind of understand where Zane is coming from because even when Zane is partying at the house, he usually isn't doing much.

"Mind if I join you?" He asks pointing to the bench, and I just simply scoot over as Zane sits beside me, "How is that perspective things going for you?" Zane says out of the blue trying to break the tension between us, "It is not going as great as I thought. I am bring forced to do something that I don't' want to do,but if I don't do it then everything I have done and my whole world will come crashing down around me." Zane leans forward placing his elbows on his knees,"You are Austin Black, I can't imagine you letting someone force you to do anything. Just stand up for yourself and everything else will fall into place."I turn to look at Zane who is looking up at the flickering street light above us,

"I wish it was that simple but is would seem that there are more factors in this then I know, and it will change the lives of many people rather I do it or not." Zane sighs keeping his attention on the street light, "You think that this is a situation that you can't win?" I nod my head looking out at the darken campus, "Then my advice is that you need to look a little harder,because sometimes when people think that they are in a losing situation they don't see the winning side until it is too late." I just smile at him never knowing that Zane Glasser has a philosophical side to him, "That was very insightful Zane." He just shrugs his shoulders finally looking over at me, "People have this stereotype of what they think all frat are like, but a lot of us are nothing like that at all, we are just a brotherhood that watches out for one another." I guess I can't say anything because I am one of those people that believed in that stereotype.

"Well you have certainly changed my mind." Zane stands up and once again stands in front of me, "By the way, I guess you are the first person to get invited to the annual college masquerade party." Zane grabs a flyer out of his sweatpants pocket and hands it to me. "I always get invited to things like this but I never see myself going." Zane just stares at me as I look at the flyer wondering what it might be like to actually go to a social event at the school."Why don't you go?" Zane asks as I look up from the flyer to him, "I don't go because I would show up alone, people would make fun of me, and I just don't want to put myself through all of that and even more for one night that I would just want to forget about by the time I went to bed."

Zane just sighs with a small smirk on his lips, "Not everyone that shows up has a date Austin, and rather you are with someone or by yourself, the whole point of events like this is just to have fun and make memories that will last forever."I put the flyer in my pocket as I stand up off the bench, "I should get back to my run, but it was great talking with you Austin, and I hope that I will see you at the masquerade party." I don't say anything as Zane starts running again, and I wait until he out of sight before grabbing the flyer out of my pocket and look at it thinking about how fun it just might be to go. 

I sigh loudly before placing the flyer back into my pocket as I start walking again and heading back to my dorm room hoping to get some sleep for the long and drama filled day I am sure that tomorrow will bring me.