[ UNEDITED ]
As soon as I send the text I regret it, my hands shaking with nerves and unspoken insecurities.
Maybe I should wait? What if he rejects me or finds my feelings awkward and unimportant?
Or worse yet, our newly budded friendship is ruined because we can't even stand to be in each other's presence without cringing.
There's nothing worse than unrequited feelings.
Well maybe there is. Now that I think about it, I think it may be worse to never know and to keep false hope. And if our relationship is different and more distant afterward then so what? At least I'd have the courage to face it.
An incoming call pulls me from my stupor. My heart jumps into my throat, my stomach lurching uncomfortably when I see who it is.
"Hello?" I do my best to breathe as speak normally.
"Hey you wanted to talk?" His voice rumbles through the phone.
My mouth dries. There's something very different about thinking about doing something and actually doing it. Your brain can't actually imagine someone's reaction and free will decisions. Love seems to just be one big monopoly no matter what you do.
"Um...yeah I do." Do I?
"Is it about Meg? Have you apologized yet? Oh I also heard from Darren...must be pretty tough on her eh?"
"Uh yeah I did apologize but she's still really upset about the whole Darren thing. But...that's not really want I wanted to talk to you about." I stare down at the floor, paying attention to every detail of the hard wood to keep my mind off of my hammering heart.
"Oh okay." He chirps. "Well what is it? What did you do?" He chuckles as if suspecting I've done something mischievous.
I roll my eyes. "I haven't done anything wrong."
"Then what is it, Max?" He presses, his tone making a turn into semi concerned.
I pause, the words at the tip of my tongue.
"Well...I don't know how to say this." I confess, feeling on the verge of tears.
It shouldn't be this hard. But it is. I feel like if I do this, and I'm shot down, our friendship will never be the same. Is that something I really want to risk?
"Max I know we've only recently become friends but you can trust me with whatever it is. You know that right?" He says quietly through the phone, pulling at my heart strings.
"I know."
"Then what is it?"
I swallow.
"I like someone."
There's a pause on the other end, the only way I know he hasn't hung up being that I can hear him breathing softly.
"Really?"
"Yeah..." a lump forms in my throat with the need for him to care about me too.
"Who is it." His voice takes up a sudden stiffness.
"Well the thing is - "
"Do I know him?" His voice is almost sharp, my eyebrow furrow.
"Yes as a matter of fact, you do." I laugh nervously.
YOU ARE READING
Five Things
Teen FictionThis story involves many things. Perhaps it's clichè and perhaps it's not. It's the story of Max Keller. The girl who was forced to move and transfer schools when she was fourteen only to be harassed by a boy with lots of freckle and lots of questi...
