Antagonize Me by T.l Smith

crinkles as he looks at me.
    “Yes, I think I do,” I tell him honestly.
    “Am I too late?” he asks, looking at the ground and kicking something imaginary on the floor.
    “You're my friend, Tanner. You had your chance. Hell, you had more than one chance. Why now? Why wait until I am seeing someone?” I can't believe I just admitted that to him, let alone asked him.
    “I don’t know. Fuck!” He runs a hand through his short hair. “I’m happy with Katrina, I just don’t know what I’m doing,” he says and I look up to see Kyrone’s pickup truck park at the front. My heart is beating heavily. He’s happy with her but wanted to kiss me because I'm seeing someone else? It's like a stab in the gut. I walk out without looking back or saying a word to him.
     

 
     

    I’m furious and my heart is beating like crazy. I’m enraged that it took this long for Tanner to show an interest in me and that he has now actually admitted it to me. I'm angry because of my feelings for Kyrone, of which, I have no idea what they are. Most of all, I'm upset with myself for allowing myself to get in this position in the first place. I wish I had just stuck to being alone because I don’t need all this drama while I wait to hear about a job I applied for last week in New York. I don’t want all this drama when I am planning to move. The boys will go on and get drafted if they haven’t been already. Tanner will marry Katrina because they’re a perfect match. Kyrone will more than likely go on and sleep with everything that has a nice rack and ass.
    My head is going crazy and I feel like it's about to explode any moment now from all the thoughts crashing through my brain. Kyrone meets me at the doors and looks at me, but doesn’t say anything. I watch as he stares behind me to where Tanner is standing and his face is tight, like he’s trying to stop himself from exploding. He grabs me by the arm and takes me to his car. He opens the door and I climb in.
    “Take me home,” is all I manage to say. I don’t talk for the rest of the drive, as I’m too scared to form words. I’m afraid I’ll say something I may regret, like the fact that I’m thinking about Kyrone all the time. Which wouldn’t be good for either of us. He isn’t the relationship type. Hell, I’m not even sure I am.
    I feel his eyes on me a few times as we drive. I don’t look at him and I don’t pay attention to our surroundings until we come to a stop at the football field where they practice. I look at him and notice he’s already getting out. Walking around to my side of the car, he opens my door, but I don’t move as I look up at him.
    “This is not my home,” I spit out. He smiles softly and starts walking away, leaving the door open. I get out and follow him onto the field, watching as he grabs the training bags and starts punching them. He turns when he hears me behind him.
    “Your turn.” He steps aside and holds the bag up.
    “What?” I have no idea what he’s talking about.
    “You're angry, I can see it in your eyes, and the way your sweet mouth is pulled together so tight. Now, hit the bag, Smurf,” he mocks me. I walk up and hit it. Not very hard, but he’s right, it does feel good. I do it again and start to take my frustration out on it.
    “Now take a few steps back and tackle it,” he says, still holding the bag in his hands.
    “I'm not tackling it, you idiot,” I huff out at him.
    He sighs and looks at me. “Just do it, Smurf.”
    “Stop calling me that,” I reply, then take a few steps back and run up to the bag. As I get there, he lets the bag drop and before I can stop myself, I end up knocking myself and Kyrone over, landing on his hard torso. He laughs and I try to stand up, but his hands make their way to my side and he tickles me until I start laughing. “Stop!” I try to say in between breaths and my constant laughter.
    I hit him and he stops and grabs hold of my face. I think he’s going to kiss me for a