It had been a few days since my date with Nick, but he hadn't contacted me at all. The rest of the date felt forced, especially when he walked me to my car. He didn't say a word as we walked, and I could feel the awkward tension rolling off of him. After that, I hadn't heard a word from him.

I guessed I got what I wanted, but it still hurt. I didn't like him as much as I thought I would. However, he was fun to be around. We could've become friends if things didn't work out romantically. 

Harvey and I hadn't really spoken to each other, either. He avoided me at school and wouldn't answer any of my texts. None of our other friends knew why he was doing that. Sophia suggested that he was jealous, but I immediately said no. Why would he be jealous? There was nothing between us.

My car suddenly felt too small. I was heading home after softball practice, but I didn't want to go home. However, I didn't want to be stuck in my car either because it felt like the walls were slowing closing in on me. I had to get out soon, but I didn't know where to go.

I pulled into the parking lot of Hotcakes and put my car in park. The radio was playing something, but I wasn't paying attention. I was watching Harvey walk a girl to her car. She looked vaguely familiar with her light hair and short stature. She was clinging to Harvey, and it took me a second to realize it was the girl that almost attacked him. I didn't think he would see her again. He proved me wrong.

I ducked my head when he looked over at me. I didn't want him to see me. I wanted to be alone. I wanted to try to decipher the feelings racing through my veins. A mix of emotions tumbled through my stomach, but I could tell what one was. I just didn't know why I would be jealous. 

A knock on the window broke me out of my thoughts. I glanced outside to find Harvey smiling. Little dimples poked out of his cheeks. How had I never seen those before? Distractedly, I rolled down my window and said, "Yes, Harvey?"

"Hi." I furrowed my brows. Was that all he wanted to say? He looked surprised that that came out of his mouth, too. We were silent for an awkward second until he cleared his throat. "What're you doing here?" he asked.

"I don't know," I answered truthfully. I eyed him. "What about you?"

"I had a date."

"I noticed."

I didn't mean for my voice to turn hard. Thankfully he didn't notice my change of attitude as he swallowed. "I have to get going," he said, pointing to his car. "Talk to you later?"

"Sure."

He stuffed his hands in his pockets before turning on his heel. It took him a second to start walking, like he wanted to say something to me. A part of me hoped he would turn back around, to try to clear whatever weird feelings were going through me. To try to make whatever was happening to us stop its course. But he didn't turn around. He didn't even glance back at me.

The parking lot grew empty as time passed. It was a nice day and most people in my town would probably hit the beach for a few hours before they had to go home and get ready for another day at work or school. Hotcakes wouldn't be open for much longer, but I still went inside. A waitress wiped down tables absentmindedly, and she didn't notice me waiting to be seated. 

"Excuse me," I said politely. She whipped around with a small scream, pressing her hand to her chest. I smiled weakly at her and said, "Sorry."

She seated me quickly and I gave her my order. She left me alone in the small interior, and I sighed. Something was seriously wrong with me. I had no idea what, though. All I knew was that I wanted to sleep forever. Maybe if I did that, I could finally figure out what was going on with me. I would have a clear head to make decisions, unlike now. Right now, my head was clogged up with softball and school and volunteering and friends. I couldn't focus on any one thing without getting overwhelmed.

The lady walked toward me, balancing my plate on her forearm while she held my drink. Her other hand held a phone against her ear, and she giggled after hearing whatever the person said on the phone. I prayed that my plate wouldn't fall off of her arm because I was hungry. 

"Here you go," she said to me, tilting the phone away from her mouth. "When you're done, signal to me, okay? I'll probably be busy."

I raised my eyebrows but nodded. Didn't this girl know she could get fired because she was on her phone? Her laughter echoed through the empty restaurant as she settled into a booth. Her feet were propped up on the table. This girl must've been new because she definitely shouldn't have been doing that. I eyed my pancakes distastefully, wondering if she did anything to them without knowing. She didn't cook them, obviously, but she could've stuck her finger in my butter or something.

So far they tasted okay. They were golden and fluffy; however, they left a small aftertaste in my mouth. I brushed that off as I dug into my second pancake. My stomach growled. Softball practice was awful today. Coach Kidman made us run five laps around the field and then we had to practice throwing to each other. If we didn't catch the ball, we would have to run two more laps. I made sure to catch all the balls I could, but I missed about five of them. I was exhausted.

"Ma'am?" I said to the girl after I finished my last pancake. She didn't even bat an eye at the sound of my voice. Instead of trying to get her attention, I just left a twenty dollar bill on the table. I knew that covered the cost of my plate of pancakes and it also was a small tip. "Bye!" I called to the girl.

She jumped up when she saw me exit, but I didn't waste any time when I got in my car. I started it up and pulled out of there, her yelling behind me. If she looked, she would find the money I left. 

The drive to my house was short and uneventful. When I entered through the front door, the smell of a stew wafted through the air. I knew Mom was home because she only ever made that. I wanted to sneak up the stairs, but she called, "Cat, is that you?"

"Yeah," I answered, throwing my backpack on the ground near the couch. I stepped into the kitchen and found Dad and Beckett in there, too. "Was there a family meeting that I didn't know about?"

Dad laughed. "No. We're just starving."

"How was softball practice?" Mom asked as she stirred a large pot on the stove. Her hair was thrown up in a bun, and she had on her comfy clothes. 

"It was fine," I said, shrugging. 

"Are you hungry?"

"No. I stopped by Hotcakes before coming here."

Mom looked at me for a second before turning her attention back to the pot. Steam rose above it, making her face flush a little. 

"I'll be up in my room if anyone needs me," I said after a second of silence. I walked toward the stairs and climbed up them, slipping into my room. I fell onto my bed with a loud sigh. I didn't want to be in this funk anymore. I just didn't know how to get out of it.