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“What?”
I squeeze my eyes shut. “Can we not talk about it, please?”
“Okay…”
I open my eyes. “Did you order anything? I told Macy to serve you.”
“Yeah, I just got a milkshake, but I’ll tell her to pack it to go, too. Um…” She looks at the basketball table. “Do you want to wait outside? I’ll take your to-go for you.”
I seriously want to pull her into my arms and hold her close and tell her she’s the most amazing, wonderful, spectacular person in the world. But I mutter, “Yeah, thanks,” and hand her some money for my food. “I just need to get out of here.”
She nods.
I give her the best smile I can muster before leaving the diner. As I wait for her to come out, I can’t stop replaying what happened over and over in my head.
Did I do something wrong? Why is hanging out with my teammates so hard for me? Do I need to change myself in order to fit in? I don’t want to do that.
Mom has always told me and my siblings to be ourselves and never let anyone tell us who to be. When she was my age, she tried to change herself to be more like her older sister, my Aunt Amanda, because she thought her mother would love her more. But she was wrong. Grandma loved her just as she was.
But this is different, isn’t it?
“Hey,” Chloe says as she steps closer to me, milkshake and a package of food in her hands.
“Thanks.” I take the food from her. “Want to go back to my place and share the fries?”
She studies my face. “Liam, are you okay?”
I force a wide smile on my face. “Of course I’m okay.”
She searches my eyes. “I told you a million times that you can talk to me about anything. But if you’re not comfortable, I understand. I just wish you were.”
“What?”
“Comfortable to talk to me about it.”
I lower my eyes to the ground. I want to be, I really do. But it’s so embarrassing. I don’t want to be embarrassed in front of my best friend, but I am.
Chloe takes my hand. “You know what? Let’s forget about tonight.” She gives me a guilty look. “I’m sorry I talked you into coming here.”
I shake my head. “No. This isn’t your fault. I’m just a failure to the human race.”
Her eyes widen. “What? Liam—”
I turn away from her. “Please, let’s forget about it and go home.”
“Sure. Sorry if I’m making you uncomfortable.”
“No, Chloe. You never do.”
We don’t talk much as we walk to my house. We share my fries, I gobble down my burger because Mikey’s makes the best fast food, and Chloe downs her shake. Just being with her lifts all the negative emotions I was feeling a few minutes ago.
Like I said, everything is better when she’s around.
Chapter Seven
Chloe
Today is book club!
