I would not usually react so badly to him not knowing classical literature. I could not blame everyone else for not spending all their days reading nonstop like me. However, I knew he had read the book because it was on the syllabus last year.

"You are in my English class. We read it last year." I stared down at the ground while explaining to him "It is not funny if you have to explain the whole plot of The Great Gatsby for you to get the joke."

"I don't really pay attention in English." He replied with a shrug that showed how much he did not give a shit.

"You don't say." I joked while taking another glance at the green light.

Silence hung in the air.

He stood staring at me, so I felt inclined to say something.

"The green light is probably an alien." I voiced and then went on to move my hand between my mouth and my ear so that I could pretend it was a walkie-talkie "Houston, there is no sign of intelligent life anywhere near here."

The look on the blonde quarterback's face made apparent that he either did not understand what I was saying or that he was not interested in listening.

I wanted to crawl into a ball and hide. I was only proving to myself why I should not speak to guys.

Chase never said anything else as he resumed aiming the ball towards the cans at the back of the stall.

I have never seen him look so concentrated before. I wondered if it was because he was competitive or because he was taking my threat seriously and he feared the consequences of not getting the stuffed animal.

I once attempted to go to one of his football games with Lana. We had to leave before the game even started. We had eaten two chilli corn dogs and drank five strawberry milkshakes each. It did not mix well, and we ended up throwing up all over the place.

He offered me a side-glance when he gently asked, "Have you spoke to your Dad lately?"

"What do you think?" I chuckled humourlessly before I asked him the same question "What about you?"

His answer was the same as mine "What do you think?"

One thing that he and I had bonded over was our non-existent relationship with our parents. His dad was always working, and his mom had run away with her new boyfriend. It was one of the only things we confided in with each other.

It was good having someone to talk to about my home problems. Even if it felt like he never listened to what I said most of the time.

We used each other in a way.

Chase still had not thrown the second ball of the three yet. He was still moving his hand back and forward and he had one of his eyes shut as he concentrated harder.

I figured it would be best to leave him to it. I made my way to the edge of the pier and peered over at the water.