I was holy surprised when Joey invited me to hang out. Not that I didn't enjoy his pany by any means. But after things got a little awkward st time, well I assumed he wouldn't want to see me anymore.

  Although I was gd that he texted me. I really loved spending time with him and Jessy! I put on some bck shorts and a white top, meeting up with him at the bowling ally. "Hey! Um, where's Jessy?" I asked notig Joey was by himself.

  "She's tag a rather rge group project for one of her csses. There's like six people in the group, and about half are not pulling their weight." Oh, yea that made sense. Holy group projects always stressed me out. On the one hand if you got a good team, the project was super easy. Oher hand if the team sucked, then the project was basically hell.

  "She knows your hanging out with me, right?" If there is ohing I absolutely did not want to do, it was get iween Joey and Jessy. Joey ughed as he led me to the shoe ter "of course. Why wouldn't she?"

  That helped put me at ease. It was nice seeing the fideween Jessy and Joey. They both seemed so open and close.

  We got our shoes and picked out a bowling ne. Joey paid for an hour of game time a to pying.

  "So, how long have you two been together?" I holy didn't even know Jessy had a boyfriend until she said something. All the girls on the cheer team seemed to know everything about one another, and everyone was always talking about each other. But nobody really brought up Joey. I found out Jen and her girlfriend would sometimes py video games with Jessy and Joey but other than that it was like he wasn't really there.

  I don't uand why either. He's sweet, and cute, and such a gentleman. I could totally see why Jessy was in love with him. Plus while I uood nothing about programing or g, I uood it teo make money. Which was much better than my own literature pursuits.

  "Well we lived in the same neighborhood back when we were iary" Joey said, scratg his as he thought it over. "But we became friends in middle school, we had the same csses so we ended up hanging out together. Thearted dating in freshman year of high school."

  Wow, they really have only been with each other huh? It was rather romantiestly! I wish I had a lifelong panion! Well it wasn't too te to find one, but Jessy just went ahead and found herself the dream boy from the start! It was rather inspiring!

  "That's so cute!" I squealed, "it's like something out of a fairy tale book!" Joey chuckled and leaned back as I went to grab the bowling ball. I mao knock over a few pins, but nothing crazy.

  We kept pying as the versation shifted to a show that we were both watg. I went on for maybe a bit too long about how the heroine just o fess her love for her terpart. Joey pointed out that would maybe cause the show to get resolved too soon, but I protested! A retionship isn't just defined by how it es about, but also by what occurs ohe couple is iionship itself!

  Besides they are superheroes so there was still the whole fighting an evil vilin plot going on. "I do think she was way more iing when flirting than he was" Joey pointed out at one point. Yes! Holy, wheook on the feline powers and got all flirty it was like peak television!

  We had just about run through our hour when I heard someone calling out to Joey. I turned around and saw some random girl boung over. She gave Joey a big hug which he returned, but he didn't seem as energized about the reunion as she was.

  "Hey Emma, watcha up to?" Joey asked and I noticed him take a step closer to me. "Oh one of the boys on the basketball team asked me to hang out! I'm wanting to see if he help me feel like I'm flying tonight, if you catch my drift" she ughed and Joey awkwardly chuckled. Did these two have some sort of history?

  "Oh um, Emma this is Red" Joey introduced us. "Red, this is Emma. She and Jessy have been friends since middle school." Emma smiled at me but didn't offer any other kind of salutations. Rude.

  "Speaking of which, are you still with her?" Emma asked, a certain gleam in her eyes. I frow the ent.

  "Yes" came Joey's simple response.

  "Mmm, well I guess I shouldn't be surprised" Emma took a step forward, pg a hand on Joey's chest. "I mean she is beautiful and popur and all that jazz." I pced my hands on my hips, my ear twitg in annoyance.

  "Jessy isn't just some pretty face" I huffed "she's cool, and bold, and brave, and fident" I started rambling as Emma looked at me with a level of amusement.

  "Oh sorry, I wasn't aware I was in the presence of Jessy's fan club" Emma remarked. I felt my cheeks getting puffy, I did not like this girl.

  "Emma, be nice. She's a friend" Joey remarked, he sounded rather agitated as well. Emma shrugged and took a step back, fag me for a moment.

  "Jessy is a pretty face put on a sexy body. Other than that, she's temperamental, emotionally impulsive, arrogant, selfish, and vainful." Emma put a hand on her chest as she tinued "holy the best thing about her is that Joey has her tied down. Otherwise all the guys would be stantly swarming her. Although..."

  She turned her gaze at Joey, looking him up and down. "Emma that's enough" Joey said, his fist were ched. He was clearly upset, but I don't think he knew what to do with that feeling. I uood, I'm ly the best at standing tall in these kinds of situations. So it surprised me when I spoke.

  "Your a bitch" I said without thinking. My eyes instantly going wide, and my body feeling shaky. Why would I say something like that!?

  Emma snapped her head over to gre at me. She looked like she wao hit me. "What did you say?" She asked slowly, taking a step towards me. Joey took me hand and pulled me away though.

  "We're leaving Emma. Take care" he quickly dismissed us, walking us back to where the shoes ter was at so we could trade back our shoes. Afterwards we left the bowling ally, her of us wanting to stick around. Maybe me less than him.

  I ot believe I just did that! Why would I call someone a bitch!? That was so mean of me!

  "Joey, I'm so sorry about that. I'll apologize to Emma ter I promise" I said, feeling terrible about the whole thing. Joey just scoffed and then ughed "oh please don't. That was great!"

  Huh?

  "Oh man, you said it so casually. I wish I could've recorded that!" Joey ughed as he walked me bay dorm. Really? Was it that funny?

  "Um but let's maybe not mention any of this to Jessy" he thought out loud. Why?

  "I've heard other people mention she be a little temperamental. Is that true though? She always seems so nid sweet." The only time I saw her even close to that was wheold the cafe guy to fix my drink. But even then she wasn't a jerk about it or anything.

  "Well no, not really" Joey seemed to think it over for a sed. "She's sweet and kind, most of the time. Lately she's even beey id back. Ever since she... Um well retly she's beera chill."

  He seemed like he had caught himself from saying something he wasn't supposed to. Which seemed weird, I couldn't imagine Jessy and Joey having some sort of crazy or dark secret.

  "But she does have a bit of a short fuse" Joey tinued. "So it's not very hard to get her going, and boy she get going! Holy it's pretty awesome. But also maybe not something you want to lean on. So, we won't mention Emma being a terrible friend and talking shit, and Jessy won't kill Emma."

  "She gets violent!?" I asked in shod Joey just ughed.

  "Well only sometimes but normally she doesn't o. Normally her getting mad is enough to scare people, but Emma's been... A little weird tely."

  Yea, she seemed like a real jerk. Or maybe not so much? I thought over the iion a bit more as we walked back to the dorm. I think she was attempting to make a pass at Joey, and I don't think it was her first attempt.

  Unfortunately my thoughts were disrupted as it started to rain and the two of us got all wet. Joey held my hand as we quickly made our way to the dorm building. We rushed inside and Joey let go of me to wipe the water from his face.

  "Well at least the bowling was fun" Joey chuckled as he looked over at me. His cheeks got a little red and I noticed he seemed to be looking rather ily into my eyes.

  I felt my cheeks blushing as I said "um, everything alright?"

  "Yea, sorry it's just um, I'm n to be rude or anything" Joey scratched his head, looking up at the ceiling as though he was trying not to look at me at all. What was wrong with him?

  I looked down at myself and realized my once white shirt was now pletely soaked ahough! I yelped and covered my chest with my arms. "Um, well thank you but um maybe a warniime?"

  "Sorry, wasn't sure how to point it out without sounding weird about it" Joey responded. Yea ok maybe telling a girl hey cute bra out of nowhere would be a little weird. I'm just gd I had a bra on at least. I would have actually died if he had seen my tits! Like boom! Colpsed on the ground, o rise again!

  "Well anyways I should go wash up! Thank you for everything and goodbye!" I quickly scrambled to head to my dorm but the ground was slippery and as was my fate, I slipped. I would've fallen too but Joey mao catch me.

  I yelped when I slipped, it happened rather suddenly. I felt myself falling backwards, and then I stopped. I felt his hand around my waist, my hand on his arm. "Careful there" he smiled down at me and I looked up at him. Our eyes meeting in a momentary pause. A silen the hall for just a sed.

  I felt my cheeks shifting hues. "I um I... I..." I tried to speak, failing tain any of my dignity I might add. Joey pulled me up so I could stand. "e o's get you back to your room" Joey offered his arm, like a prentleman.

  I tucked my hands in his arm and stayed quiet as he walked me to my room. Ohere I unlocked the door and took a step ihank you" I said softly, not wanting to turn around to look at him.

  "Anytime! I always enjoy spending time with you" Joey said before turning around and walking away. I closed the door and locked up. Stripped out of my wet clothes and tossing them to the ground as I made my way to the bathroom. I put my hands on the ter and looked into the mirror.

  My face was still red. I could still feel Joey's hand around my waist. It felt, so f...

  I sunk my head into my hands "I'm a horrible person" I muttered to myself, uo stop thinking about Joey.

  Why? Of all people, of all times!

  Why?

  Maybe I really am, just a horrible person.