"Friends"

"Friends" Chapter 3

VALERIE'S POV

I couldn't exactly hear what Jim and Dan were talking about. I stood by the door and tried to listen.
"... she gets her heart broken every time. I can't watch her go through that again..." I could hear Dan's deep voice say a few things.
Why was he telling Jimmy all of this? If I wanted him to know about my heartbreaks I would've told him myself... He probably thinks I'm all fragile and sensitive now.
Great.
I eventually heard footsteps and Dan entered the living room again. He looked angry and confused, just like me.
I can't stand it when he does that to guys I bring over...
I opened the door and stood in the doorway.
Jimmy was looking up to the sky. It was incredible...
There were so many shades of pink, yellow and purple.
I wish I were standing out there next to him.
He looked over towards the house and began to walk towards me.
I felt so bad that my brother basically cornered him... I hope he isn't mad and I hope he understands.
"We should talk..." I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the house. We walked upstairs and went into my bedroom. I closed the door behind me and he sat down on my bed.
"I am so sorry... I told him not to do that..." I paced in front of the bed and Jimmy's eyes followed me.
I wasn't really sure why I brought Jimmy up here...
I couldn't stop wondering why my brother would say those things to him and I also couldn't stop wondering why we were practically cuddling earlier... and I liked it.
Did he like me? There's no way...
"Is it true?" Jimmy's voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Is what true?" I stopped moving around and stood directly in front of him.
"That... that you've had your heart broken one too many times?"
I began to bite the side of my nail and looked around the room
"Stop doing that..." He pointed at my mouth. "You only do that when you get nervous... Talk to me." He stood up and put his hands on my arm and pulled my hand down to where I couldn't bite my nail anymore.
A short piece of his hair fell down towards his face and he brushed it back.
I slowly nodded my head.
"Yeah... I guess I've had some hard times... but I'm fine!" I was lying to him. I really wasn't okay. He tried to make eye contact with me but I couldn't.
"Okay then, one last question... How many were there?" I finally looked up to him and he almost looked like he was about to cry.
"It was just one... And it killed me." My voice cracked on the last word and I wanted to cry. I cant... Stop it now.
He pulled me into his chest and held onto me tight.
I could hear his heart beating and I just focused on that.

JIMMY'S POV

I held on to her and didn't want to let her go. Ever. She put her ear to my chest and I breathed in the smell of her hair. She loosened her grip on me and pulled away.
There were tears in her eyes.
It really hurt me seeing her this way... All I want is for her to be happy.
Tears ran down her cheeks and my vision started to get blurry.
You're the man here, Jimmy! Stop crying...
Then again, I am Irish...
"Why are you crying?" I heard her small voice say.
I rubbed my eyes and shook my head.
"I'm not crying! Why are you crying?" I took a deep breath in.
"I don't know... Sometimes I just feel like I'm all by myself..."
I watched her as she tried to compose herself. She shook her head.
"Ugh... I hate crying!" She let out a chuckle and tried to blow it off. She looked down at her hands and I just wanted her to look up at me.
I put my hand underneath her chin and brought it up to where I could see her face.
Her eyes looked into mine and I just wanted to kiss her but I knew I shouldn't.
"You are not alone. I'm always here with you." I put my hand on the side of her face and wiped one of the tears away from her cheek.
She brought her hand up to mine and placed it on top of mine.

VALERIE'S POV

I just wanted to breakdown and cry again.
I knew that as long as I was friends with Jimmy, he would never let me feel alone. He always cared so much about me...
Our eyes never broke the connection as I placed my hand on top of his hand that was cupping my cheek.
He brought up his other hand to the other side of my face and took a step closer to me.
I have never ever wanted to kiss Jimmy, until right now.
I closed my eyes as he pulled his face towards mine and our lips were just about to touch when I heard my dad yell,
"We're going out to dinner! Come on down!" I opened my eyes and immediately pulled away from him. I let go of his hand and he looked at me with confusion.
"I'm sorry..." I ran out of my bedroom and ran downstairs.
I cannot believe what just happened...
I've never felt that way about him before. I had no clue he wanted that!
I must've looked flustered because when I got downstairs my mom looked at me weirdly.
"What's wrong?" She walked quickly towards me and put her hand on my forehead. "You feeling okay?"
"Yeah mom! I'm fine!" I ripped her hand away from my face and ran towards the front door. I quickly exited the house.
I needed fresh air and I needed to think about this.
Whatever just happened was on accident, right? There's no way that it was intentional.. It was all in the moment! Jimmy's my best friend...
But what if it was on purpose? What if he wanted to be with me? It could never work...
I paced on my front yard and ran my hands over my face where his hands just were.
Jimmy is about to go film movies and I'm not going to see him for a long time...
There's just no way it would ever work out!
He's goofy and weird and annoying! He wont ever shut up when I ask him to! He's such a boy and he's just the happiest guy ever... I don't like him like that, right?
I heard my family exit the house and turned to face them.
"You ok?" Dan called out to me as he walked towards me.
"Don't even..." I pointed my finger at him and walked towards the car. My parents we're behind Dan and Jimmy was behind them. I was still pissed at Dan.
"What did I do?" He threw his hands up and chuckled. "Ugh... women..." I heard him mumble. My parents unlocked the car and I pulled the back seat chair up and squeezed in the very back seat.
I didn't know how to act around Jimmy now... What was normal, again?
Jimmy slid into the car and got into the back seat right next to me. I had my arms crossed over my stomach and couldn't even look at him.
Dan sat down in the row in front of us, and my parents we're in the front.
I could feel Jimmy's eyes on me.
As the car began to move, Jimmy set his hand on his leg, resting it partially on my leg with his palm facing up.
Almost as if he wanted me to hold it.
I couldn't tell if I just wanted to tackle him and kiss him, or slap the shit out of him.
Why would he try and kiss me? Does he realize that he practically just fucked up our friendship for good?
I looked down at his hand and looked at the calluses on his fingers.

I remember the first time I ever hung out with him. We were sitting on his couch at his house and we were playing Mario Cart. I remember making fun of the way he says "Mario". It always sounded so weird to me... After we evenly kicked each others asses, he pulled out his guitar and began playing me songs that made me laugh.
I specifically remember loving how much passion he had. You could see it in his eyes. Whenever he talked about comedy or music, his eyes would light up and I thought it was one of the most beautiful things...
I just stared at his hand sitting there.

JIMMY'S POV

SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT.
I just screwed everything up.
I couldn't help it.
When she looked up at me and I had my hands on her face, she looked so different from every single other girl I've ever seen. She had this look in her eyes that just made me want her.
So I went for it!
But then her dad had to go and ruin it.
Now I'm sitting here next to her and all I want her to do is fucking hold my hand and let me know that we're okay... I can't tell if she's mad or what but I just want her to forget it all... and grab my fucking hand.
Dinner was a complete blur. I wasn't really there, my mind was completely somewhere else. I tried to act normal and make everyone laugh but my half-ass attempts didn't work.
We finally got home and Val went straight up to her room. She didn't even say goodnight to her parents or brother. We were originally supposed to sleep in the same bed but I wasn't sure what she wanted... Space?
I said goodnight to everyone and dreadfully walked upstairs to her room.
As I stood outside her door, a million things we're running through my mind.
I knocked on the door and I heard a muffled "Come in".
I opened the door and her face went pale when she saw me, almost like she was looking at a ghost.
"I just came in here to get my stuff." I walked over to the bed and grabbed my bag.
"Where are you going?" she sounded disappointed.
"I think it might be best for you and me if I just sleep downstairs on the couch." I turned to walk out the room when I felt her grab my shoulder.
"Can we at least talk about this?"
I turned around and held my head down.
"Sure..." She took her hand off of me and sat down on the bed.
"Are you sorry?"
"Sorry for what?!" I snapped back at her.
I was upset and I knew I shouldn't take it out on her.
I looked over at her and she gave me the "really?" look.
I couldn't do this right now. I ran my fingers through my hair and walked out her room.
I made a bed out of the couch and decided to lie down.
There were too many things going through my mind and the best thing for me right now was sleep...
But I couldn't.

VALERIE'S POV

I sat there lying in my bed, thinking about everything... All I wanted to know from him was if the 'almost-kiss' was on purpose, or not.
I rolled over so many times but I couldn't get confortable and I couldn't fall asleep. The whole house was quiet, but my mind just wouldn't shut up.
Right as I closed my eyes, I heard my bedroom door open.
The person entered my room and closed the door.
I pretended I was asleep and just wanted them to go away... It was probably Dan and he was the last person I wanted to talk to.
The footsteps walked around to the other side of my bed and I felt the person pull back the comforter and lay down underneath it.
Who the hell would be getting into my bed?!
I opened my eyes and went to turn over to see who it was when I felt an arm wrap around me and I felt a head rest on my back. I could smell Jimmy around me and I knew it was him.
He held onto me tight and I could feel the air from his nose on the back of my neck.
"I'm not sorry..." He whispered into my ear.
I grabbed the hand that was wrapped around me and locked his fingers together with mine and held his hand close to my chest.

JIMMY'S POV
I smiled and breathed in her sweet smell.
She fucking held my hand.