The Neighbor Girl

Jamie

"Let's go home." Nikki said, hopping into my car. She made an adorable oofing sound as she settled into the passenger seat of my old jeep.

I pulled out of the high school parking lot and stole a glance at Nikki. A few stray curls fell out of her ponytail and rested on her porcelain cheeks. She threw a sidelong glance in my direction and her eyes looked like honey.

I wanted so badly to know how to make her mine, it was killing me inside. It felt as if I was my whole self when she was around, but when I wasn't near her I felt as if a part of me was gone. I cleared my throat and hastily formed a plan in my mind, I had to get her to tell me what she wanted in a guy. "So Nikki, can I ask you a question?"

"It depends on what it is."

"How will you know if I don't ask you?" We played one of the silly question games we always seem to find ourselves tangled in.

"Okay, but I reserve the right to not answer." She declared getting a light in her eye. Her cheeks flushed, setting a hint of color on her face.

"Fair enough," she looked at me, willing me to continue. "So there's this girl, and I really like her." I glanced between her and the rode as I spoke. "Anyway, she's the most amazing girl and I don't know what to do." I know, I know, it's a crappy plan but what can I do? The best way to get information is right from the source.

"Who is this girl." She asked, looking out the window, not at me. I even poked her gently, but I still didn't get her to do more than stir under my touch.

I didn't know what to say, I didn't feel right about lying to her about something as big as love. The plan was so hastily formed that I didn't even consider the possibility that she would ask the most likely question to spring to any ones lips when asked a question such as that. So I settled for the best thing I could come up with in a few seconds. "It's not that important, but-"

"Of course it's important!" She yelled, exasperated, "The girl you like had to be important, otherwise you wouldn't like her!"

I pulled into her driveway and looked her in the eye. "It doesn't concern you." I stated sternly. I felt horrible at the look of disbelief that passed through her chestnut eyes, disbelief, sadness and a hint of jealousy. I quickly pushed away the possibility that envy could play a role in her thoughts, I classified it as wishful thinking on my part.

"I thought we were friends." She said, glossy eyed, she opened the banged up door and galloped to her house.

I pulled out of her driveway on the short drive to my house just a very short distance down the road. I contemplated what my next move could be. Living in a world with girls was like playing a giant game of chess. One small calculating error or misstep, no matter how small, and you would end up dead.

***

Nikki

The way he had said 'Can I ask you something?' Was so full of affection, that I was certain he was going to ask me out. But then he goes and asks me about this other girl!

I twisted the corner of my black and white polka-dotted bedspread between my fingers. I sighed, I couldn't get over the thing I felt for him,it was bigger than a crush and deeper that anything I had ever felt for any body. I didn't know what it was, but I felt... Something. He was ideal, with everything from his gentle personality to the way he was just so solid... He never fell apart or got upset or lost his temper.

He was perfect but he liked someone else, I could just hear it in the way he talked about her. She's a lucky girl, having a guy like him falling for her.

I laid back into the gushy red pillows and delicately placed my earbuds in my ears. Of course, when I pushed shuffle, a Romeo and Juliet song seeped out of the plastic pieces, a single tear ran down my cheek.

I wish my life was a fairy tail, a place where you fall in love with prince charming and he loved you back. A place where there are only happy endings.

And no tears.