Quandary

Vulnerable Rapacity

I scurried down the stairs of my house. I swung open my front door, snatching my backpack. My feet flew on their own as I raced towards the bus stop. I had to get there before Hailey did. That way I could set up the scenario I had created. I skittered down to my usual place at the bus stop. The other kids had their faces buried in their phones once again. But that didn't matter. I pulled out the book from my backpack and began reading it. I saw on Hailey's social media that she had liked this book series. I had planned to set up a situation in which I would get to talk about it with her. I had already read the entirety of the first book last night. It was actually quite interesting. It takes place during a future world war where a grim reaper begins to have doubts about his existence due to him remembering he was once human. The grim reaper isolates himself from the world and finds himself stuck with a boy whose life has been ruined by the war. The two share about where their lives went wrong and-

"Don!"

Hailey jumped onto me, enwrapping me in an enormous hug. The book dropped from my hands, falling to the pavement. I smiled as the warmness of the hug sunk in. I let go and bent down to pick up the book.

"Wow, is that The Scythe of Silence? I love that book!" Exasperated Hailey.

I brushed back some of my hair that had fallen out of place. I opened my mouth to speak but hesitance filled my mind. Sin times ninety degrees minus x equals- No! Stop thinking about trigonometry! I eventually managed to choke out my reply.

"Ye- yeah. I'm getting into the series."

I put on a sheepish smile. Hailey's face had lit up with awe.

"Wow! I've gotta tell you, I'm a major fan!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! I've got the collectors editions of all the books in the series!"

Hailey went on and on about the book series and all the things she loved about it. My mind wandered off to other matters though. I was trying to remember what to do next. Or rather, what Braxton told me to do. I had created a scenario that would make us close to the barrier, now what? How do I jump over it? Do I kiss her? No, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. I'm not close enough. Braxton said that I should know when to seize the moment, that it would be beyond clear. It should feel right. If I'm second-guessing myself then it's not the right moment. Braxton also said that if I don't make the jump from friends then it's alright. He said that all moments still help us get closer and that after so many, we'd eventually get so close it'd only be natural to become more than friends. Hailey laughed at one of the jokes I made on one of the characters in the book. I felt a smile widen across my face.

"I'm glad you're my friend." She said as she chuckled in the seat next to me on the bus.

My eyes widened in fear. Wait, was this what Braxton had warned me of? The dread cone? No that's not what it's called... The friend drone? The bus zoomed by a sign reading: Slow, work zone ahead. That was it! The friend zone! I could feel the palms of my hands sweating profusely. Braxton said that if she keeps focusing on the fact that we're friends then I'd be forever stuck just that, her friend. Which is what he called the friend zone, the area outside the circle. The trick was to get as close to the friend zone as possible without getting stuck in it.

"I don't think Braxton's read this series, I'll have to get him into it." Said Hailey.

I gulped slowly. Braxton also said it would be bad if she focused on another person of romantic interest. Crap, what do I do? I desperately spat something out to take her attention away from him.

"Braxton? Oh that's right, I fo- forgot all about him because of how much of a good time we were having!"

"Huh?"