The Square Root

~~Ryan POV~~

*PARTY*
I went on a walk with Trisha and we ended up near the garage, looking over the property. “Ryan, you need to set your priorities straight,” Trisha said, making me look at her. “I don’t know if I can still trust you. I don’t know if you and your bestfriend have something going on,” she told me sternly.

“What do you want me to do then?” I snapped.

“I want you to avoid socializing with her,” she said in that same tone.

“What? Are you fucking insane? You can't make me do that!” I boomed at her, and pacing, running my hands through my hair. At the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar figure and I guess Trisha saw it too, because she pulled on my collar and kissed me roughly. When Hazelyn disappeared, she rested her forehead against mine.

“You owe me, remember?” she whispered against my lips and kissed me again when an unfamiliar Mercedes drove by. The windows were heavily tinted, so I couldn’t see even the shadow of the driver.

The day after that, I explained to Hazelyn everything and she just shrugged it off. I guess she didn’t care. Then that means, I shouldn’t care either, right?

I was sitting in the café with Kyle, while Trisha was with Crystal and the girls for a squad lunch.

“Do you like Hazelyn?” I suddenly asked Kyle.

“Yeah,” he said with no hesitation.

“Why?”

He scoffed. “Question is, why not?” he smirked. Point taken. I just shrugged and we went on with our lunch, talking about the season and how we were going back to training in March.

Trisha has been hanging around with the cheerleaders lately, and she’s starting to lose weight - going on those crazy diets that the other cheerleaders are on. And I'm surprised that Crystal is befriending her. I guess it’s because they’re both in the same spot in the social pyramid now.

“Hey man, what happened to Hazelyn?” Daniel asked me one time at lunch, probably the second week I haven’t talked to Hazelyn.

“Just busy,” I told him, picking on my food.

“With what? What could you be so busy about that you can’t hang out with your girlfriend?” Heath teased. “I mean, it’s not even basketball season yet.”

“That’s what I’m busy about. I’m busy with my girlfriend.”

“What?” Daniel asked, very confused. “You can’t hang out with your girlfriend because you’re busy with your girlfriend? I don’t get you man. Are you two timing her?” he asked with a glare.

“No. Wait, rewind. You thought Hazelyn was my girlfriend?”

“Yeah. Duh,” Heath and Daniel told me as if it was the most obvious thing on the planet.

“She’s not my girlfriend. Trisha is.”

“Since when?” Heath asked.

“Since a few weeks ago?”

“And how does that connect with hanging out with Hazel?” Daniel asked.

“Well, Trisha thinks that we have something going on and you get the rest,” I shrugged.

“Listen man. You can't make Trisha tell you what to do. It makes you look like a sissy, and that’s worse than being whipped,” Daniel said shaking his head and stood up, walking away.

“I have to say he’s right man. And I liked Hazelyn better,” Heath said. “I’d look up to you if you were whipped for a right reason. But this is just wrong,” he added following after Daniel.

After another week, I was working on a drum piece with Hazelyn when I noticed something. “You’re not wearing the bracelet,” I pointed out. It hurt me, to be honest. I don’t know why, but it did. She just shrugged. I decided not to get on her nerves and push it. Plus , Trisha might start questioning me.

What the fuck did I just say? Am I really doing this?

Through those weeks, Trisha has been nagging and started being annoying. I would be playing Call Of Duty during the weekends, and she’d drag me out of the house. I’d be hanging out with my friends when she’d start guilt tripping me. I know, like most guys - we don’t pay attention to our girls when we’re out with our friends, but can you blame me? Sometimes I don’t know why I stay with her.

Did I just say that?

There was one weekend that I was having a guys night out and Trisha ahd been calling me, asking what time I’d be home and why I didn’t tell her about going out.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were going out? I went to your house, and your brother said you went out,” she bitched.

“I thought you were my girlfriend, not my mom,” I snapped, annoyed and hung up. Let’s just say, the next day didn’t go very well. Hazelyn wouldn’t have acted like that. She would’ve just told me to have fun. Hell, she would’ve been there playing with us, and probably be beating our assess and embarrassing us, wounding our manly egos. I smiled at the thought, when Heath smacked me.

“What man?” I snapped.

“You’re smiling like an idiot dude,” he chuckled.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. I really do miss Hazelyn.

Well, I had to pay Trisha back by helping her do her English project/report. Thursday night, I paid for that debt. We finished and ended up cuddling while watching a movie when I looked outside and noticed the raindrops rolling down on the glass of my window.

“It’s raining?” I asked more to myself.

“Yeah, I heard there was going to be thunderstorm,” she mumbled. I sighed.

“Damn it Hazelyn,” I thought to myself. “I’ll take you home,” I told her, getting up. She held me down.

“I can stay here, I’ll just call my mom,” she told me. “It’s already 3 am anyways, I’ll just go home early tomorrow for school,” she told me. “Plus, we can do a little something,” she smirked at me, tracing shapes on my chest.

“I’d rather you be at your house,” I told her. “Let’s go,” I said grabbing my jacket and ran to my car. We drove to her house in silence. I could tell she was pissed - but at the moment, I didn’t care. We got there and she didn’t budge.

“You’re going to Hazelyn aren’t you?” she asked me.

“Where would you get an idea like that?”

“I’m not an idiot nor am I deaf Ryan,” she sighed.

“Jr,” I automatically corrected.

She sighed exasperatedly. “I heard you earlier. You said her name,” she told me. I looked straight-ahead, avoiding eye contact. “You’re not denying it,” she stated. I just shrugged. No point anyways. “Do you like her?” she asked me.

“No. she’s my bestfriend,” I told her.

“Uhuh, bestfriend,” she muttered.

“I’m telling the truth,” I glared at her. “Bestfriends are supposed to be there for each other,” I told her. “You just need to trust me Trish,” I said sighing.

“Fine,” she said and got out. “You can go meet up with her tonight but I can't ensure this relationship will keep going,” she said to me. “Make the right choice.”

I felt like a ton of bricks just hit me, and felt like I hit the wall of realization. I did hear that threat, but with no second thought, I started driving down the route that I haven’t been on for three weeks. I parked in front of the familiar driveway - contemplating if I should go there, or if I should wait for her to call me? I walked up to the front, taking out my copy of the key and opened the door, running up the stairs towards her room. When I saw she wasn't there, I went to her recreational room and saw her huddled up in the corner - on her couch, her knees to her knees and trembling.

I quickly shrugged off my soaking jacket and ran to her, immediately hugging her. “Damn it Hazelyn. I’m sorry. Are you okay?” I asked.

“I. I don’t know,” she said, and another thunder roared, which made her clutch onto the front of my shirt tighter.

“Breath Haze. Breathe. I’m here beautiful. Relax,” I soothed. She nodded and breathed, relaxing onto me. It was nice being here with Hazelyn. I just realized how much I missed her. How much I used to annoy her every day and I remembered how on the first day of school - when she tried to get away, I got in her car not knowing if she was serious about leaving me in the middle of nowhere, but still trusted her.

I remembered how scared I was when I brought her to meet my mom, and how she’s all about formalities but at the same time, she doesn’t care what people think of her. I thought about how scared I was when she drove the LFA and realized it was the first time I’ve let anyone drive that car, even my brother has never touched it.

I looked back at her, a smile on my face and her breathing was shallow and at a steady pace, telling me that she was asleep. I listened to the music she had on blast.

Why do I keep running from the truth?
All I ever think about is you
You got me hypnotized, so mesmerized
And I just got to know

Do you ever think when you're all alone
All that we can be, where this thing can go?
Am I crazy or falling in love?
Is it really just another crush?

Do you catch a breath when I look at you?
Are you holding back like the way I do?
‘Cause I've tried and tried to walk away
But I know this crush ain’t going away-ay-ay
Going away-ay-ay

Has it ever crossed your mind
When we're hanging, spending time girl?
Are we just friends? Is there more? Is there more?


I furrowed my eyebrows at the lyrics. It was as if it was directed right at me and hit me right in the chest. I have to be honest, this girl drives me crazy.

I tried to shift our position to turn the music off so I could bring her to her room, she groaned calling out my name.

“I’m just going to turn off the music,” I told her, kissing her temple. She squeezed her eyes shut but let go slightly. I stood up and looked through her music library seeing that she had such random taste in music. I chuckled to myself and turned it off.

I carefully carried her to her room, making sure her head doesn’t hit the arch of the door and gently laid her on her bed, tucking her under the covers, then I took off my shoes, laying next to her and put my arms around her. She shifted, so that she was lying on my chest.

Why the hell is my heart beating so fast? I took a deep breath trying to slow it down, but it was not working. I'm just thankful she’s asleep. I absentmindedly started running my fingers through her hair which I haven’t seen out of that ponytail in close to a month. It was soft and silky, just like how it looked.

‘What am I talking about? You cannot be feeling this way towards her, she’s your god damn bestfriend, Dolciani

I shook my head, hoping that I could shake off the thoughts. I breathed in her scent and I smiled to myself. She smelled like a mixture of the Abercrombie store and strawberries. It was a mixture of the smell of comfort and danger - an addicting smell that you cannot get enough of. The kind of scent that you wouldn’t have a problem smelling forever. A little taste of heaven.

I fell asleep with a smile on my face, and woke up with my face on the floor.

~~Hazelyn POV~~

I screamed at the top of my lungs, pushing whoever it was away from me.

Shit, Kyle is going to flip. Damn it. My head!

I groaned, clutching my head in my hands.

“What the fuck?” said the voice, standing up. My eyes widened.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I asked him. and clutched my head in pain once again.

“God Hazelyn. Are you okay?” he asked climbing back on the bed, grabbing my wrist.

“Yeah, just fine,” I lied.

“God, what did I tell you about lying?” he asked, irritated.

“If you already know, why are you asking?!” I snapped at him, making him shut up. “What are you doing here?” I asked him.

“Do you not remember last night?” he asked. My eyes widened. “Oh god, not like that! You always take that sentence the wrong way,” he chuckled.

“No. Really,” I told him.

“There was a thunderstorm last night and yeah,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Huh?”

“I remembered you were scared of thunderstorms, so I checked on you,” he said.

That’s so sweet! No Hazelyn, you have a boyfriend, remember?

“I'll just leave if you want,” he said motioning towards the door.

“You really think I’d let you go without breakfast?” I asked him. He smirked at me. “I’m going to go take a shower and then, Uhh … we’ll get breakfast,” I told him. He nodded and I walked to the bathroom. I looked up at the mirror and screamed again, then groaned because of the terrible pain. Man, I thought the whole thing was all a dream.

Was the fast heartbeat a dream too? And the music that I heard in the background that made me smile? And the feeling that I didn’t want Ryan to let go of me? Damn it Hazelyn. You’re not starting to like your bestfriend. It’s wrong.

I heard furious knocking on the door. “Hazelyn! Are you okay?!”

“So loud! Shut up! Yes I’m fine!” I groaned and jumped in the shower.

I got dressed in something decent, my headache lessening by at most 25%, and walked outside to see a pissed off Ryan sitting on my computer chair, holding out the X-rated bottle from last night. I’m dead meat.

“What the fuck is this?” he asked me.

“A bottle?” I asked innocently.

“Were you drunk last night?” he asked.

“No,” I said. I didn’t know, but I guess lying wont hurt.

“What did I tell you about lying to me?”

I sighed. “I don’t know? Maybe. I didn’t remember you being there,” I muttered, sitting on the counter and clutched my head in my hands.

“Are you hung-over?”

“Maybe,” I sighed.

“You drank this whole thing by yourself?”

“No.”

“Why’s it empty?”

“I shared 2/3 of it with your sister 2 weeks ago,” I shrugged, pushing past him.

“What for?” he asked.

“Celebrated, I guess?” I told him, grabbing cereal from the cupboard.

“For?”

*Boyfriend Alert.
Boyfriend Alert.
I repeat, Boyfriend Alert*

I answered my phone. “Hello?”

“Hey cute stuff. Didn’t see yout his morning, are you okay?” Kyle asked.

“There’s school?! Crap!” I boomed. then groaned because of the pain. “I don’t think I’ll be there. I have a headache,” I told him.

“Okay, I’ll see you later Hazey,” he chuckled.

“Kyle, how many times do I have to tell you? It’s Hazelyn,” I sighed.

He sighed too. “Fine. So our dinner tonight’s cancelled then?” he asked, and I could hear the pout in his voice.

“Sorry cutie. I don’t think this headache will fix itself by tonight,” I sighed.

“Awh. Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Will do,” I nodded.

“”Bye,” he said and hung up. I put my phone down and looked at it, feeling guilty that it wasn’t him that I wanted to be while I was sick. It was like a punch to the gut. I liked him a lot, but sometimes I felt like its wrong to be with him.

There was a smack on the table in front of me and I flinched because of the headache and the surprise. “Drink it,” Ryan said and walked out.

I forgot that he was here. Did he hear anything that I said on the phone? I went after him. “What is your problem?” I asked him before he got in his car.

He turned back to me. “You have a boyfriend, and you didn’t tell me?” he snapped.

“Well, I didn’t know you were my dad that I had to tell everything to,” I snapped back. “And you’re the one that hasn’t been talking to me for the past few weeks. THREE weeks Dolciani. THREE weeks! So don’t you dare talk to me like that!”

“I don’t wanna fight with you right now, that hangover must be killing you,” he said and got in his car before I can stop him.

What the fuck?