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Chapter 5

NOAH

15 YEARS OLD

I t’s one hundred degrees outside, and my feet are burning on the concrete as I run toward the pool. We’re at a water park today. Tyler, Scarlett, and me. Our parents too, but they’re busy tanning. On the other hand, Tyler is busy making googly eyes at Scar—which just pisses me off.

Does he have a crush on her?

As if she knows exactly what I’m thinking, she turns toward me with wide eyes and shakes her head. But I don’t believe her.

She runs away from Tyler, swimming toward the deep side of the pool, and he stays behind with me, a frown on his face. He’s beautiful even when he is making faces. And that pisses me off. I don’t want to like him anymore.

“What’s going on, Ty?” I ask him, my hands balling into fists under the water.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Do you like Scarlett?”

“Of course I like her.” He looks at me with wide eyes, a blush on his cheeks. “She’s my best friend.”

“ Our best friend,” I emphasize for good measure. “And I see the way you’re looking at her.”

“How?” he asks with narrowed eyes. “How do I look at her?”

The way I wish you looked at me.

“Like you have a crush on her.”

“I do not!” he denies, but it comes out high-pitched and squeaky.

“Better not.” I shrug. “It’ll ruin this whole friendship.”

“Alright, alright.” Tyler throws his hands up in the air in defeat. “I won’t do anything to ruin it.”

“Good.” I smile. “Race ya to Scarlett.”

And then I’m off, swimming as fast as possible toward the deep end of the pool. I hear Tyler hot on my heels, but I don’t look back. All I can hope for is that I got my point across. That this conversation will be burned into the back of his head. That he’ll realize Scarlett is off limits.

But where does that put me?