RANDOM QUESTION:

The Annual Birthday Competition (Let the Games Begin).

"This seat taken?"
I turn to my right and see Austin approach me as I sit by the fireplace in the living room. The rest of the group had gone out to buy us birthday gifts and all that jazz, not even trying to be subtle about it. So the house was only to the two of us.

I shook my head and he came and sat on the couch to my right.

"When did this start?" I asked him, getting straight to the point.

"When did what start?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Jerko," I said as I rolled my eyes. "When did you know that you like me, and not as your friend?"

I heard him sigh as he answered, "Honestly? I have no idea. I mean, its weird to even think that something like this was possible considering all the times I have tried to set you up on dates. But I don't know, finally seeing you with someone now-"

"Wait what?" I asked him wide eyed. "With who?"

"Now you're the one playing dumb with me, SpongeBob. Don't think I haven't noticed how close you have gotten with Xav."

"Xavier?" I said, as I scrunched my eyebrows. "No, Jerko, we're just friends."

"Really?"

I nodded.

"Then why did your grandfather call me four days ago to get an 'exclusive bite' on how I feel now that my best friend is dating him?"

My mouth hung open in shock.
"He called you and you didn't tell me?!"

He shrugged as he answered, "I was waiting for you to tell me about it yourself. But you never did."

"No, Jerko, it isn't what it looks like," I said as I completely faced towards him. "Remember Kevin Gibson?"

"That creep who always hits on you?"

"That's the one," I said. "When Xav came to drop me home the other day, Kevin and his devil of a sister were at my house and as usual....he started flirting again. Now the Gibsons already knew that the two of us are best friends so they wouldn't have believed if I had said that I'm suddenly dating you, so instead, to get Kevin off my back, I lied in front of everyone and said that Xavier and I are dating."

He nodded in understanding and then there were a few moments of silence between us.

"The two of us have done everything together right from the start," he started talking after a while. "We went to playschool together, learnt swimming together, I came to you whenever I had a tough break up. Hell, you called me when you got your first period and not your parents."

I smiled at the memories.

"You picking me up whenever I was drunk, helping me write my love letters to Jen back in the day......and of course, us helping each other through the course of last year. The two of us have been through some crazy stuff together, Ver, but however traumatic last year was for you, one good thing that came out of it was that we became closer than ever.

I have gotten used to taking care of you, worrying about you, being your go-to person for absolutely anything. Afterall, we are SpongeBob and Jerko, right?
But even though its just been a few weeks, I see you turn to him for stuff now. Knowingly or unknowingly. It's in the small things, V, but I see him taking my place in your life. And it hurts. Actually, if I'm being completely honest, it makes me jealous.

Now I don't know what sort of jealousy this is....Is it the Best Friend Type or the Romantic one, but its there. Its 100% there. And you know what makes it worse? The fact that Xav is such a great guy. He's one of the kindest, most thoughtful and smartest people I know. I mean, the guy is perfect for you! But still, however pathetic it may sound, I don't want to lose you V. I don't think I could handle that."