A Shade of Cool

IV: Lies, Guys and Bus Rides

"Are you sure that's what he said?" Ana watched me as I spun boredly in my chair waiting for my sister to come online. I sighed, "For the hundredth time, yes," I nodded, "It can't be wrong, I can't be wrong. No one gets upset like that over that one thing." I kind of regretted telling Ana any of this. She was the first person I called after that conversation in the mall and she was the quickest the arrive a second of me and Mom pulling into the drive. Ana loved drama, more than anything in the world. She always had. When my sister, Avery first ran away it was a field day for Ana. It was one of her many flaws.

"Say it again, so I can say I heard it right," Ana laid back on my bed, bouncing a ball from the ceiling to herself.

"Right, we were sat there, behind a tree and he turned to me and said 'Guys like are dangerous to me, guys like you are the reason I question myself, guys like you are gonna get me into trouble," I recalled.

"But what could it mean?"

"Bit obvious," I said.

"Yes but hopeful thinking isn't healthy, is it?" Ana eyed me with a grin.

"Ana, it's not funny, why can't you see it? He's clearly... like me..." I stopped my chair and looked at her.

"No, you want it to be that," She said, "It could mean a lot; may be he's a bad boy and hanging out with the wrong crowd with give him a bad reputation. I mean, you're hot and all but you're still not Mr Popular."

"Oh, and you are I suppose," I rolled my eyes.

Kissing her teeth, she tossed the ball at me, "We gotta take this outside?" She asked sitting up and dramatically putting up her fists to me. I stared at her for a moment before smirking and shaking my head, "You couldn't take me," I mocked as she laughed and dropping her heads.

"Oh!" She nodded to my computer.

Turning, I saw Marissa's name light green and I clicked 'Call'. We Skyped nearly every fortnight but things had been lacking since she returned back to University. She hadn't even texted as much and she used to. Me and Marissa were the closest in the family, with Avery running away 24/7, I was the only one naive enough that she could find. So we bonded through her pasting my face in make up and stuffing me into dresses. It hurt when she left. I was sixteen and I considered her one of my best friends, considering I had no one else but Ana.

Now we had grown up, she was twenty, I was eighteen. Times had moved on.

The boop sounded along with her face smiling back at me. Her living room in her apartment in the background, "Hello Jay Jay!" She waved, "Hello Ana Banana!" She called over to Ana as she glimpsed her in the background.

"Hey, hey, Mary!" Ana stuck her thumb up.

Marissa pulled a face, "You should be lucky in in Chicago or I'd whoop your ass!" She grinned, she hated being called Mary. She dismissed Ana before looking back at me, "You doing good, Bud?"

I nodded and gave her a shrug, "I'm okay."

"More than okay, he had his first party last night!" Ana called out. I hoped Skype had lagged when she said that but seeing Marissa's expression change from casual to excitement, my gut turned.

"You did?" Marissa beamed, "My little brother is all growed up! Where'd you go?"

"Eric Stock's..." I mumbled.

"Who?" Marissa frowned.

"Eric Stock!" I said loudly. Her face flashed a bit concerned as she shuffled a bit in her seat and cleared her throat before nodding, "Oh, right?"