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Mid-April, 2006

"Chase, you suck at this."

"Thanks for all the support, Michael," Chase replied sarcastically as he got up off of the ground and brushed himself off.

"Face it: skateboarding just isn't for you. Stick to your bike," Michael suggested. He'd been attempting to teach his friend how to skateboard for over an hour now and Chase had barely mastered balancing on top of it.

"These scratches are starting to hurt," Chase slowly agreed, taking a look at the small cuts he'd gotten on his arms from his numerous falls.

He and Michael simultaneously collapsed onto the lawn. The latter let out a long sigh as the former began picking at pieces of grass. Michael gave his companion a serious once-over before demanding: "What the heck is up with you, man?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you've been acting all pensive and quiet and weird lately. What's going on?"

"Nothing," Chase replied. He didn't want to get into what was bugging him right now.

"I don't believe that for a second. Is it Zoey?" Michael guessed immediately, and at his friend's silence he shook his head. "I knew it. What now?"

"Nothing," Chase said again. "Nothing… and that's the problem. Nothing is happening between us now… at all. We don't even hang out together anymore, just the two of us, like we used to. She's my best friend-," correcting himself quickly at Michael's look: "my best girl friend, well, friend that's a girl… you know what I mean… and we can't even be in the same room alone."

"Well that's mostly your fault," Michael said, and then elaborated at Chase's confused look, "What? You're the one that's been acting different lately, though Zoey is doing her fair share of being weird too… but that's not the point."

"You think I'm acting weird?" Chase asked, surprised.

"Of course I do, man! Everyone does!"

"Everyone?"

Michael nodded. "Yeah! And the thing is, I know why, and no one else does: it's because of what happened over spring break. And the whole drowned-TekMate thing when we got back. You've got some bad luck, man."

"I know I do," Chase agreed glumly, picking apart a piece of grass absently. "I thought I was ready to tell Zoey that I like her, you know? But after everything… it just seems like it isn't meant to be."

"Maybe it all just means you need to work harder," Michael pointed out optimistically. "Maybe it's like a test of nature, and once you pass it, you get the girl."

"Maybe." Chase paused. "But probably not."

"Yeah, I know," Michael shrugged, "but I'm just trying to think positively. You're downright boring these days, moping around about your stupid feelings for Zoey." He scratched the back of his head. "Hey, did you ever think the reason you and Zoey have been weird around each other is because she knows you like her?"

"I hope not."

"Maybe she likes you back! Maybe she just doesn't know how to act around you anymore since she realized it!"

Chase shook his head in the negative. "I really don't think so."

"You should send her another text message, or an e-mail or something," Michael decided, now talking more to himself than his friend.

"Dude, were you there the last time I did that?"

"I'm just getting sick and tired of seeing you this way, Chase," Michael said boldly, standing up. Chase followed his actions and the two began walking back to their room. "If you don't tell her before the semester ends, I will."

"What?" Chase stopped walking and stood with his mouth open. "How is that a fair ultimatum?"

"Because then none of us have to deal with your sorry butt trudging all over the place, sighing about Zoey and how you'll never be with her," Michael stated, and the two resumed their trek.

"I guess…," Chase finally relented a minute later, but he was grumbling a little to himself.

Michael clapped a hand onto Chase's shoulder. "That's the spirit!" he said with a smile. "I mean, the worst that can happen is that you'll wait until the last second, like right before she's about to leave, and she shoots you down and then runs away from you, then you don't see or talk to her all summer and when we come back for sophomore year you two are too awkward to be friends anymore."

"Yeah, that doesn't sound so bad," Chase said sarcastically as they entered the boys' lounge area.

"Look, I'm just saying… if you don't tell her, you'll never know, and then you might regret it," Michael finished. "Whew, all that instructing has made me hungry. I'm gonna go get some sushi."

"Alright," Chase said, "see you later. Thanks for the attempt," he added, motioning to the skateboard under his friend's arm.

"Oh, yeah, any time," Michael nodded, and then exited.

Chase sighed. Did he really want to risk his friendship with Zoey on the off-chance she might feel the same way?

Well, I've done it once before, I can muster up the courage to do it again, he decided to himself, heading towards his room. I hope.

XXX