Time And I

Eleven

The rest of the week flew by after dinner with Devon. I wound up giving him my number, and we'd been texting all week. The only time we ever really sat down to talk was at night before bed, but throughout the day, we'd respond whenever we had a moment to. I looked forward to receiving texts from him. No matter what I was doing (besides drumming) or who I was with, if I could respond, I quickly would to keep the conversation rolling.

I didn't see him for the rest of the week. I wouldn't see him until Monday when Buddy and I met with Devon and his cousins at the batting range. I didn't care so much, but Buddy was relieved since there were a lot of rumors circulating about what I'd been doing with Devon. I never confirmed anything because it was all wrong, but I never tried to deny it either. Yes, I went out with Devon. Yes, we went out to dinner. No, it did not end with sex or anything remotely sexual. But did that stop people from thinking about it? No.

The looks Buddy gave me whenever Devon was brought up were getting worse, to the point where I was worried about how jealous he was. Nothing was going on between Devon and I, so he didn't have to worry about being replaced by a boyfriend or anything, but he also didn't have to worry about being replaced as my best friend, because no matter what happens in life, he would always be my number one best friend.

I hoped going to the concert would be a good way to get his mind off Devon. It would just be the two of us at a folk rock concert for a band I knew nothing about and didn't entirely care to learn about. But because Buddy loved them, I would go to the Golden Crows concert with him.

I dressed up in a Ghost t-shirt, a black skirt with white crosses on it, and a chunky belt with a crescent moon buckle. I pulled on my black nylons and tied up my maroon creepers before grabbing my black purse with a baby doll's face on it and metal band pins and patches. I knew it was the completely wrong look for a folk rock concert, but if I was going to be dragged along to it, I wanted to have a little fun. I was hoping to at least embarrass Buddy a little. It wasn't much, but it was our jobs to annoy each other whenever we had the chance. He had his video games, and I had my wardrobe.

"Going to a graveyard tonight?" Rick quipped as he flipped a burger on the stove.

"Going to a folk rock concert," I groaned.

"Oh, tell Buddy I said hi."

A car honked outside, and I said goodbye before leaving. As I approached the car, Buddy rolled down his window and said through a smile, "Really, Mel? Are you hoping to scare someone?"

"Why not? Maybe we can get closer to the stage this way," I joked as I sat in the passenger seat.

Buddy laughed. "You still look beautiful," he gently said before driving down the road.

That wasn't what I was expecting to hear. If anything, I was hoping for another crack. Now, he's called me beautiful before, but there was something different this time. Gentler. Sweeter. Was it supposed to be flirtatious? He was not the flirting type, or at least he wasn't supposed to be. Especially not towards me. Not unless he was joking around and being an ass. That was the only acceptable time to flirt.

But I knew he wasn't joking this time. No, he was being serious. There was something different about his tone that made it seem wrong. Not in an uncomfortable or unsettling way, but just in a way that didn't make sense for the relationship we had. It was too sweet. Too gentle. He needed to make a joke about me being the embodiment of an Edgar Allan Poe poem fast or else.

By the time we made it to the venue, it was obvious I was not dressed right for the concert. Buddy had to make some joke about me 'embarrassing' him or something, or how I'm going to be his bodyguard for the night to keep the unwanted away. Instead, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and walked into the building before paying for both our tickets.