Conversations easier said than done

 

Brick couldn't face Harley's text, "Where are you?"

Of course, he was at basketball practice, if not that, the gym. He was either running outdoors or on the treadmill, and it wasn't even basketball season yet. It felt a lot like global warming. Except, it was all basketball and it was beating him down.

He didn't want to say he was depressed, but he wasn't happy, either.

"You'll be OK," Oliver texted him every day. "You got this."

Did he? Brick didn't think so. And then late one night Lily texted him. He felt he might be drowning. She was on the brink of getting married.

"How is that possible?" He instantly shot back. She hadn't been in Chicago that long.

"I know," she'd text back. "It's all moving so fast."

"Well, slow down." What else could he text back? 

"What are you doing right now?"

"Trying to sleep," he wished he had turned on his Do Not Disturb, but he forgot. He felt he was forgetting a lot of things these days...like Harley.

Now he didn't want to talk to her. She was always checking up on him as if he was first grader at summer camp and that put him off. Why was she like this? 

Meanwhile, he was reminiscing with Lily about the good old days when they used to take off on their old bikes and get into heaps of trouble. Was that so awful?

"You don't know what's going on?" Mercer found him on campus one day as if he were looking for him.

"What's going on?"

"It's Kimmy."

Mercer looked at him a little bug-eyed. "Even Izzy called you about it."

"Well, I blocked her," Brick shrugged about the matter. Izzy was Harley's friend, not his.

"Brick I'm beginning to think you are real prick." Mercer crossed his arms as if he had problem with his old high school mate.

Brick rolled his eyes at that and went on as if he didn't have time for this shit.

"Kimmy's gone missing, and Harley's been there for Raney. His mom passed away." Mercer practically yelled. 

It only left Brick in a pout. He didn't even turn back to look at Mercer.

"Is that what you really want?" Mercer shouted again. But Brick kept on walking. He couldn't be late for class. When he did look back, Mercer was already gone.