Just Friends (Dan Howell)

Epilogue

*One Month Later*

I walked into the living room, shaking the hairs that had fallen out of my bun out of my face. I carried a large cardboard box labeled Jenny's Books. I set it down on the ever-growing stack in the lounge, then turned to face the desk.

Jenny sat there, lounging in her chair, her fingers resting on the keyboard, obviously deep in thought.

Jenny and Phil had been married for a month now. They'd returned from their honeymoon in the Bahamas about eleven days ago. They'd found a house, and were planning on moving in together. I won't say I was surprised, but I'd still miss her. Even so, I promised I'd help her pack.

"Any inspiration?" I asked her, leaning on the boxes and brushing my hair behind my ear.

Jenny turned and smiled. "Actually, yeah. After the wedding, and your kiss, I had tons of stuff to use."

"Great," I said.

She nodded and returned to writing. I went back into her room, picking up a box labeled Jenny's Memories. I brought it out into the lounge, sat on the couch, and in spite of myself, opened it up.

I shuffled through the photos. There was an old blurry one of us in High School, our arms around each other as we beamed. Jenny had braces, and I was wearing the strangest outfit in existence.

I smiled faintly in memory.

"Remember theater classes?" I asked her.

Jenny glanced over. She grinned indulgently. "Yeah. And Wood Shop?"

"I almost got my hair caught in the sanding machine once," I reminisced.

"If it weren't for Sam Walters, you'd have been bald," she nodded.

"Sam Walters..." I smiled. "He was dreamy."

"A year above us," she got a distant look in her eyes. "We both crushed on him. Got into several arguments about it. Tall, dark haired, lanky... a bit like Dan and Phil, actually."

"Uh huh," I said, shuffling through another photo. My heart gave a terrified thud, because I thought it was a picture of me and Dan. Then I realized it was Sam Walters.

"Wow," I said, surprised. "He really did look like Dan!" I showed her the photo.

Jenny smirked. "Remember when he was Romeo in the school play and I was Juliet? You were so jealous!"

"I know," I snickered. "I tried to play the sexy nurse to get his attention!"

"And the director made you were a fat pack to make you look overweight!" Jenny laughed.

"Oh, I hated that thing!" I remembered, cracking up. Soon, Jenny and I were reminiscing and feeling nostalgic about the good old days. Back when it was interesting if a senior dated a freshman. If a girl hung out with guys. Back when things mattered.

Now, I'm not saying that things don't matter anymore. They do. Things are just in sharper focus.

Of course, I don't regret being so dramatic in Middle and High school. It's part of the normal school experience. If I hadn't done that, I would have felt like I was missing out on something. Why didn't I get shocked when the news that an eighth grader impregnated a freshman was leaked? Was there something wrong with me?

"Jenny," I said suddenly. "Thanks for being my friend."

Jenny nodded. She knew how I was feeling.

I packed up the box, restoring the memories to their prison. Then I placed the box on the pile. I walked over to Jenny. "Will you tell me what you're writing, now?"

"Sure," she said. "It's about you."

"Huh?" I asked.

"Well," she went on. "You and Dan's story inspired me to write a story about it. Your relationship and friendship was so complex and dramatic and perfect at times that it gave me the perfect inspiration for a story. And, since it's about you and Dan, it's told from your perspective."

I was startled, and honored. "Wow. I can't wait to read it! What are you planning on calling this book?"

Jenny looked up at me, smiling mischieviously.

"I'm thinking of calling it... Just Friends."

~THE END~