• Jaiden’s voice filled his ears. The guy was once again talking about that girl, four hours after the incident as they drove home from the San Diego County Fair. They’d spent their afternoon doing everything they could to get on the management’s bad side. They didn’t expect the guys in charge to send over Carolyn (that's what her name-tag said at least) to tamper their fun.

    “Do you mind?” She asked, tapping Christian on the shoulder. “There are kids at this place and your hooting and catcalls are really scaring the animals in the petting zoo.”

    “How ‘bout we hoot at you?” Jaiden said, raising his eyebrows suggestively as he spoke, staring meaningfully at Carolyn.

    Christian slapped a hand to his face, embarrassed by his friend’s machismo. Carolyn immediately moved past Christian to Jaiden, smiling wickedly. She stepped right up to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before placing her hand over the spot in a mockingly childish gesture. Jaiden’s eyes widened as he stared back at her.

    “You’re cute,” she giggled, “in a dumb way. Now, leave those poor creatures alone, hmm?”

    She patted his cheek somewhat sharply for emphasis and turned on her heel, leaving them standing there.

    And Jaiden had not shut up about it since, four entire hours later.

    “She was totally into me, dude!” he cheered. “All over me and everything. Man, she had a sweet a**, too. Did you see that when she walked away?”

    “Yeah,” Christian responded automatically as he pulled the car up to their shared dorm. “I saw the a**, J.”

    “Sweet, huh?” Jaiden laughed, leaning back in his seat. “I bet she can't stop thinkin' about me now to. She must be thinkin' about me, right? I mean, after that kiss…”

    “What kiss are you remembering, J? She gave you a peck on the cheek. Then, she called you dumb.”

    “She said I was cute, in a dumb way.”

    Christian sighed. “Yeah, ‘in a dumb way,’ being the keywords. You’re reading too much into it, man. She was just trying to get our attention.”

    “Well,” Jaiden smirked, “it worked, dude.”

    Christian rolled his eyes and nodded. “Yeah, [i[dude, it worked.”

    Silence fell between the two for a few minutes. Neither moved to get out of the car, even though Christian had killed the engine a good minute and a half ago. They sat, staring at each other.

    “What’s with you, Chris?” Jaiden asked suddenly. “You’re all pissy, like a girl. You know, you always get this way when I talk about girls I like. You jealous or something?”

    Christian blinked slowly and stared at Jaiden. For a moment, he said nothing. He just watched his best friend, his roommate, the only guy from high school that even still talked to him anymore. Jealous? he thought. Sure, I guess that's what we'll call this. Every time you talk about the next girl down the line. This one didn't even give you a number and you can't stop thinking about her. And talking about her. Nonstop...

    “I guess I am jealous,” he admitted sourly, casting his eyes to the steering wheel.

    “I can’t help her obvious attraction to me,” Jaiden agreed, laughing and nodding. “It happens.”

    “You don’t… get it,” Christian muttered.

    “What’s not to get? You’re jealous this chick digs me and not you.”

    “No, J. I’m not.” Christian yanked the keys from the ignition and moved to open the car door.

    “What?” Jaiden asked, confused. “Then, why did you say you were jealous?”

    “I’m not jealous of the girl’s attraction to you, J,” Christian sighed, opened the door finally and set his feet to the ground outside. He couldn't say it to his friend's face. Not yet. “I’m jealous of your attraction to her.”

    He stood and slammed the car door, leaving Jaiden alone in the car, his words echoing in the air long after the front door slammed shut behind him.