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“Took you long enough!” I hear a guy yell.
“Who’s that?” I ask.
“Nobody. Just forget it. I have to go.” I hear the car door shut.
“Hey!” the guy says. “Sanders brought pizza!”
“Is that Troy?” I ask.
Troy was one of Jake’s friends from the old neighborhood. I never liked him. He was always in a bad mood and complaining about shit. When Jake would spend time with him, he’d start acting like Troy, which is why I didn’t want the two of them hanging out.
“It’s Sean,” Jake says, but he’s lying. I know Troy’s voice. “I’m at his house. I have to go.”
“Call me later, okay? And don’t be staying there past dark.”
“Yeah, got it.” He ends the call.
“What are you doing out here?” Danny says, coming up to me. Danny’s on the football team with me and one of my closest friends. We grew up together in Chicago.
“I was just checking on Jake.”
“How’s he doing?”
“I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean?”
“He sounded a lot better than he did earlier, which doesn’t make sense given what happened this morning.”
“Maybe he thinks they’ll get back together.”
“I doubt it. It sounded like Haley made it clear to him that it was over. I get the feeling she already has someone else.”
“Really? Did Jake tell you that?”
“No, but I know Haley, and she’s someone who doesn’t like being alone. She wouldn’t dump Jake unless she had someone else.”
“I guess I didn’t know her that well. She didn’t seem like someone who would do that, especially to Jake. He was really good to her.”
“He was, and she took advantage of that. I’m actually kind of glad it’s over with those two.”
“So you said he was sounding better? He didn’t sound depressed?”
“No, not at all. I’m wondering if he’s just putting on an act for the guys.”
“What guys?”
“He went to the old neighborhood. He said he’s at Sean’s house, but I could hear Troy talking in the background.”
“The Troy that lived on my street?”
“Yeah. I don’t know where he lives now.”
“I hated that kid. He’s one of those guys who always looks like he wants to punch something.”
“I used to be that way. I might’ve even been worse.”
“Yeah, but you got over it. I’m guessing Troy will always be that way.”
