Sink or Swim

11

Chapter Song: Manic- Conan Gray

"Sooo... Natalie, what's your favorite color?" I asked her finally coming up with something to say to the girl. I didn't even bother to look up towards her I just lightly kicked the ball in her direction hoping she'd stop it with her foot.

Our English teacher was out sick so another English teacher was subbing. She also happened to be the female soccer coach. Which basically meant we had a free of charge P.E class. Considering that the weather was nice enough I didn't mind. I think we were supposed to have a late winter.

She partnered us up and had us dribble the ball back and forth.  I was lucky enough to be partnered with Natalie. By lucky, I meant it was the universe's cruel running joke on my life.

I had no idea what to talk about with her. How's the weather? By the way, I hate seeing you all over my ex-boyfriend who I'm not over no matter how hard I try to be. Yeah, what a conversation starter.

I would catch Cal look our way with hopeful eyes. He even once gave me a thumbs up seeing that I was talking to Natalie. I knew he wanted to bring her around more. Probably because they were hitting it off so well.

Riley kept glancing over with a worried look on her face. I was kind of afraid her brows were going to get stocked furrowed together like that. I tried to give her a sympathetic shrug hoping she'd get the hint that I was okay despite the circumstances.

"Uh I don't know I kind of like yellow," she shrugged smiling at me. "How long have you known cal?"

Kick.

Well, she wasted no time getting to the good questions.

"I don't know I've never really tried to count it out. I guess he's just always been there," I shrugged passing it back. "We were in elementary school when he moved across the street so it's been years."

"Oh, that's sweet. He hasn't mentioned you but I just noticed you around a lot so I didn't know." She looked at me with wide innocent eyes giving a half shrug.

She had to be lying. There was no way Cal never mentioned me. Right?

I tried to shake my thoughts away. Now was not the time to get caught up in this drama. If he had moved on then good for him. I'd try to be nice to her even if it seemed like she was rubbing him in my face.

Friends. That's what we decided on. Well, I decided on actually. So I really had no excuse to start thinking this way. Ugh, it's like my mind couldn't pause these days.

"Yeah well the three of us-including Liam, all grew up together. Ty, Mason, and Riley too," I stopped the ball with my foot and nodded towards all of them.

"Oh that's weird," she frowned. "You seem to be really close to him but he doesn't talk about you."

She kicked the ball towards me with a little more force.

Okaaaayy.

"Well things kind of got complicated last year," I shrugged kicking the ball back harder.

"He said he had dated someone but he messed things up. If you ask me I doubt it was his fault," she snorted rolling her head back before kicking the ball back my way.

"What do you mean?" I scoffed.

Kick.

"Well, I just mean he's Cal. He's so charming and nice that he wouldn't do anything to hurt someone he actually cared about. I mean she had to have done something wrong or just didn't care about him to have it not work out." She kicked it harder.