Status: Finished.
I Don't Like Your Boyfriend
Friend Zone
Dreams. Dreams shouldn’t happen, well at least nightmares.
Reliving the death of everything I care about is not fun. I didn’t go back to sleep after I woke up at three in the morning sweating and panting.
I cried for a couple of minutes silently. I took out my phone and thought about calling Luke… maybe Sterling but I ended up calling Antonio since he lived the closest. He answered his phone with a groggy voice.
“Eddy?” He asked.
“I… uh… need you.” He knew I was crying.
“Meet me halfway.” He said.
I hung up and slipped into my slippers and took a big sweater that belonged to my father. It made me feel safe and at home.
I sneaked out of the house and walked down the street towards Antonio’s house. I saw him and stopped walking.
He got to me and I broke down and hugged him. I cried. After I was down we sat down on the curb as Antonio had his arm around me.
“What happened?” Antonio asked.
“It’s my nightmares.” I sniffled. “I keep reliving the day my family died and sometimes I can’t wake up and I feel… everything. The pain, the smell of gasoline and my mother’s cry.”
“It’s all--”
“Not, it’s not all right because it’s been four years and I should be over this!”
“You’ve said that before, Ed, and you can’t get over the death of your loved ones. It’s insane.” Antonio said.
“But I should have somewhat control over it. I can’t control it. I hate waking up sweating and panting and the vivid memory of my twin sister hanging upside down with blood coming down her face.” I think I was too detailed for him but he didn’t flinch.
He hugged me tighter.
“Who’s sweater are you wearing?” he asked.
I laughed a little. “My dad’s.”
“He went to Yale?”
“Yup.”
“What about your mom?”
“She went to community college and became very successful as well.” I said. It felt good to talk about my family. Sterling never asked but it was because I told him not to.
“You had a twin?”
“Her name was Coraline and we were best friends. She was the wild one and I was the shy one.” I said.
Antonio snickered.
“What?” I asked.
“You? Shy?” He laughed.
I smacked his chest. “I’ve come out of my shell since then.”
“Did she have red hair like you?”
“My original hair is brown.”
“Ah, so this isn’t natural?” He joked.
“Shockingly, it is not. Disappointed?”
“Very much, yes.” He played along.
“I feel pretty dumb.” I sniffled.
“Why?”
“I woke you up at three in the morning.”
“I’m glad you did.”
“Why?” I asked.
He pecked my cheek.
“You could’ve called Luke or Sterling but you chose me. It makes me feel special.”
“Special ed.” I scoffed and he pushed me lightly.
“On a serious note, I’m really happy you called me.” His voice was low and manly.
“Surprisingly… I don’t regret it.” I groaned.
“What?”
“When I said that… I thought about Luke.”
“What happened?”
“I need to tell someone and Lora wouldn’t understand.” I said.
“I won’t tell anyone.” He promised.
I looked into his eyes and sighed. “We kissed.”
He looked confused at first and looked away from me and then back to me. “Luke? You and Luke kissed?”
“Yeah.”
“Was it a peck…?” I was already shaking my head. “Oh.”
“Am I bad person?”
“No… well… no, you’re not but…”
“I’m a bad person.” I groaned.
“Do you like him?” He swallowed hard and I could tell he was nervous to find out the answer.
“He’s my best friend and… I do love him. I’m just not sure which way I love him.”
“I said like not love.” Antonio muttered.
I chuckled. “Thanks, I needed someone to talk to. Thanks for being a friend.”
Now he groaned.
“What?”
“I’m in the friend zone.”
“Antonio--”
“I know, I know. I’m going out with your other best friend and you care too much for her. I’m still trying to forget you.”
“I hope you do.” I said not being completely truthful.
“Are you sure?” He asked his face getting closer.
“I’m positive.” I was so happy I didn’t stutter.
“One day you’ll wonder what if?” He whispered. “What if you kissed me right now? What if I’m the one?”
“A kiss?”
“Only one.”
It took everything inside of me to pull away and stood up.
“Thanks for the chat.”
Reliving the death of everything I care about is not fun. I didn’t go back to sleep after I woke up at three in the morning sweating and panting.
I cried for a couple of minutes silently. I took out my phone and thought about calling Luke… maybe Sterling but I ended up calling Antonio since he lived the closest. He answered his phone with a groggy voice.
“Eddy?” He asked.
“I… uh… need you.” He knew I was crying.
“Meet me halfway.” He said.
I hung up and slipped into my slippers and took a big sweater that belonged to my father. It made me feel safe and at home.
I sneaked out of the house and walked down the street towards Antonio’s house. I saw him and stopped walking.
He got to me and I broke down and hugged him. I cried. After I was down we sat down on the curb as Antonio had his arm around me.
“What happened?” Antonio asked.
“It’s my nightmares.” I sniffled. “I keep reliving the day my family died and sometimes I can’t wake up and I feel… everything. The pain, the smell of gasoline and my mother’s cry.”
“It’s all--”
“Not, it’s not all right because it’s been four years and I should be over this!”
“You’ve said that before, Ed, and you can’t get over the death of your loved ones. It’s insane.” Antonio said.
“But I should have somewhat control over it. I can’t control it. I hate waking up sweating and panting and the vivid memory of my twin sister hanging upside down with blood coming down her face.” I think I was too detailed for him but he didn’t flinch.
He hugged me tighter.
“Who’s sweater are you wearing?” he asked.
I laughed a little. “My dad’s.”
“He went to Yale?”
“Yup.”
“What about your mom?”
“She went to community college and became very successful as well.” I said. It felt good to talk about my family. Sterling never asked but it was because I told him not to.
“You had a twin?”
“Her name was Coraline and we were best friends. She was the wild one and I was the shy one.” I said.
Antonio snickered.
“What?” I asked.
“You? Shy?” He laughed.
I smacked his chest. “I’ve come out of my shell since then.”
“Did she have red hair like you?”
“My original hair is brown.”
“Ah, so this isn’t natural?” He joked.
“Shockingly, it is not. Disappointed?”
“Very much, yes.” He played along.
“I feel pretty dumb.” I sniffled.
“Why?”
“I woke you up at three in the morning.”
“I’m glad you did.”
“Why?” I asked.
He pecked my cheek.
“You could’ve called Luke or Sterling but you chose me. It makes me feel special.”
“Special ed.” I scoffed and he pushed me lightly.
“On a serious note, I’m really happy you called me.” His voice was low and manly.
“Surprisingly… I don’t regret it.” I groaned.
“What?”
“When I said that… I thought about Luke.”
“What happened?”
“I need to tell someone and Lora wouldn’t understand.” I said.
“I won’t tell anyone.” He promised.
I looked into his eyes and sighed. “We kissed.”
He looked confused at first and looked away from me and then back to me. “Luke? You and Luke kissed?”
“Yeah.”
“Was it a peck…?” I was already shaking my head. “Oh.”
“Am I bad person?”
“No… well… no, you’re not but…”
“I’m a bad person.” I groaned.
“Do you like him?” He swallowed hard and I could tell he was nervous to find out the answer.
“He’s my best friend and… I do love him. I’m just not sure which way I love him.”
“I said like not love.” Antonio muttered.
I chuckled. “Thanks, I needed someone to talk to. Thanks for being a friend.”
Now he groaned.
“What?”
“I’m in the friend zone.”
“Antonio--”
“I know, I know. I’m going out with your other best friend and you care too much for her. I’m still trying to forget you.”
“I hope you do.” I said not being completely truthful.
“Are you sure?” He asked his face getting closer.
“I’m positive.” I was so happy I didn’t stutter.
“One day you’ll wonder what if?” He whispered. “What if you kissed me right now? What if I’m the one?”
“A kiss?”
“Only one.”
It took everything inside of me to pull away and stood up.
“Thanks for the chat.”