My Best Friend

Chapter Nine

Ryan's POV

Wow. That is honestly all I can think. Why would she do that? I guess she figured it out, and I respect her for her choice. But really, so fast? If it was what made her happy. I felt a pit in my stomach that I was vaguely aware of. Funny, how this was so different from regular stereotypes. Usually it's the guy that breaks up with the girl, and the girl is heartbroken. In this case, it's me that ended up heartbroken and her that feels good about it. Everything in me is screaming in agony, and I need to vent now. I text my friend Cameron, and tell him to meet me at the park in five minutes, and left the house.

When I got to the park, I headed over to sit on the swings. A few minutes later, I hear a metallic thunking from down the street. I smile a little, because I realize it's Cameron's car. He pulls in the parking lot, hopefully seeing me on the swings. I know I sound super crappy, but a girl just broke my heart. A little mercy please. Cameron comes over and sits down on the swing next to me.

"Hey man. What's up?"

"Gabriella just kind of dumped me."

"Ouch. Do you know why?"

"Kind of. She was on to me, how much I actually like her. She figured it out, and the way she said it was way too nice to be anywhere close to a breakup."

"How did she say it? Was it the 'It's me not you' thing?"

"No. She was really gentle about it. She said 'We're only in high school. I know you're seventeen, you'll be on a mission by the end of next year, and you're a big boy, but I'm just sixteen and still just a little too innocent, so could we kind of save that innocence and maybe pick our relationship back up after you get home? I know that might be a long time for you, but we can still be friends, just no more one on one things till then. I'm sorry. Please don't be mad.' Like I said, way too nice for a breakup. I know she's going to feel awful about doing that to me, but I kind of get it. She made the choice, and I respect her for it. Is it weird I remember what she said word for word?"

"No man. You really liked her. You've probably been going over them in your head repeatedly for the last hour."

"I guess so, but it's so weird. I didn't really consider her to be the type to dump a dude after just two dates. Maybe somebody put her up to it."

"Has it occurred to you that it might have been her father?"

"Oh. Well no, but that would make sense. He probably doesn't want his gorgeous baby girl to get her heart broken."

"I don't know if that would be the case, but I do know one thing. I was over there once with her and Alayna, and she was talking about what types of guns she knew how to shoot, and it sounded like she was pretty good. She had to learn from someone. Just watch your back. Not that her dad struck me as an intimidating dude."

"Yeah. He seems nice enough. He's always been pretty chill with me, so I don't think it was him she learned from, although he probably saw me and realized what I was up to."

"Yeah man. I have to be home in ten minutes, and with this piece of crap for a car, it's going to take me just that long to get there. So, I gotta go, but I'll see you in school on Monday, okay?

"Alright. See you then."

He left and I just sat with my thoughts, wallowing in my misery. Why? Running through my head for the next half hour before it got so cold I had to go home or risk hypothermia.

That night I couldn't sleep. I kept having dreams about the breakup, and it never was different. Always her sitting next to me in the truck, looking as beautiful as always. But the words coming out of her mouth were the ones she had said, and I don't know why it was. Maybe I was in so deep in my feeling for her I was never going to get out.