Basketball Games and Obsessions

"So, how far is this game?"

Kaitlin settled into the front seat of the car, munching on barbeque chips. Caleb had picked her up at the school as he had promised, and they were on their way. With a tank full of gas, snacks, and a Friday night, Kaitlin was ready for almost anything.

That, and the comfortable feeling Caleb seemed to give her.

"It's about an hour, hour and a half away," He sent her a mischievous grin. "It all depends on how fast you go. I had a friend that made it there in twenty minutes once."

Kaitlin sent him a startled look. "I'm going to die, aren't I?"

"Nothing to worry about. I've only had one wreck in my entire time driving. It wasn't my fault, by the way."

For some reason, Kaitlin wasn't comforted.

"Don't worry," Caleb said again, staring at her from the corner of his eye. "I'm not a crazy driver. Not unless I"m in a hurry,. I'm on probation, anyway. If I get a ticket, I get my license taken away. I only just got it back."

He didn't elaborate, making Kaitlin wonder exactly why he was on probation. Adelle's former warning flashed through her mind. "Motomiya's bad news — he's been in some bad stuff, and there's no telling when he might get into it again."

The thought made Kaitlin shudder.

Caleb didn't seem to notice. "Tell me something about you." He stated suddenly. "I'm curious.

You're new, and I know nothing about you. Don't tell me something about your family... I want to know about you."

"Like?"

"Favorite songs. Colors you like. Place you would randomly run away too."

"Um..." Kaitlin thought a moment, trying to decide what was important, and what would bore Caleb to tears. "I like green. I don't have an absolute favorite song. Oldies are great though. If I ran away, I would go to New Zealand."

He raised an eyebrow. "New Zealand?"

"Sure! Who wouldn't want to go to the third most beautiful place on earth?"

"That's a very expensive trip for someone who's running away."

Kaitlin shrugged, "Well, if I were going to run away, I'd much rather it be to someplace nice than to some dingy old alleyway or run-down neighborhood."

"True. Keep talking."

"Um..."

"What about Las Vegas? What was it like living there?"

"Not at all like you would think. People seem to think I lived at the casinos and hotels. I've been to one in my entire time living there. Sure, I've been down the main street, and rode the roller-coasters at New York, New York..." Kaitlin shrugged again, and looked out the window. "Everyday life there was boring."

Caleb laughed, "I didn't think you were the gambling type."

"... How could I be the gambling type? I'm not even old enough to try it!"

"If you were old enough, would you?"

Kaitlin blinked, "Would I what?"

He turned his head for a second to look at her.

"Would you gamble if you were old enough to legally do it?"

She shook her head, "No - why would I want to try something that would most likely wind up with me addicted and losing all my money?" Seeing that strange, dark look cross Caleb's face again, she hurriedly changed the subject. "So, care to tell me more about you?... And call me crazy for asking this, but why do you and Adelle fight so much? Were you... were you two dating and had a bad breakup or something?"

Caleb slammed on the breaks and stared at her.

"That, without a doubt, is the most disturbing idea I've ever heard. Me date Adelle?"

Kaitlin flushed and stared out the window, feeling his eyes burn into the back of her head.

"I'm sorry; it was just the only thing I thought of..."

He sighed and started the car moving again, "It's alright. Just understand this: I have never, and will never date Adelle Richardson... "

Kaitlin kept quiet the rest of the trip, which was fortunately, not much longer. In her head, she kept playing scenes from the past week... scenes that involved Adelle and Caleb. She couldn't understand what they could have possibly done to one another to make hate each other so much. But then again, Kaitlin had never been a hateful type of person.

"Oh good, Joshua's here." Caleb muttered to himself, pulling into the parking lot. He turned to her, and gave her a small grin. "I didn't intended to snap at you. But seriously... stop worrying about Adelle and I. It's been a mutual disklike since age eight. We, and the rest of the school, are rather used to it by now."