Chapter 3

Three months. Three months they've been dating. Three months I've been pretending that Josh and I are just friends and that I'm perfectly happy with that. I mean, I can't complain…much. Josh still makes time for me. We have fun hanging out together at the Rack and playing G-force, which we do at least a few times a week. But then she always comes up. We'll be in the middle of a game or having a conversation about school or siblings or whatever and he'll start talking about Davah and how wonderful she is and I sit there and I listen and I say all the right things that a good friend should say, but inside I'm falling apart. I don't understand how he can be so blind. But then again, he's a guy. All guys are blind.

I see him wave to me from across the crowded gym. Normally I wouldn't be caught dead at a school basketball game, but Josh invited me and, of course, I couldn't say no. As I look at him, my stomach starts to flutter. It is then that I realize that what I'm feeling is more than a crush and it's crushing me.

Smiling, I make my way through the crowded gym.

"Hey," he says.

"Hi," I reply.

"How are we doing?" I ask, not because I care about whether our team wins or loses, but because I don't know what else to say. And, of course, I could just look at the scoreboard, but any excuse to talk to him is enough for me.

"We're down by eight, but they'll be able to make it up in the second half."

"That's good."

"Yeah…we've got a good team this year. Next year will be the real challenge, though with all of the seniors graduating."

I wasn't sure why he was talking to me about basketball. He had to know that I truly despised any organized sport. And yet, there I was, sitting at yet another basketball game.

"Guess they'll have to put in more practice time."

"Oh, it'll take more than practice."

"Well, whatever it takes, I'm sure they're up for the challenge."

I rolled my eyes. Why were we still talking about sports? By now usually Josh and I were deep into an argument about which video game was better, but apparently video game chat was going to have to wait.

"You made it just in time for halftime," he told me excitedly.

"Goodie," I said sarcastically.

The buzzer rang and both teams jogged off the court. I looked at the team members as they ran. The girls around me were all shouting and yelling. Why couldn't I be like them? Why couldn't I just be the type of girl who fell in love with the cute jock? Why did I have to go for the T-shirt wearing gamer who's unavailable?

My thoughts were interrupted by the cheerleaders who ran from the sidelines to the middle of the court. They annoyingly waved their red and black pom-poms and started shouting something I couldn't quite make out at the top of their lungs.

"Isn't she great?" Josh asks, pointing to Davah.

"Yeah, great."

He cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered as the music started. The cheerleaders began their halftime routine, the same one that they did every game. The same one that I had seen now twelve times. And guess who was always the head cheerleader on the top of the pyramid? You guessed it, the perfect Davah.

"She wants to become a professional," he stated.

"A professional what?" I asked.

"Cheerleader."

"You mean she wants to jump up and down in skimpy outfits that men drool over for the rest of her life?"

"What's wrong with that?"

I didn't even bother to respond. As Josh watched the halftime show, I spent more time watching Josh. He was standing up, swaying to the music, shouting out whenever they sent a cheerleader flying threw the air. He looked so happy that it almost made me feel bad that I wished he wasn't with her. Shouldn't friends what their friends to be happy?

When the halftime show ended, I saw Davah blow Josh a kiss and I nearly barfed. Any time I saw them together, it made me ill.

The cheerleaders disappeared into their own locker room and I breathed a sigh of relief. At least I wouldn't have to look at her anymore. For another five minutes anyway.

"So…" Josh said. "The new G-Force comes out on Friday."

"Yeah, I'm the one who told you about it, remember?"

As I recalled, I tried to tell him about it outside his locker one morning before homeroom until she arrived and began pouting about not being able to find her lip gloss.

"Oh right. Anyway, since my parents won't be home until late, I was thinking that you could come over and we could have, you know, a G-force marathon or something."

Being alone in a house with him sounded so appealing. Only I knew it shouldn't.

"What about Davah?"

"What about Davah?"

"Don't you usually spend Friday nights with her?"

"Well, I'd rather spend this Friday night with you."

Did he just say what I thought he just said?

"Ah…yeah, that sounds great," I said, trying not to sound as excited as I was.

"Seven o'clock?"

"I'll be there."

I was about to say something about how it might be nice to grab something to eat first when the cheerleaders ran out onto the court. Suddenly his attention was no longer directed at me.

Author's Note: I know this chapter is short, but there's more to come soon! Thank you for reading!