Getting Over You

Dean's POV

When the bell rang, I left class and went outside to the parking lot to grab my football bag. I went  back inside and down the hall to the locker room. 

I walked inside and put my bag down, walking over to my locker to unlock it. I changed into my workout clothes and put my gear on before heading out with my cleats. When I got outside, I put my cleats on and ran out to the field for practice. 

When the rest of the team got there, coach started practice. We ran through basic drills for about an hour before scrimmaging. For once, I wasn't Tyler's only target. He started targeting Mason at practice. Mason was a running back, so when Noah passed him the ball to run through the line, Tyler blocked him despite not being in the right position. 

Coach continued to get mad as Tyler continued to break formation so coach dismissed him from practice. He threw a fit but finally stormed off the field. 

The rest of the practice went smoothly and soon, it was 5pm. Coach dismissed us and we all headed for the locker room. I walked with Mason as we headed back to the building.

"So dude, you got that date after this, right?" Mason asked and I nodded. 

"Yep," I said, but I wasn't really happy about it. I don't know why but I was kind of dreading meeting her, it didn't feel right when we hung out. 

"What's up with you?" Mason asked.

"Nothing," I said. "I'm just tired, that was a long practice."

We walked through the main entrance and down the hall to the locker room. I walked in and took all my gear off, putting it into my locker. I went over to the showers and quickly rinsed off, changing into clean clothes. I put on some deodorant and grabbed my bag, saying bye to Mason as I walked out of the locker room. 

I walked down the hallway and out the main entrance. I walked over to my car and got in. I checked my phone and saw one unread message.

Emma: Hey, are we still on for later?

Me: Yeah, I just need to drop off my football stuff first.

I put the car in drive and pulled out of the parking lot, heading home to drop off my bag. 

By the time I got to Emma's, it was almost 6pm. I texted her and told her that I had gotten there and a few minutes later, I saw her front door open and close as Emma walked down the front steps to the driveway. She saw me and smiled, walking over to the car to get in. 

"Hey," she said with a smile after she opened the car door. "How was practice?" 

"It was fine, just long," I said with a small smile. Emma closed the door and I started the car, pulling out of her driveway. 

"So, where are we going?" She asked and I smiled. 

"Well, I thought you'd be hungry so I was going to take you to get pizza in town," I said as I turned onto the main road.

"Woah! I was craving pizza!" She said and I laughed. 

The ride to the pizza place was short and when we arrived, I found a parking spot in the front. I parked the car and we both got out. I walked around the car to her side and she grabbed my hand. It didn't really feel right, holding her hand, but I tried to forget about it and try to have a good time as I grabbed the handle of the door, holding it open for her before walking in after. 

We each ordered two slices of pizza and got drinks before sitting down at one of the tables by the window. We made small talk for a while and she told me about her day, but I had a hard time focusing. I mean, I was sitting there with this beautiful girl and I just couldn't focus on her. 

My mind was somewhere far away, thinking about the time Lainey and I made dinner in her house. It was so easy to talk to her and the silence felt comfortable, not awkward. I was impressed by her ability to talk so wisely, like she was so much older mentally. It was comforting to be there, hearing her talk. I swear I could sit there for hours, just listening to her speak and I wouldn't get tired of it. I smiled, thinking about her voice when someone's voice snapped me back to reality.

"Hello," the man from behind the counter said. "Your food is ready."

"Oh ok, great," I said, getting up to grab our food. When I came back, I put the food on the table and sat down.

"So, as I was saying," Emma said, continuing with her story that I wasn't even listening to. I was too busy thinking about Lainey. 

Lainey?

Why was I thinking about Lainey and not Emma?

I sat there for a few minutes, thinking about it until it hit me. My eyes went wide and I was so thankful that Emma was looking down at her drink so she wouldn't notice my sudden change. 

I didn't want to be there with Emma, I wanted to be there with Lainey. Emma was an amazing girl and we had so much in common but there wasn't any chemistry. I guess I found Emma so interesting at every party because I knew I couldn't have Lainey. She was only a friend and I couldn't ruin our friendship. I'm sitting here alone with Emma and I can't focus because she's not the one I'm interested in.

How could I not have seen this sooner??

I sat there in silence for the rest of Emma's story. I ate my pizza, trying not to think about what I knew I needed to do next. When we both finished, we stood up and paid before leaving. I held the door for her as we walked out and over to the car. When we both got in, I turned to her. 

"Emma," I said. 

"Please don't say it," she said and I exhaled sharply. How did she know?

"I'm sorry," I said. "You're an amazing girl and I don't deserve you. I think we should just be friends... if that's okay with you."

She nodded, taking it well. "Well, I guess I should've seen this coming. You're a great guy, Dean. I hope she sees that."

I nodded before freezing. How did she know about my feelings for Lainey??

*** 

After my date with Emma, I dropped her off and drove straight to Mason's house. I needed some serious advice. 

When I pulled up to the gate, I got buzzed in and the gates opened. I drove through and parked near the circle fountain and got out. When I walked up the steps, Mason was already at the door waiting for me. He held the door open for me as I walked through, running my hand through my hair. I walked straight up to his room and paced back and forth as he came in, sitting onto his bad. 

"Dude, what's up with you?" Mason asked. 

I exhaled, running my hand through my hair. "I broke up with Emma."

His eyes went wide. "You did what?!" He asked.

"I couldn't do it. I just couldn't sit there anymore and waste her time when we both knew I wasn't into her that way," I said. 

"So, you broke up with her for Lana," Mason stated and I froze, turning to face him. 

I couldn't tell him the truth. I wasn't even sure if this was the best thing to do. I didn't want to ruin my friendship. What if she didn't feel the same?

"No, I just realized we didn't have as much in common as I thought we did," I lied.

Mason rose his eyebrow. "Dude, seriously?" He clearly didn't believe me. "When are you going to admit to me that you like Lana?"

"I... I can't. If I do that, then this all becomes too real and I can't risk it all for some stupid feelings," I said, running my hand through my hair. 

"Dude, I'm going to tell you this because you're my friend and I care," Mason said. "You have to man up and tell her."

"I can't! I don't want to ruin our friendship," I said.

"If you don't tell her, you're never going to get out of the friend-zone. Trust me dude, Lana's a hot commodity and if you don't do something soon, someone else will," Mason said. 

I froze, realizing he was right. 

Should I tell her?