Jared was laying on his bed throwing a baseball up in the air when Selena walked in.

"There you are, where have you been lately?" She complains as she sits down at his desk looking at him.

He doesn't say anything but stares up at the ceiling throwing his ball. She was worried about him. It's been two weeks since Mila and Evan told everyone they were together, officially. And Jared...well he went into silent mode ever since then. They all still hung out together, it was just their conversations were limited where Jared was concerned. He only spoke when either asked a question or when someone said his name. Other than that he doesn't say much else.

He stopped putting his own opinions in or thoughts, and he didn't join in anymore It was downright depressing. Selena felt for her brother, knowing he was hurting inside. She would be in a dark mood too if she had to watch her best friend be with the person she was in love with.

She sighs when he doesn't answer and turns to look at the papers splayed all over his desk instead. Sitting right in front of her was a packet that read, "Project Three: Hypothesis on Memory Interactions of the Brain." Opening it she looks to see nothing was worked on and the pages completely blank. Frowning she looks to see when the due date of the assignment was just to have her eyes widen to see it was due tomorrow.

This was more serious than she thought. Jared never missed a deadline for homework. Getting up she goes to sit on the bed that was used for Evan most nights and stares at him.

"Jared, you need to talk about this." She states only to still not receive a single reply.

Sighing again she grabs the pillow and throws it at him to get his attention causing him to miss the ball that he had thrown up just in that moment, hitting him in the face.

"Ow! What the hell Sel?!" He barks at her, looking pissed as he rubs his cheek where it landed.

"Answer me!" She barks back hotly, getting angry at his silence.

"There isn't anything to talk about! It's done, there's nothing I can do, there's nothing you can do! So, what's the point?!" He sits up on the bed and faces her.

"You didn't even try!" She yells at him, starting to get angry herself.

"Why should I? It's obvious on who she likes and wants to be with. And it isn't me! It's just better to leave it at that!" He gets up and walks away from her

"So, you're not going to say or do anything?" She scoffs wanting to slap him behind the head for being such an idiot.

Opening his bedroom door he looks at her. "I'm not going to lose my best friend over something that's not going to happen. Just let it go Sel." He walks out leaving her alone in his room.

Sighing in defeat, knowing things couldn't just end like this she leans over to his nightstand and picks up his cordless phone and dials a number she knew by heart.

***

Mila was sitting in the swing in Selena's backyard looking out at the pond down below. It was beginning to get really cold as the weather had changed into the fall season. The trees were almost completely bare getting themselves ready for the upcoming winter. She was waiting out here hoping to get the chance to talk to Jared.

She needed to know if he knew what was going on with Evan lately.

When they first started going out everything seemed to be going okay. She found that Evan liked to touch a lot and sometimes it became a little too overwhelming for her at times. It wasn't that she didn't like him touching her it was just she knew she wasn't quite ready for that next step. Especially when they haven't been going out for very long.

Evan had been so eager to tell everyone about them being together it almost felt like he was trying to rub it in for some reason. He was always holding her hand which was fine, but she couldn't help getting a bit annoyed that he constantly wanted to hold her hand whenever they were together. Like he was afraid if he let her go she was going to run away or something.

But what she really didn't like was how possessive he was becoming. Always by her side, every time another boy talked to her he always threw his arm around her shoulders pulling her close as if to state his dominance. Almost the same way when Jared would stare down at any guy who showed any interest in her. It was becoming very annoying.

He was always asking where she was going, who she was going to be with, and he was always texting her on his new flip phone he got recently, even though they would be sitting right next to each other. She didn't know what to expect in a relationship and she honestly didn't know it was going to be this troublesome. The past few days Evan had been acting weird too. He seemed preoccupied more than usual by something and every now and then she would catch him staring at her with a somber look on his face.

If anything he became even more possessive with her. Coming to her house every day, calling her every hour, that he could, and it was beginning to freak her out. So, she made a decision but wanted a second opinion and Jared was the only one who could help her. Besides, not wanting to admit it, she missed him even though she saw him all the time.

He seemed to have changed as well. They don't argue anymore, they even barely talk to each other she never thought she would miss his crazy big brother protectiveness over her. And frankly she just wanted to see him. She turned when she heard the back door being open to see him walking out. At first he didn't see her and stopped dead when he did.

She stood up from the swing. "Hey, I was waiting for you." She says and blushed on how that must have sounded.

"Is that so? Why is that?" he asks taking her whole profile in.

She was too damn beautiful for her own good. And anger rose in him that she wasn't his, could never be his. She stood there in her gray coat, black gloves, skinny jeans with brown leather boots that were mid-calf. Her hair was down in her wonderous thick curls.

"I need to talk to you about Evan." She tells him.

He wanted to walk away from the conversation already but stood his ground at the note in her voice. Something was wrong and he couldn't help the burst of happiness at that thought flare within him.

He didn't say anything and just walked over to the swing and sat dawn. She sat down next to him and together they looked down out at the pond watching a pair of old people feeding the ducks. Jared waited patiently for Mila to start and was completely cut off guard at what came out.

"I'm going to break up with Evan." She looks at him then. "He's being to clingy and possessive and well honestly, I don't... oh I don't know... I guess I thought it would have been something wonderful and it's not. Not for me anyways" she looks back at the pond.

"Why are you telling me all this?" He asks her.

He wondered if he should just tell her how he felt and see what would happen. But then he thought better of it. She's not going to want a confession when she's talking about a breakup with his best friend.

"Because you're like a brother to him and I need some advice on whether if this is the right choice"

He looks away, torn between wanting to convince her to leave Evan but then Evan was his best friend and knew he liked Mila a great deal.

"He's been acting really weird lately and I'm not sure if he sometimes is really with us. Something is bothering him, and I don't know what, so I was hoping you might know." She tells him with a look.

Hoping for him to give her a solid reason for her choice which ever that really may be.

"I've noticed it too but honestly since you two get together he hasn't been staying here much. In fact the past week he hasn't been here at all." Which was fine with him.

Truthfully he needed his space right now and not a damn constant reminder of his anger. He never thought he would be so glad to have him gone out of his house for a while.

"Really? He told me he's never been away for more than three days from here. He said you wouldn't allow it."

He doesn't say anything to that for it was true. He hated being anywhere near that place. It was disgusting and unhealthy. Evan definitely didn't need to be in that environment especially with the type of people that hang around there. Mila was making him feel bad. Maybe he should have went to his house to check up on him, get over his jealously, and bring him back to the house.

"Look Mila, about your earlier question, I really can't give you any advice about that. It conflicts with what I really think, and I don't believe that's fair to either one of you. And as for what's going on with Evan, I really can't say because I don't know. Whatever it is, it's obvious he wants to figure it out himself." He made his speech while looking out at the old couple that was still at the pond.

When he was done he looks at her and becomes alarmed with worry and shock. Tears were rolling down her face as she was looking at him. "Why are you crying?"

She shook her head. "Because I know I'm going to hurt his feelings and I know I'm going to lose his friendship but in all honestly Jared, I'm afraid to lose yours. The past couple of weeks have been different between all of us and I don't like it. You have become so distant, and I feel that mine and Evan's relationship is doing that and I don't want to destroy what little friendship we have."

He didn't say anything but was surprised she felt that way. He wished he could tell her that no matter what happens he will always be her friend, but he can't, because deep down if she stayed with Evan and they ended up married and having kids he wouldn't be able to stand it and he couldn't sit there and watch them be happy and in love. In that aspect, he would lose both friendships and the possibility of never seeing her again. He grabs her hand and holds onto it tightly; he swallows the lump that had formed in his throat.

"I don't want you to end your relationship just because you think that Mila, do what makes you happy not because it makes other people unhappy. " He let go of her hand and quickly walked off down the street.

She sat there. She didn't get to ask her most important question she wanted to ask him. She softly whispers into the soft wind. "But why are you so unhappy Jared?"