Just Between Friends (Prequel to the Forbidden Series)

4

Gibbon Albert, April 20...

Putting that night out of his mind proved to be harder than he had expected. Even though he had not made the mistake of insisting Chase stay the night again, Mike could not get the feel of her body against his out of his head. He would lay in bed at night and close his eyes trying to sleep, and images of Chase would haunt him. She came to him in the night crawling into his bed and startling him. She would kiss him fiercely, and he would melt against her. She smelled so good, tasted so good; in the end, he would wake up the next morning poorly rested and frustratingly unsatisfied.

Then every morning he would dress and painfully adjust to his morning routine. He would pick up Chase, and she would look so good in faded jeans, fitted t-shirt, and running shoes. Her stunning hair flowed around her shoulders, and those beautiful green eyes sparkled when she smiled. After a month of the same thing every day Mike was becoming impossibly moody. He seriously needed some relief.

That day after dropping Chase off at class Mike decided to skip. He sat out in the student parking lot tinkering under the hood of his car trying to distract himself from the discomfort in his jeans. Maybe he should tell Chase how he felt, maybe he would be surprised, maybe she…

“Do you ever actually attend class?” A voice asked startling him from his thoughts.

Mike stood up knocking his head on the hood. Cursing, he rubbed the back of his head and peered around the hood to view a shocking surprise. The girl he’d been chasing after all school year was leaning casually against the driver’s door flirtatiously smiling at him. For a moment Mike suspected her attention to be that of a joke, and he looked around for any signs of her stuck-up friends, but they appeared to be alone.

“Are you talking to me?” He asked wiping the grease from his hands on his shirt.

“Yeah, do you ever actually go to class or do you just come to school for your little girlfriend’s sake?” Jenifer asked.

“We’re not dating.” He said coming around the front of the car. “We’re just friends that’s all.”

“Her loss I suppose.” She smirked as she stepped forward to run her finger playfully over his chest.

Mike watched her finger suspiciously. Jenifer had treated him like crap all year, and now suddenly she was practically throwing herself at him, why? He had always thought she secretly wanted him from some of the looks she gave him but he had never actually believed he was right. Yeah, he knew he was attractive enough. He wasn’t homely or anything; but often his finances, or lack thereof, was a repellent for most girls unless they were slumming. He had more than once been used to tick off a father or two. That was probably what this was too, he realized. That or she was upset at her current all-star boyfriend and felt like making him jealous. He wasn’t proud of his lot in life but hell you take what you’re given.

“Say how would you like to take me to the fair this Saturday?” She asked leaning into him so he could feel her breast against him.

“Aren’t you going with Jiff?” He asked purposely mispronouncing her boyfriend’s name.

She frowned at the reference. “No.” She snarled. “And it’s Geoff, not Jiff.”

“So sorry. Why don’t you have him drive you around?”

She leaned against his car and crossed her arms over her chest in an unflattering pout. So, it was that she was scrapping with lover boy and wanted to make him jealous. “Because he dumped me last night and asked someone else this morning.” She snarled. Jenifer had been replaced; he hadn’t seen that one coming. Jenifer was red hot, who could be worth dumping her?

“Yeah who’s he taking, your best friend?” Mike mocked taking his keys from his pocket and pushing her aside.

“No, he’s taking your best friend.” She said slyly.

Chase!

His fingers suddenly felt numb, and he fumbled with his keys. Had she said yes to him? Was she going on a date? It was imposable she didn’t date. Not even popular jocks. He felt his pulse speed up, and he choked back the jealousy that was threatening to snap his resolve.

“Oh, wow is that jealousy I detect?” Jenifer teased.

Mike placed his hands on the top of the car and attempted to calm himself. “Not at all, I don’t see why we shouldn’t all have a good time. I’ll pick you up at noon.” He said and then got into his car and left her standing in the parking lot.

He drove around all day fuming about the sudden news of Chase’s increased social life. Perhaps he should have gone to class maybe he could have intervened. Then he had no right to. Who was he to stop her from dating? Why did it have to be that guy? Why couldn’t she have chosen someone more like them someone he could approve of? Would he approve of anyone? What would happen if they hit it off?

Mike took a deep breath; he would lose his best friend he realized. If Chase decided to see Geoff regularly, she would have no time at all for him anymore. The thought of losing Chase was more upsetting than the news of her dating.

He drove around and tried to collect himself before he picked Chase up after school. He sat parked outside the doors watching the students pour out of the school and get in their cars or on the buses. He spotted Chase as she came through the door with her books in hand. She was coming toward him when Geoff, a tall, broad blonde, stepped out behind her and put his arm around her shoulders. He said something that made her smile and Mike felt the annoyance boil inside him once more. Then he kissed her cheek, and Mike’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. He felt an overwhelming urge to punch Geoff.

Finally, Chase got into the passenger seat with a beaming smile. “Guess what?” She said happily.

“Yeah, I’ve heard.” He snarled and started driving.

“Is something wrong?” She asked, taking note of his increasing speed. She pushed her hair back behind her shoulder and stared at him.

“Nothing at all I hope you have fun with Jiff.” He snipped.

“You don’t like him,” Chase observed, sitting back and watching the road.

“No and you know I don’t, why would you go out with that guy?” Mike scolded, looking at her and thinking how pretty she looked when she pouted.

“I would think you would be happy for me.”

“Why because you’re wasting your time on that Neanderthal, why wouldn’t that make me happy?” He said between clenched teeth.

“You’re mad at me? Why are you mad at me?” She asked

“I’m not mad.”

“Oh yes, you are.”

“Not at all, maybe we can make it a double date. As it would seem I have a date with Jenifer that same day.” He informed her. The car went silent, and Mike looked at her. Chase was looking at him with a cold, hateful stare he’d never seen in her pretty eyes. If looks could kill, he would at least be wounded. Were her feelings hurt? Was it his bad mood that offended Chase or his date with Jenifer?

“Stop the car I want to walk home?” She finally said.

“What from here?” He asked amazed that she wanted out in the middle of the highway. “I’m not letting you out here. You’ll get run over or something.”

“Let me out.” She demanded.

“No, I’ll drive you home.” Mike insisted refusing to stop the car.

“Stop the car, or I swear I’ll jump out,” Chase demanded, reaching for the handle.

Mike reached across the seat and grabbed on to Chase’s arm holding her in her seat. “Don’t be ridiculous. You could kill yourself.” She was determined, so he pulled over and watched as Chase picked up her books and got out of the car. Slamming the door, she started walking along the shoulder of the road toward town. Mike rolled down the window and followed along at a slow speed. “Come on Chase don’t be this way get back in the car.” She said nothing, just kept walking.

Mike stopped the car and got out he ran after her and took her by the arm. She was a good foot shorter than him, but at this moment he felt very small. She was right he had no reason to be mad about her date, and he shouldn’t have flaunted his date with Jenifer in front of her. “Ok, I’m sorry I shouldn’t be such a jerk. It’s just that you’re my only friend here and if you’re chilling with him than I get left behind.” He hoped his half-ass confession was enough to appease her. He certainly did not wish to tell her the whole truth behind the mixed emotions that were driving him.

She stared at him a moment. “Ok, you can drive me home.” She said finally. “It was a stupid thing to be fighting over anyway.”

He agreed with that; it was a stupid thing to fight over she was his friend and nothing more he had no claim on her and no right to be offended by her interest in someone else. They got back in the car, and neither spoke of Saturday again. It was a touchy subject, and better left ignored.

***

On Friday, Chase went into the city with Kim after school to do some shopping. Mike found it odd that she hadn’t just asked him for a ride he would have been more than willing to have driven her in even if she had intended to drag him around from shop to shop. Instead, she had opted for going with Kim. He assumed she must have been shopping for her big date and didn’t wish to upset him. Perhaps Kim had been the wiser choice.

By Saturday afternoon Mike had not seen Chase in almost two days. It had been the longest they had ever been apart, and he felt himself growing ever so moodier by the hour. All he could think of was her date and Geoff getting to hold her hand and kiss her good night. He began to wonder just how upset might Chase get if he showed up and just popped her date square in the chops. She probably wouldn’t take too kindly to it.

Instead, he groaned and dragged his feet to pick up Jenifer so they could go to the fair that had set up in the next town over for the weekend. It was ironic, he had spent all year trying to figure out how to get a date with Jenifer, and now that he had her sitting beside him all he wanted was the girl he had all along. After he had picked up Jenifer, they had driven over to the fair and walked around a bit. They went on a ride, or two and Mike played a dart game in a half-hearted attempt to win her some cheap teddy bear, but his heart wasn’t in it. His mind was somewhere else.

Jenifer tried to hold his hand while they walked around but he felt oddly numb and uninterested. There was no spark, no desire; he might as well had been holding the hand of a cousin or an estranged sister for all the difference it made. It was getting later in the day, and Mike suggested they get a hot dog. They were wondering around eating their foot-long hot dog, and some mustered dripped down and splattered on the hem of his t-shirt. He cussed and attempted to wipe it off, and that’s when he spotted her.

She was standing in line for the rollercoaster. Chase looked incredible with her long hair loosely tied back in a French braid and a short white cotton sundress. He had never noticed it before, but she had long killer legs. He had never seen her in a skirt she had always worn jeans or some form of pants. This new dress showed off her womanly attributes. Those long legs, that tiny synched waist, and nicely shaped bust line. How could he have been so blind before to have never noticed? When he saw Geoff put his arm around her waist and pull Chase close to whisper in her ear Mike felt ready to burst. He couldn’t stay, or he would do something he may regret later.

He took Jenifer home and drove around for a bit before heading home himself. He couldn’t deny it anymore he wanted Chase, but could he have his cake and eat it too? Was it possible to enjoy Chase and still keep his best friend? If he made a pass at her would it complicate things? More importantly was it worth the risk?