Shattered Glass

4

I wasn't too shocked to see Bradley at the lunch table—his guilt doesn't allow him to distance himself for long. He tried to do it before when Dylan confessed his feelings for him. All of us as a group pretended as if it never happened so Dylan wouldn't have to feel embarrassed.

When it happened, I pulled Bradley aside.

"Hey, what's wrong Brad?" I ask because he looks highly upset.

"Nothing!" Bradley grimaces, an angry tone in his voice. "I'm- I'm sorry. I mean nothing is wrong."

I walk towards him and put my arm around his shoulder to comfort him. "It's okay if you don't want to talk, just know I'll be here."

"It's just, Dylan told me he liked me." I was slightly shocked at this, Dylan is such a good guy. I thought Bradley would like him but maybe I just wanted him to like Dylan.

"Why is that such a bad thing?" I questioned.

"It's just, you know, I don't want to ruin our friendship. Even if it didn't ruin our friendship at first, I don't want to break up with him and split the friend group up," he mumbled with his head slightly tilted down and fiddling with his hoodie's strings.

"You know no matter what, our friend group couldn't stay separated for long, I think you should give it a ch—"

"I don't like him like that!" he snapped. His tone quiets and he's back into a mumble "Just leave it alone, okay?"

"Okay."

For the next few days, he didn't sit at the table with us and no one could seem to get in touch with him. The only person who didn't try to call him was Katlyn. She said he needed some time alone and us continuously calling him wasn't going to help. Funny enough, the day after none of us called him, he popped up at the table. He didn't explain why he disappeared, but he did apologize for worrying us.

"I'm back?" he jokes nervously.

I walk up to him and give him a hug. "Missed you bud," I whisper in his ear.

"So, why'd you do it?" August blurted out. I instantly hit him.

"If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to Brad," I comfort him.

"Thanks, A. I don't really want to talk about it right now. Can we just enjoy lunch?" he insists.

We do exactly that, at least we tried that. Dylan was quiet the whole time, only talking if someone talked to him first. Even then it was all one-word answer. I think this was due to the fact he still has a slight crush on Bradley that he won't admit to anyone. It wasn't but a month ago, he admitted his feelings and got rejected. He could essentially be harboring those emotions still. If that was the case and I was him, I would have reacted similarly to him in this situation.

Dylan, deathly quiet, had his toll on the mood of the whole table. Bradley, August, and Allison were having a conversation on who knows what but were constantly trying to pull me and Dylan in. The only difference is I was finishing homework so my short answers had a meaning and I would get engaged deeply in the conversation every few minutes. Dylan never did.

The bell rings and we all start cleaning up our food. August, Bradley, and Alison stand at the table talking for a few more minutes as Dylan walks away.

"Wait for me, Dylan!" I say as I rush towards him, he stops and waits for me with a confused look on his face. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I am," he states in a convincing tone trying to convey okay-ness. "Why," he pauses as his voice sinks. "Why wouldn't I be?" You could see the tears threatening to fall, but he didn't let them. The first thing I could think to do was hug him and I did. People were filling out of the cafeteria, too caught up in their own world to notice and I'm glad they were.