Do I hate you? [BXB]

- Seven -

<James' pov>

The party was slowly drawing to a close and everyone had pretty much passed out. I was spending the last hours of the night hanging around Trip and the other guys from track. They all seemed quite interested in me, I wasn't quite sure why, but I was assuming they only reacted that way because they were impressed by my running display during the cross country.

"Anyway, that Cole was being some kind of big idiot starting the way he did." We all laughed away the memory of him tripping himself over.

"Maybe he just wanted to run with us." One of the guys noted. I also recalled how happy he was before the race start on that day. "Either that or he just wanted to race the honour student. If I didn't know better, I would say he couldn't take his eyes of you."

They all patted my back playfully, teasing me about it.

"I don't think I ever ran with Cole before that cross country, you know." The group of them shared a common look. This perked my interest because I was sure some of these kids came from the Ridgeback high track team. Maybe he wasn't on their team?

"He ran a marathon." They all looked back to me and it got them thinking.

"Do you guys know what team he came from before?" Nobody could offer him an answer. "I mean, he stands out a lot, so to say he just went unnoticed would be a little farfetched."

I would have asked Cole about his previous running experience right now, but then I decided against it. Ever since that dumb game, after I kissed Trip, it kind of felt like I was being avoided. It was a feeling I had grown accustomed to, being avoided. It shouldn't have bothered me that much...but it does.

I fall out of concentration and see Aiden walking aimlessly around, not talking to anyone. I felt kind of bad, I have a feeling he doesn't get on all too well with his football team yet. I should probably get back to him. I leave my team and they wish me a safe journey back.

"How was the closet?" I smile away at him, but I quickly take it back as I see the sour look on his face.

"Look, I don't want to talk about it." He was pissed off, that other guy must be really getting on his nerves. "Can't we just go home?"

"Sure, I just want to say goodbye to the brothers." I watched as he clenched his jaw. He wanted to wait for me, I could tell, but I wasn't letting him leave without saying thanks.

"Hey," Cole looks at me, vaguely distant but then kind of snaps back.

"Hey! You guys leaving?"

"Where's Kai, I want to get on the road." Aiden has his hands stuffed into his hoodie, pulling it down and stretching it.

"Yes, chill out dude. He'll be here in a sec; I saw him hooking up with a girl. It won't be long now." As soon as he's said it, there is a loud slap followed by stomps. We all look in unison as a girl, a pretty red head wearing jeans and a bra which she covered with a flimsy blouse, stormed out of the house. Kai trails behind; his belt, top button and fly undone, shirtless and with a sleazy look on his face to finish off.

"Jess, lets juss talk about this for minute." She whips around to face him with a merciless glare.

"In your dreams, you slut. Go bang Heather instead like you did last week!" She continues to clack away on the pavestones. We all just stand, watch as he pulls a caught face and sighs. He turns and sees us staring.

"Oh sit, you guysh leaving?" It's almost like nothing had ever happened, gross. He wabbles on over to us, reeking of sweat and jaeger.

"Yeah," I glance back to Cole, forcing him to give me some kind of eye contact but he dismisses me.