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© 2016 Shay Spencer. All rights reserved.

The Buddies Rule

Chapter 12

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One thing that always perplexed me, was time. How it could move so quickly if you weren't looking. Or how the endless ticks of the clock could send you into a spiral if you looked too closely. It was always there, taunting and teasing us. If we didn't already know that our lives were limited, time was there to reassure that fact.

The first week of play practice had flown by without notice. Zac had managed to weasel his way in as assistant director alongside Lewis. He namely did this in an attempt to spend more time with me. We hadn't spoken much since his fight with Alan.

Chase and his science friends had made themselves more than useful by bringing Lewis' sets to life. All that was needed was for the actors to get their asses in gear. We all still needed to perfect our lines. I was of course over exaggerating. I was the only actor tanking at play practice.

"Don't down play it," I groaned before I fell back into the wooden chair. Lewis let out a short chuckle at my outburst. "I am royally sucking, and you know it."

"Oh please," he scoffed. "You're doing fine up there. I should know since I'm the damn director." Lewis relayed as he set his pencil down in the crease of his history textbook. "You're doing better than Alan, that's for sure."

Lewis gave me a weak grin as his fingers tapped down on the light wooded table in between us. The other students in the library were silent, unmoved. They were all too focused on studying for midterms; and though it was a bit early for that, I half felt like I should be doing the same.

But this script in front of me, the one with Lewis' name printed in bold on the cover, instructed me to do the opposite.

Lewis and I had somehow snuck away from our regular classes. We'd used the excuse that we needed to work on the play, which, we were. Though I was mainly bagging on myself.

"But you said that I needed to become Elisa. I need to start taking up her personality traits and little quirks. I haven't done any of that."

"You're doing that," Lewis said with a sigh. "It's a process, trying to figure out someone else's life. Its like your taking over for them, picking up where they left off. You're constantly trying to make decisions just the way that they would." I could feel myself slowly nodded as I mulled over his explanation.

Lewis sighed before continuing. "It's much harder to become a fictional character than it is to become a real person. If they were right next to you, you could watch them. You could pick up on the little things, and the way they talk. But with fictional characters, you have to fill in the blanks at times." Lewis teased as he sat up in his chair. "You could act like any of one of us in a heartbeat; Alan, Chase or me. You've got it in you."

My heart began to slow to a gentle thump with Lewis' words. Lately, he had figured out just how to calm me down. "I'm really doing okay?" I asked, my eyebrows raised in suspicion.

"Would your director lie to you?" Lewis said, shaking his head as he did. "Ask any Hollywood director, and they'd give it to you straight. You have to be honest with your actors. Especially when we're in such a crunch for time with this play."

"Uh, don't remind me," I huffed.

"I kind of have to, it is my job."

"Yeah? Shut up," I snipped back. Lewis let out a quick laugh before I could visibly see him tensing up. His hands curled into fists, while his teeth were quietly grinding together. My mouth was curving downward in confusion as I watched him. "What's the matter?"

Lewis merely shook his head. I could vaguely see his right index finger pointing out to the space behind me, so I spun around, my sight landing on one person in particular. It just so happened to be the one person that I was dreading to even think of.

Chase sent Lewis a small wave while still keeping his sights set on me. "Mind if I cut in?"

Lewis shook his head, falling back into his chair without a fight. "She's all your's," he agreed.

I glared back at Lewis as I gathered my things. Why would he let me leave with Chase? He knew well and good why we weren't on speaking terms.

Then again, this was just like Lewis. He had a way of forcing two people together if he wanted them to make up, be friends again. Throughout the last week, he'd done anything in his power to make sure that Chase and I had to speak. Whether it was about sets, or even forcing us to talk about costumes, Lewis had added it to his agenda.

My textbook slid right into my backpack before I pulled the strap over my shoulder. English three studying could wait, I still had about two and a half weeks before the midterm.

Chase's hand was warm as his fingers fumbled against my own, our hands joining together awkwardly as he led me out of the library. There was a small door sitting on the back wall of the library that would take us out to a very special spot on campus. Not a lot of people knew about this place; it was no surprise that this was where Chase had chosen to talk.

Our father's had been two of the biggest donor's for this spot. It was a place to relax, a place to gain some semblance of solitude on this crazy campus.

Just behind the library, sat a small, secluded area that was home to a running fountain and a little garden. There were pink, purple, and blue flowers lining the outer edges of the area. The fountain stood about seven feet in the air, and there were even lily pads floating in the bottom of the fountain.

Though this space had been finished sometime last year, almost no one knew about it. Chase and I still hadn't revealed the location to Lewis, or Alan, either.

It was one of the few places we could call our own.

"I haven't been out here for a while." I said, a light breeze in the air. It felt good to be back outside. I'd been stuck in lectures all day.

"Me either." Chase replied quietly before he tossed his bag onto the ground. I watched as Chase pushed his hands deep into his pockets. He only ever did that when he got nervous. I hated that I was suddenly the one making him feel that way.

I rocked back and forth on my feet, still managing to keep my sight stuck on him as I dropped my bag onto the ground. "What did you want to talk about?"

Chase shook his head before he took a seat on the edge of the fountain. "I heard you were having trouble with the play? The whole, acting thing, must be tough."

"That's what you wanted to talk about?" I scoffed as I crossed my arms over my chest. "You pulled me out here just to tell me that it has to be tough acting in Lewis' little play?"

"Of course not," Chase hissed. "But it's not like we can just pick up where we left off last time. I've still got your words playing on a loop in my head. 'It's me that I'm scared of'. Really, Bree?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" I shot back, squeezing my hand around my upper arm in anger. "That maybe I'm afraid of my own emotions? That maybe I can't predict how I'm going to feel tomorrow? Or even the day after?"

"Well how about today? Hm?" Chase asked snidely as he shot up from his spot on the fountain. "How do you feel about me today?"

"I feel like I'm-" I cut myself off, not wanting to go any further. This entire conversation was outlawed by the buddies rule. This kind of situation was what it was meant to prevent.

I was going against everything I stood for, all because Chase had me a little aggravated.

"You feel like you're, what?" Chase asked, his voice low as he took a single step forward. Chase stood mere inches from me as he gently uncrossed my arms. Instantly, he grabbed onto either one of my hands, and made it a point to look me directly in the eye. "How do you feel about me, Bree? Really."

I could feel the air leaving my lungs before I was ready. I suddenly felt as though I was suffocating with him standing this close to me. But I wasn't so sure that I minded. Chase had always managed to take my breath away.

"I feel like I'm..." I left off again, trying to find the courage to continue. "I'm not ready to lose you." I whispered.

"How, do you feel about me? It's a simple question, and it deserves a simple answer." My chest began heaving once more with his words, my lungs craving the air that had since left them. "I know that my feelings for you are black and white."

"Mine, might be stuck in the gray," I whispered. "What if I don't know?"

"If you're stuck in between," Chase paused as he took it upon himself to lean forward. The space between us has disappeared entirely, and his lips, we're practically on top of mine. "Then at least we know where to start." His words ghosted against my face before his lips brushed against my own.

For a single second, I couldn't remember where I was, I could barely remember my own name. The warmth from his lips left me breathless all over again as the cool breeze brushed against my bare arms. His hands squeezed around mine, making me certain that he wasn't ready to let go of me yet, and I knew I felt exactly the same.

This was the moment I had been waiting for since the seventh grade. Since the very second I started having feelings for Chase.

But all of those supposedly magical feelings that were currently exploding inside of me, vanished in less than a moment.

"Chase?" A voice interrupted abruptly. I managed to rip myself from Chase at the sound of the girl's voice. She sounded determined to find him, and I didn't know why.

"Who is that?" I whispered, coming to the conclusion that the voice had originated from the other side of the garden. I didn't, recognize it though; which was weird.

"No one, Bree," Chase shrugged it off.

"Chase? Is that you?" The girl continued to call.

"She sure wants your attention," I laughed quietly. Suddenly, Chase's grip on my hands tightened. "Just tell me who it is, and we'll get rid of her."

Chase shook his head before running a single hand through his hair. "Rebecca. We... We had a moment last night, but that was before I had a chance to see how you were feeling-"

"You kissed her?!" I had to stop myself from shrieking in disgust. "And then right after that, you come over and confess your feelings for me?!"

"I never said that-"

"But it's what happened, right?" I was shaking as I spoke. But Chase's silence spoke louder than I could. "Right. You kissed her, and then you kissed me."

"Bree," Chase tried as he grabbed onto my hands.

"No!" I yelled before I shook him off. "I actually like you, excuse me, liked you. I thought, for even a second, that maybe we had a chance-"

"You're the one with a boyfriend!" Chase announced incredulously. "You kissed me back!"

"I haven't even kissed Zac! I've barely talked to him in the last few weeks! And we're not even officially a couple!" I yelled. "You're the one who's walking around and making out with every girl you see!"

"I'd hardly call what we just did making out, Bree," Chase scoffed. "Might as well correct your terminology now so when you write it in your diary later, you won't get it wrong."

"God you're a pig." I shivered in disgust before I reached down to pick up my bag. "I can't believe we've been best friends for this long."

"Well, when two people have hidden secrets and feelings from each other for this long, relationships are bound to break."

"Get a life, Davids, and stay the hell out of mine." I spoke sharply.

"Me stay the hell out of your life? Three seconds ago you were practically begging me to kiss you." Chase scoffed.

"Three seconds ago, you were the one begging me to confess my feelings for you. How's that for pathetic." I finished as I shook my head. I swallowed hard against the lump in my throat as I turned on my heel and stalked off towards the the library.

I didn't need Chase in my life, not after that.

I strode past the table that Lewis had occupied just a few minutes ago, only to find he had vanished. I sighed and continued walking towards the front of the building, running straight into Lewis' body as I reached the printers.

"Whoa, slow down," Lewis laughed. "Got some sprints to do?"

"Lay off," I whined. Lewis nodded before he pulled his bag over his shoulder. Resting in his hands was a large stack of bright orange flyers. "What are those?"

"One word," Lewis paused. The man pulled a sheet out from the stack and held it out to me. "Party. And don't tell me you're not coming." He said with a smile.

I rolled my eyes and ripped the flyer from his grasp, inspecting it quickly. "Okay then, I'll give you a two word answer. I'm in."

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How about that kiss guys? Anyone see that coming? And Chase kissed Rebecca too?! What a time...

I'm DYING to post the next chapter! The party is going to be insane!

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The next update should be on...
October 27th!

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