Now and Forever

I lit the match with a smirk, setting it to the fuse. I backed away, my friends’ laughter filling my ears. Not a second later there was a crackle and then a loud BOOM. Still smirking, I watched the back door to the Sanders’ house carefully as the firework sparked and erupted with color. I looked over to Johnny and Aiden, who were hugging each other tightly, both of them stepped back to where Patti, Zacky, Brian, Audrey and Jimmy were. No one wanted to be too close to me when he came out.

And he didn’t disappoint. Matt came barging out of his house, looking directly at me, his sights set. He wasn’t exactly smiling, it was more like an angry grimace as he stalked over to me menacingly. I saw all of our friends sneak around the corner of the house to give us some privacy.. Matt walked straight up to me, so close his chest was pressed to mine and I was forced to look up at him. Even though his glower could make a grown man run away in terror, I knew Matt better than that. He would never hurt me, at least not physically.

“Tara? What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Matt’s voice was sickly sweet. Oh, yeah. He was pissed alright, but right now I didn’t give a damn.

“Getting your attention,” I scowled, looking up at him my expression softened. He always does this to me, and I just wish I could stop it. Just once. “Why won’t you return my calls, Matt?”

“Why the hell are you setting fireworks off at my house at three in the morning?!?” he growled, very obviously avoiding my question.

“Matt, you didn’t answer me. Why have you been avoiding me?” I asked again, not going to back down by Matt’s intimidating demeanor.

“I haven’t,” Matt mumbled under his breath weakly, but I still heard him.

“Matthew Charles Sanders, don’t you dare lie to me. I’ve been your best friend for over ten years, don’t you DARE lie to me,” I ordered him. After all he’s put me through in the past few weeks, he was going to lie to me like this? “I’m so over being ignored by you, Matt! You’re one of my closest friends, and do you have any idea what it’s like for you to be doing this to me? Tell me what’s wrong! What did I do to make you treat me like this?” I begged, staring into his warm hazel, green eyes pleadingly.

“Tara, don’t you get it? That’s why I’ve been avoiding you lately! And I can’t even tell you why…” Matt sighed, defeated. There was a war raging inside his eyes, and all I wanted was to get inside his head and help fight his battle.

“Matt, you’re not making any sense. And just so you know, I’m not leaving until I know why you’ve been acting like this,” I added, still observing him carefully, seeing if I could pick up on anything that might give his secret away.

“Tara, you remember Brian’s birthday party, right?” Matt asked me, earnestly. And I did remember, I could never forget that night. Matt kissed me that night. It might have only been because his name was drawn out of a hat and we were locked in a closet with each other for seven minutes, but still it was something I would never forget.

“Of course, I do. What does that have to do with anything?” I was puzzled. I had no clue as to why Matt would bring that up. After it happened, we pretended like it didn’t. I didn’t tell him it was all I could think about for the rest of the night or most of the time after that.

“Don’t you see, Tara? That night made me realize a lot of things…”he trailed off in thought, but I was so mad right now. I can’t believe he’d say that.

“What I was so bad that because of one little kiss we can’t be friends anymore? That’s so ridiculous, Matt!” I practically screamed at him, then. All five feet and four inches of my body was growing hot with anger.

“No! No…it was the most amazing thing ever. That’s--that’s why I couldn’t see you. Because if I saw you, I’d want to do it again. I’d want to kiss you over and over again. Because, I--I love you, Tara. And I can’t because you’re my best friend and it would mess everything up. I was afraid that if you knew…you wouldn’t want to see me anymore,” Matt whispered the last part but he might as well have screamed it. His words were so loud in my head, in my heart.

“Matt, you are such an idiot,” I laughed, shaking my head lightly back and forth. I couldn’t believe this either.

“Tara, what are you--” but I didn’t let him finish his sentence. I threw my arms around him and pulled him tightly you me. Looking at him straight in the eyes, I pressed my lips to his. “What was that for?”

“I love you, too, moron,” I pecked his mouth once more, but nothing could wipe the massive grin off my face.

Who would have thought that the reason Matt was avoiding me was the same reason I woke up every morning with a smile on my face? We were both madly in love with each other. He kissed me again and all thoughts were erased from my skull. It was only Matt and me, now. Now and Forever.