Damaged Souls (Broken Man) - By Christopher Scott Page 0,4

crush on her from the day they met in middle school, Delaney already mature and stunning while he was just a short, awkward, braces wearing kid trying to recover from the loss of his father.

He didn’t know her well at first. They only had one class together as sixth graders, fortunately it was math. It wasn’t her best subject and a couple times he had helped her with her work during quiet study time. Even now, he remembered the way she would twirl her long blonde hair around her fingers as she struggled with concepts that came so easily to him.

But, math was the only subject where she came up short. A great student and an even nicer person, everyone liked her and every boy in the school had a crush on her. There had simply been no way for Greg to compete, and he had quickly fallen into the dreaded friend zone.

“What are you doing, Greg,” the sound of her voice snapped him out of his trance. “Am I going to have to serve every drink.”

“I’m sorry,” he apologized and smiled sheepishly. “Just fell asleep for a second.”

“Well, wake up now,” Delaney replied as she smiled back at him. “I have to run inside for a minute.”

“Okay,” Greg managed to mutter as he admired her perfect figure walking away and returned to his thoughts.

I guess it’s not so bad being friends, he remembered how she always treated him normally when the other kids subconsciously ignored him for the first few months after his father’s death. She would never know how much it meant to him during that difficult time, and he had returned the favor when Delaney finally returned to school after her own mother’s tragic death at the hands of a drunk driver.

And while they never really talked about their parents’ deaths, it formed a bond between them that would never be broken. They had been best friends for the last five years and did everything together. They studied together, babysat for Logan together, worked at the same job bussing tables at Jack’s hotel, they would even be going to the same university together in the fall. There was nothing they didn’t do together. Well, almost nothing.

“Everything going okay,” Delaney asked as she returned to behind the bar and poured a bucket of ice into the well.

“Everything is good,” he replied and tried to show he was paying attention. “Looks like the party is winding down.”

“It does,” she drove him crazy as she tied her hair up with a rubber band, exposing her neck and well toned arms. “You’re staying for dinner, right.”

“Yeah, Amanda invited me,” he sensed an opportunity that probably wasn’t there. “Maybe we can catch a movie this afternoon.”

“That sounds great,” Delaney quickly lifted his hopes before just as quickly deflating them. “Logan has been wanting to see that new Disney movie, we can take him to see that.”

“Sounds good,” Greg replied as he quietly slid back into that dreaded friend zone.

* * *

“Delaney, Delaney, throw me in the pool one more time.”

“Okay, Logan, one more time,” Delaney agreed as she picked him up. “But then we have to help Greg clean up.”

“Okay, Delaney,” he responded excitedly as she knew he was ignoring her.

“Are you ready.”

“I’m ready,” she heard his r’s come out like w’s and started to swing him behind her.

“One, two, three,” they counted down together.

Logan splashed into the pool for what must have been the tenth time that afternoon. He certainly doesn’t need any more sugar, Delaney smiled as she watched him bubble to the surface, his cute little floaties aiding the process.

“That was your best one yet, bud,” she complimented him as he looked at her for approval.

“Thanks, Delaney,” she could tell how proud he was as he paddled to the edge of the pool. “Can we do it one more time.”

“Greg needs our help, honey,” Delaney let him down easily as she helped him out of the pool and wrapped a towel around him. “Don’t forget, we are going to the movies in a little while. Why don’t you run inside and have Mommy help you get ready.”

“Okay, Delaney,” he obeyed as he dropped his towel to the patio and turned to run inside.

Delaney smiled as she watched Logan run towards the screen door. He really is the little brother I always wanted. It’s nice spending so much time with him now that I live with Jack and Amanda.

It really just makes sense for me to live here, Delaney thought