"If he loves you as much as I think he does; you guys are like an ageless kind of love. You guys are going to make it. Trust me."
"Okay."
And with that, we turn and watch the rest of the game. Skylar shoots the winning goal for our school in the extra time after the ninety minutes. We win 2-1. Everyone runs up to the field to congratulate him. But, I hang back because there is no way I can get through to him. A few moments later, I notice the crowd opening and Sky is rushing towards me. He picks me up and spins me around right before he lays a kiss on me.
"Congratulations baby," I whisper on his lips.
He whispers, "Thanks."
We stay there staring into each other's eyes. It's as if everyone and everything fades away. A few moments later, his teammates break the trance by pulling us apart so that they can celebrate.
He mouths, "Wait for me by my car."
I just nod and smile.
***
When he emerges from the locker room, his hair is wet from a shower and he looks delicious. With a smile he says, "Hey."
Shyly I say, "Hey."
"I'm sorry I took so long in there." He apologizes.
"It's okay. You can make it up to me by treating me to ice cream."
He laughs. "I will. Not tonight though. I'm going to go out with the guys to celebrate with them."
"Oh. Okay …"
"You're okay with that right ? "
"Yeah, I'm good." I lie.
"Okay, cool. Let me drop you home."
I walk over to the passenger seat and sit without uttering a single word. We drive the whole way without talking. When he gets to my house I'm about to step out of the car, but he holds my arm. He studies my face and says, "Hey, are you going to leave without even kissing me?”
"Sorry, I thought you may have wanted to get going."
"There's no one more important than you Ari. I would never leave you in a hurry to get to anyone else. It's you I love.” He whispers.
"I know."
He rubs the charm bracelet on my hand and looks up and smiles at me. He likes the fact that I never take it off. I reach over and kiss him quickly. Then I open the door and step out.
"Goodnight Sky."
I walk away without even waiting for a response, but I hear him say "Night Ari."
***
At around one in the morning, I hear my phone going off. It’s a few text messages from Skylar. When I open them all I see is Skylar laying down with another girl. He looks like he's sleeping, but he has no shirt on. I drop the phone and run to the bathroom and throw up.
"Oh God, Sky what have you done?" I whisper.
I lay down on the bathroom floor and cry. I don't know how long I lay there crying. I cry until there are no more tears and I lay there numb. I get up when I hear an alarm going off in the distance.
I'm on autopilot. I take a shower and I get dressed. I need to think, but I need to be alone, so I go to the one place that no one will think to find me. Behind my old house is a clearing of land that no one ever built on; there’s an old tree house there that I use to play in when I lived there. It was a happy place. As soon as I make it up to the tree house, Skylar starts to blow up my phone. I turn it off, and I lay there. Time and space pass as tears I didn't realize I was crying slide down my face.
In the mid-morning, I turn my phone on. As soon as I power it back on it starts to ring again. It's Skylar. I ignore the call. Voicemails and text messages pop up instantaneously. I ignore them all. I search for Rachel's name and I call her.
"Where are you?" She asks hurriedly.
"That's not important," I say lifelessly.
"Yeah, it is. Everyone is searching for you. Why are you hiding? What's wrong Ari?"
I burst into tears.
She soothes, "Oh, Ari honey. Where are you? Let me come to you."
"No, I need to be alone. Please."
Forcefully she says, "No honey, you need your best friend."
"Okay ... But don't tell anyone where I am. Especially Skylar."
"Okay, I can do that. Where are you?
"I'm at
"Okay."
And with that, we turn and watch the rest of the game. Skylar shoots the winning goal for our school in the extra time after the ninety minutes. We win 2-1. Everyone runs up to the field to congratulate him. But, I hang back because there is no way I can get through to him. A few moments later, I notice the crowd opening and Sky is rushing towards me. He picks me up and spins me around right before he lays a kiss on me.
"Congratulations baby," I whisper on his lips.
He whispers, "Thanks."
We stay there staring into each other's eyes. It's as if everyone and everything fades away. A few moments later, his teammates break the trance by pulling us apart so that they can celebrate.
He mouths, "Wait for me by my car."
I just nod and smile.
***
When he emerges from the locker room, his hair is wet from a shower and he looks delicious. With a smile he says, "Hey."
Shyly I say, "Hey."
"I'm sorry I took so long in there." He apologizes.
"It's okay. You can make it up to me by treating me to ice cream."
He laughs. "I will. Not tonight though. I'm going to go out with the guys to celebrate with them."
"Oh. Okay …"
"You're okay with that right ? "
"Yeah, I'm good." I lie.
"Okay, cool. Let me drop you home."
I walk over to the passenger seat and sit without uttering a single word. We drive the whole way without talking. When he gets to my house I'm about to step out of the car, but he holds my arm. He studies my face and says, "Hey, are you going to leave without even kissing me?”
"Sorry, I thought you may have wanted to get going."
"There's no one more important than you Ari. I would never leave you in a hurry to get to anyone else. It's you I love.” He whispers.
"I know."
He rubs the charm bracelet on my hand and looks up and smiles at me. He likes the fact that I never take it off. I reach over and kiss him quickly. Then I open the door and step out.
"Goodnight Sky."
I walk away without even waiting for a response, but I hear him say "Night Ari."
***
At around one in the morning, I hear my phone going off. It’s a few text messages from Skylar. When I open them all I see is Skylar laying down with another girl. He looks like he's sleeping, but he has no shirt on. I drop the phone and run to the bathroom and throw up.
"Oh God, Sky what have you done?" I whisper.
I lay down on the bathroom floor and cry. I don't know how long I lay there crying. I cry until there are no more tears and I lay there numb. I get up when I hear an alarm going off in the distance.
I'm on autopilot. I take a shower and I get dressed. I need to think, but I need to be alone, so I go to the one place that no one will think to find me. Behind my old house is a clearing of land that no one ever built on; there’s an old tree house there that I use to play in when I lived there. It was a happy place. As soon as I make it up to the tree house, Skylar starts to blow up my phone. I turn it off, and I lay there. Time and space pass as tears I didn't realize I was crying slide down my face.
In the mid-morning, I turn my phone on. As soon as I power it back on it starts to ring again. It's Skylar. I ignore the call. Voicemails and text messages pop up instantaneously. I ignore them all. I search for Rachel's name and I call her.
"Where are you?" She asks hurriedly.
"That's not important," I say lifelessly.
"Yeah, it is. Everyone is searching for you. Why are you hiding? What's wrong Ari?"
I burst into tears.
She soothes, "Oh, Ari honey. Where are you? Let me come to you."
"No, I need to be alone. Please."
Forcefully she says, "No honey, you need your best friend."
"Okay ... But don't tell anyone where I am. Especially Skylar."
"Okay, I can do that. Where are you?
"I'm at
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