Then Came You Into My Life - 4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I must have fell asleep because the next thing I knew, my mom was knocking on my door telling me that Jarrod was on the phone.

“Hey what’s up?”

“Nothing, just wanted to let you know that Chance called and asked me to go to the movies with him and a couple other guys from school. I know we had something planned today but I was hoping you would be ok if I passed on going to the arcade with you,” Jarrod said to me. I got pissed off but I didn’t let him know it.

“Sure go have fun and I will talk to you later,” I told him and hung up not waiting for a response. I know it was childish but we have always hung out on the weekends. Now Chance moves to town and Jarrod doesn’t want to hang out with me. I guess I could go to the arcade by myself but that would not be fun. I took my shower and went back to my room to get some clothes on then went down stairs to find something to eat. I walked in the kitchen and Mom and Dad was sitting at the table. “Good morning.”

“Morning Zane, what have you and Jarrod got planned today?” Dad asked me looking up from the paper he was reading.

“Nothing, he is going to the movies with some other guys from school. I’m just going to hang out here I guess. Why you asking?” I asked looking back at my dad while I was looking for some bread so I could make some toast.

“We are going to go see your grandfather. Do you want to tag along? You know he would like to see you.” My dad asked.

“Ya that would be great. I miss talking to him as we used to do. Is he feeling better?”

“He is a little. They are going to do that laser thing Monday. It is to be an in-out procedure so no hospital stay. If you want to go we will leave when you get done eating then,” Mom said getting up from the table helping me fix my toast.

I got done eating then went to my room to get my shoes on. We went to my grandparents’ house and stayed a few hours with them. We got home late afternoon and I went to my room to do some more homework and watch TV until Mom called me down for dinner. I got to the dining room and Mom told me. “Jarrod had left a message on the phone while we were gone for you to call him.”

“Ok I will call him later,” I said to Mom. I ate dinner then went back to my room to finish watching the movie I was in the middle of when Mom called me down to eat. I was not going to call Jarrod back, I was still mad and did not want to talk to him right now. Monday morning will be soon enough. I know he will not be around tomorrow because he and his parents were going to go to his aunt’s house a couple hours away. I finished my movie then got a book out to read. I was laying there when Dad knocked on my door. I pretended to be asleep. I know that when I heard the phone ring it was probably Jarrod. Dad opened the door and told whoever was on the phone that I was asleep and he would tell me in the morning who called. I thought dad closed my door but when I opened my eyes, he was standing there looking at me. “Now tell me why you don’t want to talk to him. Are you two fighting about something?”

“No, we had plans today that we made Friday on the way home from school and he just thought that he could just break our plans and make some other ones with another guy from school. I got mad at him but I did not tell him I was mad. I just hung up on him not waiting for a response. I will talk to him Monday if he shows up to walk with me to school; if he doesn’t then I guess I know where I stand with him then.”

“Who is this guy that he made plans with today?” Dad asked coming into my room sitting on the side of my bed.

“His name is Chance and he just moved here a couple weeks ago. I have him in a couple classes. He is an all right guy I guess, Jarrod and he hit it off great. They have been hanging out at lunch so I have been going to the library,” I said to Dad laying there with my arms behind my head looking at him.

“Why don’t you find someone else to hang out with? That way if Jarrod has other plans, you will have someone else to hang out with. I don’t like you just laying up here not doing anything,” Dad said laying his hand on my shoulder smiling at me. “I know you and Jarrod have been friends for a long time now but you need to understand that he can have other friends too.”

“I know that is why I’m doing my own thing not interfering in his right now. He can’t just think that when Chance is not around I will be here for him. Dad it was not right for him to break our plans the way he did, I would never do that to him or any friend I had plans with.”

“Ok, I see where you are going with this and I agree with you to a point. See what happens Monday, but promise me you will try to have an open mind when he talks to you.”

“I promise Dad. I am going to go to sleep; I will see you in the morning.”

“Ok son, good night,” Dad said leaving my room shutting the door.

******

I got up to have breakfast with my dad knowing mom is at church. See my dad and I don’t go to church, Dad and Mom made a pack that she doesn’t get mad at him for not going to church and he doesn’t get mad when she does. Mom had learned over the years that Dad does not want to hear anything to do with the church so she just leaves everything at the door when she gets home. Dad and I just hung out and watched football all day. I took my shower for school and made sure my homework was completed then went to bed. Jarrod did not call all day so I didn’t know if he would be here in the morning to walk with me to school.

I hated Monday’s; I got up and got dressed and ate some cereal, grabbed my backpack and walked out the door at my regular time. Jarrod was not there, I waited five minutes for him then decided to go ahead and walk to school by myself.

When I got to school, I dropped my backpack off at my locker and went to the cafeteria to see if Jarrod was there. I walked in the doors, looked at our regular table, saw him sitting there with Chance and a couple other guys that I did not know. He looked over at me and gave me a weird look. I just went back out the door and walked over to the library. I found me a book and sat at one of the tables waiting for the warning bell to ring. I was so into the book, I didn’t hear anybody walk up to the table until somebody cleared their throat to get my attention. I looked up and saw Jarrod standing there. “Hey you doing ok?” Jarrod asked.

“Yep, just fine. Waiting on the bell to ring,” I said to him then went back to reading my book. He should know now that I am pissed at him.

“Why you mad at me then?” Jarrod asked then set down next to me.

“I guess when you had time you would find me. Since you have been hanging out with Chance and his friends, I didn’t want to interfere with your friends,” I said looking at him with a frown.

“Zane, I know we had plans Saturday, but Chance called me and asked if I wanted to go. I did not think you would get mad at me for going, I asked him if you could tag along but he said that there was not enough room in his Mom’s car for six people.”

“That was fine; I went and spent time with my grandparents anyways. So don’t worry about it. Did you have fun?”

“It was alright. I didn’t like the idea that you were excluded. I did get a few minutes’ to talk to Chance and he said that you don’t like him and that was really the reason he didn’t want you to go with us.”

“That is fine, you can make whatever plans you want to. We don’t have to hang out every weekend together. You can have other friends to do things with. I got to go to my locker before class, I will see ya at lunch if you want me to be at OUR table,” I told Jarrod as I was getting up and putting the book back on the shelf.

I left him sitting there, went to my locker and Chance was standing there. I opened it up and got my backpack out, turned and looked at Chance waiting to see if he was going to say anything. When he just stood there and looked at me not saying anything, I walked off heading to my homeroom. I don’t know what he wanted from me and I was not going to stick around to find out.

                                                      ******

I went to all my morning classes, Chance tried to talk to me but I just ignored him and then he finally got the hint to stop. I went and put everything in my locker and then went to the cafeteria to eat. I got to the door and looked at the table that Jarrod and I sit at and saw Chance already there with Jarrod. I got in line to get my food then went out the door to sit under one of the trees on the side of the building. I know Jarrod will find me if he wants to talk.

When I was done eating, leaned back against the tree with my eyes closed. Thinking that I might lose Jarrod as a friend and that was hurting so much. He was always the one I could go too when something was bothering me or just to talk too. I don’t want to lose him as a friend but I could not compete against Chance. I won’t do that if Jarrod wants to do things with Chance and not me. I will just have to live with it and be by myself for now on.

“Hey Zane, you ok? I thought you were going to eat lunch with me at the table.” I opened my eyes when Jarrod started talking to me. I shrugged my shoulders at him.

“I saw the others sitting there and just figured you had enough people there already,” I said then brought my knees up to my chest looking off in the distance thinking that I wanted to go home and not be here. I know I can go get the nurse to send me home but then my mom would be all over me when I got home wanting to know what is going on.

“Zane” Jarrod said sitting down on his knees next to me, looking concerned. “Zane look at me please.” I turned my head and looked at him. “You know I will not lose you as a friend by being friends with Chance but I want you to give Chance a little lead way on not knowing what he did wrong. I want you to talk to him and explain it to him please. I know we would have a lot of fun together, he has a lot in common with you,” Jarrod said wigging his eyebrows at me laughing.

“And what would that be?”

“I know you don’t want me to say it here, no telling who would hear me. We were talking and he told me the same as you did, but I did not tell him about you. That would be up to you if you want him to know. His Mom knows about it, matter of fact that is why he and his Mom moved here. He came out and his dad freaked and almost killed him. His mom got him out before it got too bad but he still thinks his Dad will come and finish what he started. He just wants to have some friends that he can be real around. Do you think you can talk to him?” Jarrod asked me.

“Ya I guess, I’m just not in a good mood today. I don’t like what you did Saturday to me when we had plans already. I feel that he is trying to take your friendship away from me. If that is what you and he want, let me know now because we have been friends too long. I don’t want to lose being a friend but if that is what you want I will just walk away and be by myself.” By the time, I was done saying what I had to say I had tears in my eyes. I turned my head so Jarrod would not see them.

“Zane, we will be friends until we grow old and die. You won’t lose me as a friend just because we are friends with Chance, I promise. Ok?” I looked at him and shook my head not saying anything. The warning bell rang so we got up and went to our lockers. Jarrod’s locker was three down from mine so we walked together. I got my books and looked over at Jarrod to see if he was done and seen Chance standing there. They both looked at me, I told Jarrod that, “I will see you after school.” then walked to my next class. I don’t have any classes with Jarrod or Chance in the afternoon so I know I’m in the clear for a while.