We Align

The four year old dirty blonde

A/n: this chapter contains media.

The four-year-old dirty blonde

Nowadays it's always Jayden, Madison, James.

Or it would just be Jayden, Madison.

Why not Madison, James.

I don't think I have ever been with James alone since we got back in touch in the third grade. It's always been the three of us.

I haven't hung out with James—only James, since I was five years old. Can you imagine? We were twelve!

Once and only once have I tried hanging out with James alone. It lasted for about six minutes. Till he told me to leave.

Since then we have never once hung out alone.

It's a drag I spend so much time with Jay, that it never feels the same when James is around. I don't want to lose him as my best friend.

So I did what had to be done. I was at Jayden's place one day and before I left I used his phone and texted James to meet Jay and myself at the pirate park. I also said he didn't have to bother stopping by Jayden's place first too. After he agreed I deleted the messages.

I knew it was wrong but there was something not sitting right with me knowing that I can't spend an equal amount of time between my two best friends.

So when the day arrived, I thought I'd get a leg up on James and arrive early.

He beat me, being early.

"Aden, you are garbage at trying to be Jayden, did you know that?" He said, as I locked my bike and climbed the pirate ship. "He would never say your full name when texting me."

"You still decided to show up didn't you?" I said.

James looked conflicted. He scaled the flagpole and I took a seat on the ledge of the ship.

"I don't have a problem being alone with you Madison." He said looking down at me.

"Then, why do you avoid it? The only time I ever see you is if we are with Jayden."

"I'm doing this because of Jayden." He said sliding down the post.

What did that mean he was doing this because of Jayden? Did Jayden have something to do with the fact I can't hang out with James?

"Aden don't overthink this. This is all on me."

I got up and walked towards my bike. He followed.

"Leaving so soon?" He asked.

I noticed he had also brought a bike with him, "James, bike with me."

My words clouded him. I had a good idea, why.

He snapped out of his trance and questioned me, "What did you just say?"

I grabbed his hand, walked my bike with the other, and lead him to the other side of the park where his bike was parked.

"I said, James bike with me."

"You know you are unbelievable." He chuckled unlocking his bike.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," I said innocently.

We rode on the paved circle around the park for a bit before James came to a stop.

"Do you remember?" Was all he said. Though I knew exactly what he meant.

"That was the first time I called you James, it was the day after we spoke on the detention bench." I laughed.

"You were the first person who remembered it. The teacher would always call me Kyle as well, even though on my work I'd always write James."