AN: I have taken a long time to get to this update, but sometimes I am either busy or not in the mood for writing. I'm now staying up late so I have finally get what I wanted to write for this out there and done.

Chapter Two

Travis held his cell phone in his hand and smirked at the plan he had managed to come up with after seeing Lily and Parker the night before.

They could not have been more obvious if they tried.

He knew that somehow both girls were now wanting more then a friendship with him and that they were now in an undeclared battle with each other.

Being the guy he was, he knows that friendship is worth more then love at this point in their lives.

If he was more sneaky, daring, or possibly what you would call a bigger jerk then he would have spent the night planning a schedule to play both girls.

Love isn't a game to Travis though, and quality was what he was looking for rather then quantity.

To him you could have five or even ten girls wanting you, but all the numbers in the world would mean nothing if none of them had depth in their feelings.

What he aimed to do was set the two best friends straight.

The last thing that anyone wanted, or much less needed, was for another situation like the one with Audrey.

Lily wasn't likely to get lucky enough to find another girl friend to take a break from her guy friends again.

Travis dialed Lily's number and put a smile on his face hoping that it would make his voice sound happy also.

He asked her to meet him at the track behind their school and she didn't get much opportunity to reject.

Right afterward he dialed Parker's number and asked her to come to the track as well.

For once it was possible one of his views was going to help keep a friendship together.

He arrived at the track enough in advanced so that there wasn't a chance of them beating him there.

If they knew both of them had been invited then they would leave quicker then they had arrived.

After waiting only a few minutes Lily came into view with little time to speak before Parker turned a corner that made her come into view as well.

When they realized they had both been asked to the track by Travis they refused to make eye contact and stared at Travis instead as if waiting for him to explain himself.

He soon spoke up and asked them to sit in the grass beside the track.

"You must both be wondering why you are here. You will find out the answer to this shortly. I have noticed a rise in the competitive attitude and I think that there is something you need to hear."

Neither girl looked too thrilled but they stayed for the mere fact that leaving might make Travis take less liking to them.

"You may think this is a waste of time but I want you to close your eyes for this. I guess you can call it a form of meditation, but it is more to create a visual image. You don't have to listen but I can assure you that what I say will solve the conflict that has begun."

Both girls close their eyes at Travis's request and wait for him to talk so that they knew what it was they were supposed to visualize.

"To begin you'll have to imagine yourselves behind the track line, getting ready to start a race. You are the only people in the race. At the finish line is the thing that both of you desire. The problem is, only one of you can have it."

Once both girls have started to get into it Travis continues and a journey through philosophy begins.

You both take your positions and are all set as the guy off to the side has the pistol that will indicate when to begin.

He guides you through your mark and set, before raising the gun into the air and firing it.

Both of you take off with your hearts set on the prize that is waiting at the finish line.

Keep in mind that the two people competing are, or were best friends.

You round the first corner and so far there is no large gap determining a lead.

Just ahead you notice there is a loose javalin, something that could give you an advantage if used right.

You try and speed up just enough so you can grab it.

Once it is in your possession you hold it in your hands and mysteriously run with it until you have gained a lead of a few feet.

When your opponent least expects it you stick the javalin sideways so it is spread in front of where they are about to run.

It is too late for them to react in time to stop and they run smack into the pole, causing them to fall back a little and wince from the pain of being nearly jabbed in the stomach.

Needless to say the injury cost them enough seconds to get you a large lead that would be hard to catch up to even if they were not injured.

The finish is now in eyesight and it looks like you got it in the bag.

Your desire is closer and possible to grasp.

The closeness causes you to have a rush of adrenaline which causes you to speed up just a little more.

Your friend is well behind now and trying to jog while clenching their aching abdomen.

SO close now...you can practically beath the same air as the desired one behind the red ribbon.

Something you have overlooked is on the side of the track near where the other person is passing and they smile as they hurry to pick it up.

Everything happens so quickly you go from reaching your arms out to the ribbon to loosing your footing in seconds.

Unfortunately for you your friend was a bowling champion and had found a shot put in time to send you crashing to the ground from loss of balance.

They are now almost limping to the finish line with not much breath to spare.

You still haven't gotten back up though because you almost twisted your ankle the wrong way and are feeling the tinge.

Now the person you aimed so badly to beat is standing next to you and looks down on you.

You are both only millimeters from the finish and all she has to do is take another step to have the prize.

When she doesn't move you wonder what trick is up her sleeve.

Is she going to wait until you begin to get up, enjoying the idea of making you think you have a chance only to break forward right then and dash your hopes.

A surprising thing happens though.

The enemy you once called your friend gazes down at you and slowly begins to reach their hand out to you.

You take it and she helps lift you up.

Neither of you move forward though and the "prize" looking on is bewildered.

Your friend speaks up instead.

"Is this guy really worth hurting each other?"

"If you would have asked me a minute ago I probably would have said yes."

"Weare best friends, and I hear those are hard to come by."

They both walk into the ribbon at the same time and the guy congratulates them.

"You are both smarter then I thought. You made the right choice."

He then walks off and leaves them thinking possibly they were set up.

"So, why did you help me up when your desire was right in front of you?"

"Something my grandpa used to say when I was little that I promised myself to never forget."

"Really, what's that?"

"Never look down on someone unless you're helping them up."

Travis paused for a minute and both girls now opened their eyes with their gaze quickly moving to one another.

Lily and Parker who had sat seperated moved over and shared a hug.

"I'm sorry for being jealous of you talking to Travis," Lily says.

"I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you about this first," Parker replies.

They silently thank Travis for setting them straight and walk off to go celebrate with lattes at Mickey's.

Travis looks on, resting his gaze mostly on Parker, knowing that he did the right thing.

AN: Okay, so my original "italics" part was better at first but it took me so long to write this I forgot what all I said so I had to do the best I could to duplicate it. I hope that you still thought it was okay, and I look forward to hearing what the readers have to think. I hope I didn't disappoint.