Dear Liz

I texted her, I called her. I lost count of how many calls she didn't answer and how many messages she didn't reply to.

I went as far as going to her house; poor Mrs. Rhodes didn't know how to excuse her daughter. And I was so persistent it was almost embarrassing.

I had asked many of my friends to lend me their cellphones so I could call her thinking that, maybe, if she didn't recognize the number, she would answer the call and it would give me time to convince her to talk to me.
Needless to say, that didn't work out. She always knew it was me.

However, I did get an idea from that; I did all I could, my friends had helped me out and the only people I had left to aid me were her friends. That's how I ended up on Jackie's doorstep.

I just stood there for about five minutes, thinking about what I was doing. Why was I trying so hard to get her to talk to me again? I hadn't even done something so terrible to deserve being ignored for two weeks. Yet, I wasn't willing to stop trying. Because she was worth it. She was special and unique and beautiful and I had never met anyone quite like her.

I wanted her.

I needed her.

And, perhaps, dared I say it… I lo–

"What are you waiting for, O'Callaghan? You're creeping me out." I jumped slightly and felt my pulse shot up when I heard Jackie's voice next to me. I turned my head to see her head popping out of her living room window. A smirk was plastered on her mouth –probably amused to have given me a good scare.

Jackie disappeared inside the house and I heard her steps as she made her way towards the front door and swung it open.

"What do you want? No party today." I guessed she was trying to be funny, but the joke went unnoticed due to her monotone and displeased tone. She probably wasn't all that happy I was there, considering I managed to really upset her best-friend.

I half smiled and shrugged pathetically. She sighed deeply and walked inside.

"Come in," she said, urging me to follow her with a move of her hand. As I stepped into the coolness of her home, I noticed how different it looked without all the people crammed inside. I could see al the family pictures, the paintings hanging on the walls…and the goddamned hallway where I kissed Ashley. "Have a seat," she said motioning to the couch next to me. I obeyed and carefully sat down. "Would you like some water or something?" I shook my head.

"I'm good, thanks." She shrugged and plopped down on the smaller couch in front of me. She stared at me for a while, like she was trying to psychoanalyze me. It was making me very uncomfortable. Jackie could be pretty intimidating.

For the second time she sighed.

"What happened, John?" she asked as she crossed her legs and her eyes softened.

I spent the next couple of minutes explaining to Jackie what had happened on the day Liz decided to stop talking to me. She listened carefully, nodding every now and then.
When I finished she got up and disappeared in the kitchen and, for a moment, I thought she went to get a knife or a pan or something to either murder me or to inflict serious physical damage.
However, she only came back with a bottle of water and sat back down.

"The reason Lizzie hasn't talked to you for these past days," Jackie said as she took the cap of the bottle off, "is because she's scared." She took a sip of the water and placed the bottle on the tea table that separated our seats.
Jackie looked at me for a while, as if she expected that would make me understand everything. I just stared back, hoping she would elaborate. She rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. "She likes you, John. She really, really likes you. And she hoped you liked her too," I was about to retort but Jackie interrupted me. "When she saw you kissing Ashley she thought it was because you liked her and, now, she doesn't talk to you because she's trying to get over you."

"I tried to explain it to her."

"I know. But she was scared you would tell her she wasn't good enough or something along those lines." Another sip of water for Jackie. "She's been screwed over by almost every guy she's been with, John. And I mean…bad. When you've taken as much shit as she has from men, you do unreasonable things to not get hurt again."

I felt terrible for Liz. How could anyone dare do that to someone so caring and sweet and…I could never– I would never screw her over. "I know you have a good heart, John and I like to think you'd never do such a thing to her, so I'll help you out." She smiled and my face lit up.

"Really?"

"Yeap. Free of charge and all," she said with a smirk. "Just answer me this: how do you feel about Liz?"

"I think she's the most beautiful person I've ever met, inside and out. I like her. I really, really like her. I want to be with her and I want to be able to walk hand in hand with her and look her in the eyes and tell her that I lover her." Love. The word almost felt foreign, unknown. The first time I had used it to refer to a girl that wasn't my mom. Did I love her? I 'm not sure. But I wanted to lover her.

"Kinda cliche, but that'll do." She leant forwards with a mischievous shine in her eyes. "So this what we're gonna do, loverboy."