Betrayal in the Friend Zone

The few weeks flew past, Maryse barely had any time to come see Joe, he and Andy have patched up their friendship slightly and they started to hang out again. Joe and Andy was in the park, tossing an old football around when it occurred to Joe that it was only two days before Maryse’s departure to college and from the way she was running around he probably wouldn’t get to say goodbye. Distracted by the thought, the casually tossed football almost hit him against the head, only his fast reflexes and Andy’s warning shout prevented that. Picking up the ball, he tossed it back, Andy caught it and walked closer,

“You OK there Joe? You seem distracted.”

Joe shrugged,

“Just thinking about Reese Antman, I haven’t seen her for longer than an hour since the dance.”

Andy shrugged,

“She had a lot of things to sort out since the last college fell through, turned out to be some sort of sham. I did hear her say that everything seemed sorted yesterday, she would most probably want to see you today, I know how you two lovebirds like to hang around each other.”

Joe chuckled,

“If I had the hot sister and you were the new boyfriend I would be happy.”

Andy placed a hand on Joe’s shoulder,

“But I am happy bro, glad you finally got a girl and that she seem to have found a very stable guy to hang out with. Or at least as stable as us football types can get.”

Joe laughed along with Andy and shoved his friend against the shoulder,

“Give me that pig skin and let’s see if you can still do the Red sixty six.”

Andy snorted and flipped the ball towards Joe, Joe crouched and shouted,

“Red sixty six! Red sixty six! Ready! Hike!”

He took four steps back, pulled back and threw, now Andy who seemed slow when he walked and even at times when he talked, was no slouch in the running department, in fact he held various track records and he proved this as he caught the hard thrown ball after a double swerve at about sixty yards. The two threw up their arms in celebration,

“Whoohoo! The Ant still has it!”

Andy did a silly little robot dance and Joe was laughing at him, the sudden squeeze of his right buttock almost made him jump out of his skin,

“Wha…!”

He turned to find Maryse standing behind him, dressed in a fluffy white jersey, blue jeans and faux fur-lined boots that came up to her calves and wearing a huge grin,

“Hey there stud.”

He broke into a grin and enveloped her in a tight hug, one which she returned, only to tap his back after a few moments, he released her and she gasped for breath, giving him a small grin,

“Wow, you really take this leaving a girl breathless way too seriously.”

He smiled and pulled her into another hug, kissing her gently, a kiss she gladly returned and then settled into his arms,

“Hmm, I missed you soooo much.”

He kissed the top of her head,

“I missed you just as much.”

He looked over at the approaching Andy, who wore a huge smile, that smile told him everything,

“Did you…?”

She chuckled and nodded,

“Had to make sure it’s a surprise, by the way, he owed me.”

“I’m just glad you’re here.”

“Me too.”

She released him and turned in his embrace, leaning back against Joe to look at her brother as he drew close, then she clapped her hands,

“Gimme”

Andy frowned and then realized she meant the ball and tossed it underhand at her, she caught it and bobbed it from one hand to the other, her volleyball skills on display as she kept the oval ball airborne for a while and then tossed it back at Andy. Andy on the other hand tossed it right back and she caught it again, chuckling,

“You’re getting slow little brother.”

Andy stuck out his tongue at her at the three of them laughed and Maryse looked up at Joe,

“Come on, let’s toss the pig around a bit, like when you two were small and always pestered me to play along.”

Andy interjected,

“I can’t remember that you ever did.”

Maryse glared at him and Joe chuckled,

“Unfortunately I’m with Ant on that one babe, I can’t remember one time either.”

She chuckled and tossed the ball at Andy,

“There’s always a first time.”

It seemed like a good idea, but Joe was reluctant to let go of her, pretty soon they were tossing the ball at each other, chatting as they did so. Joe had to admit that he couldn’t remember the last time they spent this sort of time together, but it was fun and relaxing. Andy left an hour later to catch the premiere of a new series that he had his eye on, this left Joe and Maryse sitting on a park bench, or basically he sat and she sat on his lap, laying against his chest.

“It seems like you and Andy have sorted out a few things.”

She nodded and smiled slightly,

“It was a very intense conversation, he’s still a bit jumpy about it, but I think he knows how wrong it was and is rather trying to put it behind him and work on it not happening again.”

She glanced up at him,

“Probably went a bit easier for you two?”

Joe shrugged,

“Once he started to talk, yes. Despite it all he remains my best friend, even though I did wish to wring his neck. It seems that he is sincerely sorry about it.”

She snuggled up against him,

“That is good, I like the new Andy, a lot like the old one, without the attitude.”

Joe chuckled,

“Was it that bad?”

She nodded,

“At times it was yes.”

Joe raised a hand to brush over her hair, it was tied back in a pony tail and he just ran his fingers over her scalp and then through the soft silky threads that hung down her back. He guessed that by now when they hung loose they would reach half-way down her back. She sighed contentedly at his touch and they sat in communal silence for a while,

“Joe?”

“Hmm?”

“Take me home.”

He was puzzled at this,

“OK sure”

She slid from his lap and he got up, taking her hand he headed in the same direction Andy took, only to have her pull him back and point into another direction, he looked at her and then in the direction her hand pointed, that was the way back to his home.

“Ah…that home.”

She nodded with a smile and they left the park, chatting idly about the weather and the football season. When they got home, both his parents was out, she led him straight to his room and sat down on his bed, she started pulling off her boots,

“Uhm Reese, shouldn’t I like close the door?”

She looked up at him and chuckled,

“Nope, we’re going to watch movies, I want to relax a bit with my boyfriend and if I fall asleep it should preferably be in a bed, not on a park bench.”

He smiled,

“And you were going to tell me this when?”

She shrugged,

“Dunno, just did, not get that sexy ass in gear, I haven’t watched any of the new releases that you and Andy have hoarded.”

Joe smiled and went over to his laptop, connecting it to the television mounted on the wall, then he selected the new movies that she mentioned and turned to find her slipping out of her jeans, she already have gotten rid of her jersey, underneath she wore a thin t-shirt, and he could clearly see that she had nothing under that and as her jeans pooled at her feet, he had to stare at her as she stood next to his bed in dark blue hot pants and the light blue t-shirt. She got under the covers and smiled at him,

“Come on slow poke.”

He chuckled, slipped out of his sneakers and socks, his jacket and jeans followed, leaving him in a white t-shirt and grey boxers. He got into bed with her, by now the media player on the laptop had done it’s pre-caching and the first movie started to play on the television screen. Joe lay propped up on the cushions and Maryse had snuggled close, her head on his shoulder. It was like this that his mother found them and with a smile left, the fact that she didn’t greet Maryse meant that during one of the movies she had nodded off, Joe didn’t want to disturb her and was surprised when she stirred two movies later and looked up at him blinking,

“I nodded off…”

He chuckled and kissed her gently,

“You slept busy bee, you missed two movies.”

She pulled a face and stifled a yawn behind a hand,

“Mmm, must be all the running around and not getting any… Vitamin Joe.”

She waggled her eyebrows at him with a naughty grin, grinning back, he playfully tapped her on the nose,

“What will your excuse be after four months?”

She groaned and collapsed against him,

“Don’t remind me.”

She turned her attention to the new movie,

“How far in is this one?”

“About six minutes.”

She sniffed,

“Well I think we will be fed when it finishes, I smell food.”

He sniffed and through her perfume and shampoo smell he actually caught a whiff of seasoning,

“Yeah seems like it.”

She settled in against him again and sighed,

“This is so nice you know? First time I ever fell asleep like this.”

He settled into the cushions and watched the screen,

“Must be because you know you can trust me.”

She chuckled softly,

“More like I know I’m safe with you.”

Her hand found his under the covers and their fingers intertwined, linking them together. It turned out that Maryse had the timing for the call for supper right,

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THE END