Satellite.

I walked into the crowded house party. I there was a mixture of perfumes, sweat, and alcohol in the air. Those smells always let you know that it was going to be a good party. I walked into the crowded kitchen to find a bunch of guys crowded around the with beers in there hands.

“Austin.” One of them yelled. I looked to see John with a smirk on his face and a beer in his hand.

“Do you have one of those for me?” I asked pointing to the Bud Light in his hand.

“Of course.” He said reaching into the fridge behind him and handing me one.

“Thanks.” I said walking out into the living room looking for a certain person. I scanned the room looking for a pair of familiar blue is eyes.

I shoved my way through the crowd looking everywhere for her. She told me she would be here. She had never lied to me before, but for some reason I felt like she might have blew me off.

I walked into the empty backyard to find her sitting on the edge of the pool with her long pale legs dangling in the water. I couldn’t help but lick my lips at the sight of her bare legs. I smirked as I saw her press a beer bottle to her lips.

Cali was many things and I felt like I learned something new about her every time I saw. She was a girly girl to the core, but could still drink beer and hang with the guys. She was so proper but at the same time had the mouth of a sailor. Everything about the girl just seemed to turn me on for some reason.

“Mind if I join you?” I asked slipping my shoes off.

“Be my guest Mr. Gibbs.” She said looking up at me.

I rolled my tight pant legs as far as they would possibly go up. I sat down next to her and watched her as she moved her legs in the cool water. She bit her bottom lip softly as if she was concentrating on the water.

“I thought you blew me off of a little while there.” I said watching her as she messed with her messy hair.

“Have I ever blown you off before?” She asked smirking.

“No you haven’t.” I slowly took a drink of my beer as I continued to watch her move her legs in the water. “Cali why are you outside alone?”

“I did feel like being inside.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “It was too crowded for my liking.”

“Cali do you want to get out of here?”

“Yeah that would be nice.” She said standing up.

We both put are shoes on quickly. I rolled my damp pant legs down as she adjusted her shorts. I loved when she wore shorts; they showed of her long legs.

“Let’s go.” I said reach and lacing my fingers with her cold ones.

We pushed our way through the crowd till we made our way out front. She looked around curiously at all the cars. “If you’re looking for my truck, it’s not here.” I said walked towards the sidewalk.

“How did you get here?” She asked.

“I got dropped off.” I smiled. “How did you get here?” I asked.

“I came here with Maria.”

“And where is Maria?” Maria was Cali’s roommate. She was always at parties with Cali. When I originally met Cali it was after I was trying to hook up with Maria. Things with me and Maria just didn’t work out and I ended up becoming friends with Cali.

“Let’s walk to my place.” I said leading her down the sidewalk towards my house that was about five minutes away.

“Austin why are we going back to your place?” She asked after we walk in silence for a few minutes.

“I don’t know to watch a movie or something.”

As we walked in comfortable silence I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if I asked her on a date. Everyone always assumed me and Cali were a couple based on the fact that we always were at parties together. Before I met Cali I would go to parties with the goal of trying to find a girl to take home, but then I started going to parties with Cali. Whenever I went with her I never had a desire to hook up with another girl. I would rather spend time with her then some easy girl at a party.

“What are you thinking about?” She asked.

“Nothing.” I lied. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her I was thinking about if she would say yes to going on a date with me.

“Okay.” She said looking at the ground. Cali was never one to push me when I didn’t want to talk about something. She knew when I wanted to talk about it I would.

I think the main reason I wouldn’t ask her was because I didn’t want to ruin my friendship with her. I also think it was because deep down inside I knew our relationship wouldn’t work. I knew if we did date that some how I would mess our relationship up, like I did all my other ones. I was never one to have a long term girlfriend. I got bored easily, also with me touring I didn’t have time for them. The only girl I truly did make time for was Cali, and I felt like I didn’t even see her enough.

The night went on with Cali and I watching a few movies and drinking a few beers. When two am rolled around both Cali fell asleep on my shoulder, shortly after her I felt my eyes grow too heavy to keep open.

I leaned against the counter with a beer in my hand. Cali was busy at work making cookies. Every time I went over to her house she was always cooking or baking something, and this time was no different.

I watched her as she focused on mixing the cookie dough. I couldn’t help but think how cute she looked as she focused on mixing. “So what type of cookies are you making me?” I asked before taking another drink of my beer.

“I’m making chocolate chip cookies, and who says you’re getting any?” She said with a huge smile on her face. She bit her lip trying to look as serious as possible.

“Well that’s mean.” He said reaching over and poking her side.

“And you poking my side was just as mean.” She giggled before taking the beer out of my hand. She wasted no time taking a big drink.

“Well you just stole my beer, that wasn’t nice by any means.” I said trying not to laugh.

“I’m making you cookies, the least you could do was share your beer.” She said handing me back my beer.

“Oh so you admit you are making me cookies.” I said hoping up on the counter.

“Shut up.” She said as she went back to mixing the dough.

“Ouch that was mean.” I said snickering. I loved getting her frustrated it was just too fun.

“You should know by now I’m mean.” She just shook her head as she poured the chocolate chips into the bowl. “How long have you known me now?” I slow stuck her finger in the bowl grabbing some of the dough on her finger. She smiled before she stuck in her month. She had a huge smile on her face as she ate the cookie dough.

“When did I meat Maria?” I asked referring back to the fact that the only reason me and Cali were friends was because I was trying to hook up with Maria. It turned out we had no chemistry.

“That was the summer of oh nine you tried to get in her tight skinny jeans.” She snickered. She knew me all to well.

“Hey I wanted a relationship, but she didn’t.”

“Austin Gibbs in a relationship. Ha don’t make me laugh.” She said mocking me.

“Hey I’ve been in a relationship before.” I said getting off the counter.

“I don’t doubt you have, I’m just saying that you don’t do relationships now.” She smirked as she looked down at the pan she was now putting balls of cookie dough on.

“I could be in a relationship if I wanted to be.” I said walking over to the sink and washing my hands. Without any hesitation I started helping her put the cookie dough into balls.

“Okay sure you could, but you are way too busy hanging out with me to have a girlfriend.” She said looking up at me and smiling.

“So you admit you would be jealous if I had a girlfriend?” I wanted her to admit out loud that she didn’t want me to have a girlfriend.

“I’m not in the mood to share my best friend with another girl right now.” She said laughing.

“You don’t have to worry about sharing me anytime soon.”

“Good.”

I woke up in the morning to find Cali gone. I walked into the kitchen to find John sitting at the kitchen table with a bowl of fruity pebbles in front of him as he sat only in his boxers. “If you’re wondering when she left, she left when I got up like twenty minutes ago.” He said before take a large bite of cereal.

“I can’t say I’m shocked she left she does have work today.” I said reaching in the refrigerator and pulling out a bottle of water.

“Are you ever going to get the balls to ask that girl out?” John said before taking the last bite of his cereal.

“Honestly probably not.” I said walking over and sitting across from him at the table.

“What happened to Austin the ladies man?” He asked laughing before putting his bowl in the sink.

“I’m telling you now you better wash that bowl.” I said dodging the question. I didn’t want to tell him that Cali changed me. It wasn’t that she change me for the worse, really she changed me for the better.

“I am, now answer the question, what happened to Austin the ladies man?” He said washing his bowl and spoon.

“Nothing happened to me I’m the same Austin.”

“Well I don’t remember the last time a random girl walked out our front door.” John said sitting down across from me again.

“So what I’m not hooking up with random girls?” I felt the need to get defensive. I didn’t like the fact he was pointing out that I was changing for Cali.

“I can tell you, you are not hooking up with random girls anymore because of Cali.” I knew he was right. “Austin you are pretty much in love with the girl, but you don’t have the balls to do anything about it.” He hit the nail right on the head.

“It’s best if things stay the way they are.” I didn’t deny my feeling for her to him.

“Just ask her out.”

“I’m not going to ruin my relationship with her, things are best the way they are.” I said grabbing my water off the table.

“Dude you are fucking stupid, she obviously likes you too.” I was never one-hundred percent of her feeling for me. There were times when I thought she really liked me, and then I thought there were times when she only saw me as a friend.

“Doesn’t matter I don’t want to ruin my relationship with her.”

“One day you are going to lose your chance to be with her.” He was telling me something I already knew.

“I just feel like no matter what a happily ever after with her is just out of reach.” I said standing up.

“Because you are making it out of reach.” He said as I pulled my cell phone out of my front pocket. I saw I had a new text from Cali.

From: Cali
Sorry I left w/o telling you. I had work this morning.

“It’s for the best.” I said walking out of the kitchen.

It had been a month since I had talked to John about Cali. Since then I had almost asked her on a date twice. Both times I somehow talked myself out of it. I had convinced myself that it was a bad idea.

I walked down the hall towards Cali’s apartment. I knocked on the door and wait for either her or Maria to answer the door. I smiled when a smiling Cali opened the door.

“Austin do you want to help me make cookies?” She asked walking inside signaling me to follow her inside.

“I hope by help you mean sit on the counter and drink a beer.” I said following her into the kitchen.

“Of course.” She said reaching into the fridge and pulling the beer out and handing it to me.

“So why are you making cookies?” I asked hoping up on the counter.

“I’m making them for Leighton.”

“Is she hot?” I asked smiling.

“Leighton is a boy.” She said concentrating on the mixing.

“What makes Leighton so special that he is getting my cookies?” I asked almost jealous.

“Well I’m making them for our fifth date.” She said it as if it was no big deal.

“Why am I just now hearing about this guy?” I was completely caught off guard. I didn’t even know about dates one through four.

“I told you at the beginning of the month that I was going out with Leighton.”

“I thought you were going out with another girl.”

“Are you jealous?” She asked smiling.

“No.” I lied. I was completely jealous, because I was too scared to ask her out she was now dating some other guy. She was making cookies for another guy. I didn’t want to share her with any one.

“Okay whatever you say.” I didn’t know what to say anymore, because I was too afraid I could have possible lost her.

“You know just because I’m seeing someone else doesn’t mean I’m going to quit hanging out with you. You are still my best friend.” She said looking away from the bowl.

“I know that.”

“So don’t be jealous.” She said resting her hand lightly on my knee.

“I’ll try my hardest not to be.” Once again I lied. No matter what I was going to be jealous of this guy or any other guy who dated her.

“I’m glad you are my best friend.” It was at that moment I realized no matter what I was probably going to always be in the friend’s zone with her, and it was probably for the best I would rather be in the friend zone then not have her at all.

“I’m glad you are my best friend too.” I said mustering up the best smile I could. I took another drink of my beer as I continued to watch her make cookies.

Things happen for a reason and maybe her being this Leighton was for the best. Maybe he was there so I wouldn’t hurt her. This was just proving my theory that maybe we are just not meant to be together.