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Harry is standing with a few of his friends from soccer when I walk down the stairs after class. I smile.
"Hey, Petersen." His smile doesn't match mine. "What's up?"
"I'm kind of in the middle of a conversation," he says. His friends don't seem to known where to look.
"Oh, all right. We'll just meet up after school then?"
"I'm busy today, actually." The nonchalant tone to his voice doesn't make him sound very believable.
"But we made plans."
"Something came up. You of all people should understand that."
"OK what is your problem?" Harry's friends take this as a sign to leave us.
"I just feel like we're sort of done here."
"What?"
"Listen, Chandler. You're great, and I actually thought we had something going on between us, but I'm not cool with being second place."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about your budding romance with Calum."
"There's nothing going on with Calum and I."
"You leave every chance you get to go be with him. Chandler, I thought of Michelle can you come over? Chandler, I had too much to drink can you come over? It's always something. I hadn't even tossed the condom before you read a text from him asking you to come over last time."
"I wasn't going for Calum. It was a group thing."
"But was Calum there?"
"Yes, but—"
"No, Chandler. I'm not so desperate that I'll go after someone who wants someone else."
"I don't want Calum."
"Yes, you do. Accept it and move on. I have."
I feel tears well up in my eyes as I watch him walk down the hallway. My one high school dream vanishes behind a corner and I wipe at my eyes when Luke comes up from behind.
