Friend Zoned

nger a choice

nts to be with me. And that girl isn't Violet Winterfield. No matter how

I heard y

ed tan slacks and a crisp looking light blue button down. This is as casual as he gets. I don't think the guy owns a pair of jeans or ratty old gym shoes. His salt and pepper colored hair is shor

fixing something next door and thought I'd stop ov

rough everything that still needs to be accomplished for the day. I think he honest

ross the country on a redeye. And the constant campaign strategy sessions don't seem to be a problem. He loves holding town hall meetings and speaking with constituents. Instead of buckling under the stress and strain that comes with being a

urns to my mom. "You'll

ving me a look. "A

good sport about attending because they're unavoidable. I

ill you guy

four hours

see if Violet wants to stick around for th

ey adore Violet. Especially Ari. S

e?" I'm teas

rt

hakes her head. "Ne

d shoot Violet a text. Within moments, she fires back a reply. She's finished w

to Dad when he says, "Mom said

densed version of the highl

aks out across his face as he booms, "Mike! Thanks for getting back to me so quickly." There's a pause before he says, "I know, I know. T

him. He'll probably stay holed up in the study until it's time to leave for the fundraiser. Silently, my ga

p but feel

ith the choices she's made in life and how everything turned out. Sure, she has three healthy kids, a nice home, and a comf

rty percent to the person I've chosen to spend the rest of my life with. What sucks is that when I envision my future, it's Violet who I think about. I h

ri and Gavin are supposed to arrive home. Since Gavin is fourteen and a good kid

y wood flooring. Almost comically, Gavin screeches to a halt when he s

re you doing

too, dude," I s

ut of his eyes until I'm able

e

t another inch and his hair now resembles a mop. Albeit a perfectly tousled one, which mak

ct the opposite sex has on guys

y chin toward his head.

g to be broad just like I am. He might find himself playing defense rather than QB wh

s face. "He hates it, but

ips

for

he payroll. What I can and can not do has been hammered into my head from a young age. Especially during an election cycle

o keep a low pro

ity to be perfect all the time, afraid to make the tiniest mistake or take a misstep,

ghts, I tell him, "Lo

ore catching sight of the white card

you ordered ku

ve I seriously bee

before grabbing a pl

hen I hear the front door open

with us, and S

rospect. It only makes me feel guilty for

us until six o'cl

lowed up with another question. "C

out some of those fancy hairstyle v

s at the sound o

ther, she's grown, too. Sheesh. The pair of them are like weeds. She all but launches herself at me and like alway

n and Ari as if they were her own. And I know they feel the same about her. Ari thinks of her as the sister she never had. Even though I realize that n

hate how unsettled the notion makes me feel when I dwell on the future. What I hate

ff living h

be doing