Chapter 2
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Tobias P.O.V.
"And then I tried to kiss her! I'm an idiot. I am truly an idiot. Then she just went past my head as I was leaning in and hugged me!" I exclaim as I pace up and down the creaky floors of my new house, in which Zeke and Shauna are present at around 4 o'clock.
"C'mon man, it can't be that bad, right? Maybe she's just not comfortable yet with you again. I mean you've been gone for five years and you expect her to kiss you the first time you try something? I just think you need to calm yourself a little. She thinks you and her are just friends. Maybe butter her up a little, you know?" Zeke says.
I say nothing for a few seconds. "I guess so. I mean we did just go to the diner. Nothing extravagant." I shrug, as if it's nothing.
"I could talk to her if you'd like?" Shauna offers. "You know, maybe get a little inside mind on how she works. Also, I could give you some advice." She crosses her legs and leans forward.
I stop moving. "Go on," I demand.
"Okay. So, you've been in love with her since high school, correct?"
I nod.
"Hon, I'm going to be honest with you. I had no clue if she liked you back then. I personally think you two would be absolutely adorable together, but hey, that's Tris's call. Anyway, you basically need to play hard to get. Don't let her treat you like a boyfriend, and don't let yourself treat her like a girlfriend. I know that sounds weird, but trust me. The more time she spends with you acting like a boyfriend, the more she'll look at you like an older brother. You do not want to be looked at like that. Believe me." She glares at Zeke.
"Really? I looked at you like an older brother?" Zeke wears a shit-eating grin.
"Shut the hell up. Anyway, Four, I'll talk to her tomorrow at work. I work part-time at The Pit with her while I'm going to college. I'm studying to be a chef."
"Really? I haven't an idea what you guys' lives have been like. Pour out all of your hopes and dreams to me."
"I'm sorry, but I can't pour out Shauna to you." Zeke smirks.
She smiles at him and slaps his chest.
"I want to open my own bakery one day," says Shauna. "Then, I'll travel world and make everybody happy because there'll be unicorns and rainbows and glitter all over my cakes!" She says like a madman with an overly high voice.
"If you were like that then I'd be outta here," Zeke puts in.
She laughs.
That's the kind of relationship I want with Prior. To be free and open without a care in the world. She wouldn't have to worry about being able to fit her arms around me either.
"Should I ask her to go rollerblading tonight, or something?"
Shauna nods. "Remember on the phone not to act like her boyfriend, alright?"
I nod and find her contacts.
"You got this, man. Don't worry," Zeke says with a pat on my shoulder.
"What do youwant?" Prior snaps as soon as she answers.
"Someone's moody," I say with a chuckle.
"Sorry," she sighs. "Bad day. Anyway, what's up?" she asks with a better tone.
"Well, Prior, I was wondering if you'd maybe like to go roller-skating or blading or whatever you're supposed to call it."
"Sure, I mean if I have to," she jokes. "There's actually a few of my newer friends that you haven't met. Would you mind if they came? Oh, and we can't forget about Shauna and Zeke."
"Oh, yeah. Of course. I'd love to meet them."
"So the one guy, his name's Uriah. Sound familiar?" she asks.
"You're friends with the loser we call 'Mini Zeke'?"
"Hey! He's my best friend, even though he's two years younger than me," she says with a laugh. "Oh god. I'm sorry. I didn't mean—uhm, yeah. I'm sorry things have just… changed.
"Wow. So he was my replacement?" I joke, but can't help to put truth into my words.
"Temporarily, he was. I didn't think I'd ever see you again. Now he's second place, right next to you, that is."
"Pft. Bitches be trippin' if they think they're better than alllll this." I laugh, as does Prior.
"You're an idiot, Tobias, but that's why I love you. Anyhow, what time tonight, exactly?"
"Maybe around 7 o'clock? I can pick you up. I'd actually rather pick you up since I don't want to put you through the torture of walking five miles."
She chuckles. "Okay, thanks. I'll text Uri and them for seven. See you then," she says.
"See you then, Prior."
I press the little red circle button and put my phone in my pocket.
"Looks like you two are going roller-skating tonight."
"You seriously couldn't grow the balls to just ask her out? Alone?" Zeke protests.
"C'mon, Zeke, it won't be that bad. You're my wingman! I wish I could say I was your wingman in high school, but I clearly knew nothing about women." I laugh.
"Man, are you spot on," Shauna says with a teasing smile.
"I am though." I laugh.
"We should get going," Zeke says. "I've got to get ready for a night of winging and manning." He smiles.
I walk them down to the door.
As they walk to their car, Shauna yells, "Remember: hard to get!"
"Will do!" I shout, and then close the door.
I go upstairs to my now fully furnished room. I still have yet to get a dining table, TV, couch, coffee table, or food to fill the pantry. The kitchen already has appliances. And no, I do not have a butler to make me food. That's ridiculous. I am extremely capable of making my own food, doing my laundry, and yard work. I even make a pretty reputable cheeseburger with homemade fries. That reminds me, I also need to get a grill. And a deep fryer. And forks and spoons and knives… Once I get all of those things though I could have a cookout in the backyard. Which is a decent size, might I add. So, if all goes well tonight, maybe Prior and her friends can come over sometime. And maybe someday it can just be her and me, except not in the way we are now. In the way I can only hope we will be.
-6:45-
As I get dressed in my black jeans and casual dark red shirt, I think. I have to act like her friend. Yes, it'll be extremely hard, but if that's the way it needs to go, then so be it. I mean, it can't be that hard, right? We've been friends for, what?—Twelve, thirteen years, excluding the five years I was gone? So from pre-school to our senior year, we'd been friends, but it wasn't until I was a sophomore that I actually started having feelings for her. I remember at lunch how she'd always sit with Shauna, Zeke, and me because she claimed we were better friends than any of the popular jerks. Which we were. But she still talked to them and still went to their parties and still dated some of them and still remained captain of the cheer squad. Extremely tacky.
Then there was me. The fat, stupid kid that had three friends his whole life. At one point around my sophomore year I began to wonder why the hell she'd been friends with me. I thought she was friends with me out of pity, but no. I guess she really just loved me. Yes, we've said 'I love you' an insurmountable amount of times, but she never meant it like I did. Yeah, she meant it, but in a different context. Like this, "Okay, bye Tobias! Love you!" But on the inside for me, I was thinking, "Okay, bye, Bea, I'm in love with you."
I guess I always have and always will be, friends or not.
Dragging my feet behind me, I walk out the door and lock it behind me. I open my car door and put the keys in the ignition.
I drive down the road to Prior's apartment.
I knock on her door for the second time over the weekend.
"Come in!" her voice yells.
Hesitantly, I open the door and see her in the living room digging through a box.
"Whatcha doin'?" I ask with a chuckle.
"Wait… Found it!" she exclaims.
She throws the square-shaped object towards me.
I catch it and look at the label on the inside the clear box. "Mixed CD by Bea Prior to my bestest friend in the whole world."
"Oh my god. The CD you made me junior year." I laugh. "Man, the most popular songs of 2003." I smile once my laughter dies down. "Why don't we go test this baby out?"
"Seriously?" she asks.
"Sure. Just like old times."
You're just her friend. Hard to get.
"Why the hell not? Let's go!" she exclaims, leaving me inside as she heads out.
I shut the door behind me and follow her, CD in hand.
Once I get to the car, I put in the disc. The first to come on is "Cry Me a River" by Justin Timberlake.
"Oh my god! I haven't heard this in so long!" Prior begins singing along.
Minutes later, "Where is the Love" by Black Eyed Peas comes on.
"If I recall correctly, this was your favorite song on the track." Prior smirks.
I mirror the expression. "Yep. Sure was."
In the middle of the next song, I pull into roller-skating rink parking lot at 7:04.
"Hey guys!" Prior exclaims as we get past the gate of admittance, which I bought hers. Friends do that. I did it back in high school. Then again, look where it got me.
Everybody is lacing up their shoes while Prior introduces me.
"This is Uriah, as you already know. Then there's Marlene, Chris, and Lynn. They all work me at the bar along with Shauna. Then we have Will, Chris's boyfriend. Then obviously Zeke and Shauna, who I certainly hope you remember. The others are two years younger than us.
I nod. "I probably won't remember any if you guys' names tomorrow, but I'll try my best." I chuckle. "I'm Four."
I think her name was Chris scoffs. "What, like, the number?"
"Exactly like the number." I glare.
"Okeeee," her eyes widen and she slowly turns around.
"Hey, Prior, let's go get laced up," I tell her.
"Alrighty."
We walk over towards the counter. We get our right sizes in rollerblades and head off to the rink. All of Prior's friends are already skating.
We get out blades on and stand up. At least, she tries to.
"Tobias." She chuckles. "Help me off my chair."
I grab both of her hands and pull her up. She wobbles a little.
"You sure you want to do this, Prior?" I ask.
She scoffs. "I've got this, Eaton."
"Really? Because your instability seems to really show off your amazing-ness at this," I say sarcastically.
"Shut up or else I'll start calling you Eaton." She glares.
I shrug. "I don't care. Whichever you prefer." I smirk.
She huffs under her breath, "Whatever."
As we get out onto the slippery wood, I still holding her hand for her "safety." I say, "Heard that, Prior."
"Good, Eaton." She pauses. "Is it okay if I call you Eaton around your soon-to-be friends?"
"Yeah."
As we round the corner, Prior slips and almost falls. Key word: Almost.
I catch her in midst of her diminishing by wrapping my arms around her waist.
She straightens and clears her throat as she stares straight ahead. "Well that was embarrassing."
"Not really, I don't think anyone was looking but me."
"Exactly," she mumbles under her breath.
I smirk. She doesn't know she said that out loud, I presume. I realize my arms still remains around her waist.
Can't be her boyfriend yet. Hard to get. Hard to get.
I grab her hand and begin to swing them.
I clear my throat. "So, tell me Prior. How's the love life?" I ask with a smirk that seems to be planted on my face.
"Oh. Not good. John and I broke up a year ago." She shrugs. "You know, John Miller. The dick in high school."
"Ooh. Another jerk."
She scoffs. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"
I shrug. "Nothing. You just dated a lot of jerks in high school."
"Oh whatever. What about you? Love anyone but yourself?" she asks sarcastically.
I think for a second. "Hm... No." I laugh. "Just dating. Kind of just trying to look for a soul mate, you know?" I ask, putting extra emphasis on "soul mate" because it's typically not a word many use now.
"You should try harder," she says with a smile while looking up at me.
I smile back. I think I'm about done looking.