Free The Crush by Scott Monk

they don’t even know you exist?’
    Boy, she was asking the right guy about that!
    But before he could answer, a chorus of drunk voices sang out from the darkness. ‘Matty? Matty? Where are you, Matteeee?’
    There was laughter then the appearance of three swaying figures and a fourth plodding behind them. It was the guys. They were searching for him. He turned back to Kelly to allay her fears about who was approaching, but she was gone. About twenty metres away, she’d run towards a taxi and hailed the driver.
    â€˜Matty!’ Chris said, leading the charge when he saw their lost mate. Hazem and Grover followed, tripping over their feet, with Rhino in the rear. They smelt of bourbon and Coke. ‘Where have you been, Matteeeeeee?’
    Before Matt could answer, the Sundance Kid threw up.

Red-faced, Matt feared his head was about to explode. The cords of his neck were ripping from their skin and his brain was about to burst from his nose. Overpowered by the pain, he dropped the heavy barbell back onto its cradle with a clang. Gym junkies glanced up, momentarily forgetting about adoring themselves in the walls of mirrors.
    Lying on the ground next to Matt, Chris moaned, ‘Can’t you do that quietly?’
    Matt rolled onto his shoulder and shouted, ‘ Do what quietly? ’
    The Sundance Kid yelped and bolted his hands over his ears. Matt grinned and reduced the weight of the barbell.
    â€˜I haven’t been this sick since my parents told me I wasn’t adopted.’
    â€˜Next time, don’t get smashed.’
    â€˜There won’t be a next time.’
    â€˜That’s what you said last time.’
    â€˜And I’ll probably say it after I get smashed again.’
    Matt shook his head but let his mate suffer in peace. He grabbed a towel to wipe himself. A replay of the previous night’s game was showing on a small TV squirrelled away in the corner. The commentators babbled nonsense and Matt’s mind wandered from his own finals showdown to Blackwell’s threat and his talk with Kelly. Beautiful Kelly. Charming Kelly. Confused Kelly. He’d rung her that morning to find out if she was okay but he’d chickened out when her dad picked up the phone.
    â€˜Hey, Chris?’
    â€˜Chris isn’t here at the moment,’ his friend answered. ‘His brain’s closed for the day. Come back again tomorrow.’
    â€˜What do you know about Kelly Sinclair?’
    â€˜Smelly Eclair? What kind of name is that?’
    Matt sconed his mate on the head with the towel.
    â€˜So that’s the brunette’s name.’
    â€˜Which brunette?’
    â€˜The one you’ve got a major crush on.’
    â€˜Stop saying that.’
    â€˜Then why are you asking me about her?’
    â€˜I’m just interested, that’s all.’
    Chris snorted. ‘Interested in putting your tongue down her throat.’
    â€˜Don’t muck around. Tell me what you know.’
    The Sundance Kid rubbed his temples. ‘Just the basics. She’s lived in the area all her life. Her father and Blackwell’s father are best mates. Naturally, she and Aaron grew up together. They started dating when they were twelve. First love and all that. He asked her out, she said yes and he’s been living as a jerk happily ever after.’
    â€˜Are they, y’know, still going strong?’
    â€˜You’re not falling for her, are you?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜ Matty . I warned you.’
    Matt breathed in deep. ‘I can’t help it, Chris. I think about her every second. I can’t get her out of my mind. She’s in my dreams. My stomach gets all crazy when I talk to her. And I want to see her all the time. But worse, every time I hear a love song on the radio, I think it’s the best music I’ve ever heard—like it’s written about me and her.’
    â€˜Now you’re starting to freak me out.’
    â€˜Freak you