42. Chapter 42
Chapter 42
Tyler
" D ude, I think you might have been right," I tell Brian as we walk downstairs to head outside for lunch.
"About what?" Brian asks before biting into an apple, unable to wait until we sit down to eat.
"Sloane. I think she likes artsy guys."
"Why? Did she show you a picture of that guy she's dating?" Brian asks around a mouthful of apple.
"No, but she and her friends and sister went to a rock star's hotel room over the weekend and met the guy."
Brian's eyes go wide. "Really? Who?"
"Evan Dando from The Lemonheads."
"Who?" Brian says as he shoulders the door open leading us outside.
"He's in an alternative band, long hair, and the kind of guy girls throw themselves at," I explain. "Basically, a talented musician who also looks like he could be walking the runway for Calvin Klein."
"So, she's like a groupie, then?" The look of shock on Brian's face is priceless.
I laugh. "Hardly. It was really sweet how innocent she was about it. She really did just go there to meet him. But this just proves that I'm not cool enough for her."
Brian slows his pace and stops on the pavement so we can talk before getting to the table where our crew is sitting. His voice is low. "So, things are still a little strained between you and Sara?"
I nod. "Yeah, she's just way more into partying with the popular crowd than I am." I toe at the pavement with my black and white Chuck Taylors. "I almost feel like she likes that I got her in with our crowd more than she likes me."
"Dang. For real?" Brian's shoulders slump ever so slightly.
"Yeah, it's gone from us going out on dates to her wanting to do all this group dating." I cross my arms over my chest. "I'm cool with that every now and then, but she wants to hang out with everyone all the time." I look at my friend. "Like at your party."
Brian's expression grows serious. "What she and Adam did at my party wasn't cool, but she had been drinking."
"I know." I sigh. "But she knew what she was doing. So did Adam." My voice is hard when I say that last part. "It's more than that, though. I really do think she likes the popular crowd more than she likes me. Our relationship may have run its course."
"That sucks, man," Brian says. "What are you going to do?"
I shrug. "We've talked about it, but it hasn't really changed. We're so close to the end of the year, I think we'll just do the whole Spring Break and prom thing, but I don't expect it to last much longer."
"Really?" Brian's head tilts to the side.
I nod. "Yeah. Besides even though she comes to most of the baseball games, I think she's there to socialize more than watch the game. And, she's been complaining about how much time I spend practicing. I think she thought I'd practice less for baseball."
"Doesn't she realize that baseball is your dream?"
I shrug. "I thought she did." I look over at our table and see that Sara is just chattering away with Ramsey, oblivious that I'm even out here.
"What if you just cut your losses and break it off now?"
"I've thought about it," I tell him as I rub the back of my neck. "But it's so close to prom, I'd hate to ruin that for her, for us."
"Well, you wouldn't have a problem finding another date," Brian says.
I shrug. "Maybe, but the only other girl I'd want to take is Sloane, and that's not gonna happen. Besides, Sara and I will have fun, plus she already bought her dress. I couldn't do that to her."
"Well buddy," Brian puts his hand on my shoulder. "I know you'll do the right thing. It's just too bad that Sloane is still dating that guy from South Georgia, otherwise, you could spend your last couple of months of school seeing if there's anything there."
I let out a loud sigh. "Tell me about it." I don't want to hurt Sara, but it feels like we both know this thing is temporary, that we're just going through the motions until graduation. As we walk over to our table, out of the corner of my eye, way down the sidewalk, I notice Sloane laughing at something her friend just said and my heart flutters at the sight.