"So what did you want to talk about?"
Riley and James were walking slowly along one of many sidewalks that wound throughout the lodge grounds. The smell of brisk, cool air and pine needles met their noses every few seconds when a gust of wind would gently blow by.
"Well, I've only known you a few days, but I have noticed a few things, one of them being very obvious," James replied, looking at Riley as they walked. She didn't speak, but instead just kept eye contact with him, urging him to continue.
"For one, I'm pretty sure you don't like me the way I like you."
"What? Of course I like you, why else would I have gone out with you?" Riley quickly responded in surprise.
"To make Ben jealous."
Riley gaped at him in astonishment, then laughed.
"That's absurd! I don't even like Ben!" she howled, looking away. "At least not in that way."
James smiled at her laughter, but became serious once more. "Riley, I don't think you're being honest with yourself. Not once did you answer any of my questions tonight because you were too busy with Ben and Cheyenne. I know jealously when I see it, and it was smothering you tonight."
"It was not! And I did too answer some of your questions!" she said indignantly.
"What did I ask you after the whole tickling incident?" he probed. Riley looked down at her feet, thinking.
"Um…you asked…uh, you asked if I had ever done that." James shook his head.
"No, I asked you if they were always that odd. You told me 'Hey, it's not a problem, just order the cheese or whatever.' " He gave her a knowing look. Riley blushed in the darkness and sighed aloud.
"I know I already said it before, but I'm sorry. I just got so annoyed when they started acting like stupid animals! I thought Ben had more common sense than that. I guess I don't know him as well as I thought," Riley said.
"Riley, its ok. I know what you're feeling right now. I just wanted to make sure it was headed towards the right person," he smiled.
"No, James, really, I don't like Ben at all! I mean, we're friends, yeah, but that thought has never crossed my mind. Like, ever. Actually, as of now, I don't think we're friends either. He gets all mad when someone starts to like me and becomes a male version of my mom. It's so irksome! And when I tell him to stop he won't listen to me! He needs to understand that he can't protect me all the time."
"I understand what you're saying, but I think he's just trying to look out for you so you don't get hurt. How can you get mad at him for that? And, correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that Ben likes you back."
"Ok, number one, I DON'T LIKE BEN! Therefore, he can't 'like me back' when I don't even like him in the first place! And no, I don't think he even likes me at all right about now. Number two, I get mad at him because he doesn't know when to stop. Yeah, it's fine that he's looking out for me, but sometimes he takes things too far and gets me in more trouble than I could get myself in to."
James nodded in silent agreement as they completed the circular path they had begun, placing them back at the lodge's back entrance.
"Well, Riley, I had a good time tonight, even if things didn't go exactly as I planned them…," James chuckled. Riley did along with him as he pulled open the door for her and they both went inside the warm building.
"I did too. I got to get some things off my chest that I needed to, so it was a good night. And you weren't bad company either, although I hear I was quite a handful," she said back.
"Hey, we all have those days."
Walking back through the restaurant and towards the table, Riley thought to herself about the conversation she had with James. Me like Ben? Is that what it looked like to everyone? I wonder if Ben noticed…that would be awful if he thought I was getting with James to make him jealous! But what if he only got with Cheyenne to make me jealous, because according to James, he likes me!! And he did seem to pull her out of thin air at a very convenient moment…what if I do have feelings for Ben? I know I'd deny it if I ever said it out loud, but I did feel kind of jealous tonight. I even kinda wished it was me sitting with Ben. Wait! Does that mean I actually like Ben?!?! If I did….would he like me back? What if we broke up and then never spoke again? We'd still have two years of high school to endure. I can't let that ruin our friendship. If I ever do decided I like Ben, and he for some crazy reason likes me back, I'll tell him it can never work. Because it can't. We both know it.
"Aw, back so soon?" Cheyenne teased as if she didn't want them to ever return. Riley and James slid back into the booth, James smiling, Riley looking quite confused.
"Yeah, where'd you guys go?" Ben asked them with a set jaw.
"For a walk. Is the bill here yet?" Riley answered, quickly changing the subject.
"Yeah, we already paid ours. We just didn't want to leave," Cheyenne cooed at Ben, rubbing noses with him. Uhg! Make me gag, why don't you?! Riley complained to herself.
James paid their own bill and the two couples left the High Peak Café full and content, but perhaps a bit jealous. Once Riley and James had separated to respective rooms, Ben and Cheyenne stepped into the lodge dining hall to talk.
"That was a disaster!" Ben yelled, throwing up his hands while plopping into a chair. Cheyenne sat opposite him.
"What?! It so was not! Did you see those looks Riley was giving us? It was practically poison darts!" she defended.
"Yeah, at me for being an idiot! Not at you for being with me."
"Well, duh, she was mad at both of us! We pretty much ruined her date. Which was the whole object of this game, no? To make her forget about James and notice you."
"I didn't want her to notice me in a bad way! I wanted her to be jealous and realize she wanted to be the one with me instead of you!" he nearly screamed.
"Ben, listen, you've done all you can do. You can't make someone like you just because you want them to; it doesn't work that way. And if she doesn't realize what an amazing guy you are by now, she isn't worth your time anyways," Cheyenne comforted.
Ben smiled at her. "Thanks for that. But I know we'll be together one day. We have to. I can't imagine my life without Riley Brown in it."
Suddenly, a gasp from somewhere nearby was heard. Ben and Cheyenne looked around in bewilderment, searching for the cause but finding nothing.
"You heard that, right?" she questioned. Ben nodded, his brow wrinkled.
Oh, I just love it when he wrinkles his brow. How could I have been so blind?