Ariel's Tree

I knew it was already day seven. I had run out of time. I knew that tonight Trevor would no longer be human. "Hey Ariel!" Trevor said when he saw me.
"Um, hi..." I tried to manage.
"So, look. There's something that I need to tell you tonight. Meet me in the clearing behind your house?"
I knew exactly what was coming. He was going to tell me he loves me and was going to expect me to say the same in return.
"Yeah, sure." I watched him smile and walk down the hallway away from me.
Clare soon came up behind me. "So are you going to that secret meeting behind your house tonight?"
"Secret meeting? What are you talking about?"
'Willow told me to meet up with you, him and Trevor tonight in the clearing behind your house. Apparently it's really important?"
"Oh... right, that." I lied. I pretended to know exactly what she meant. At this moment, the less people involved, the better. "Yeah, I am going."
"Awesome! I wonder what it's about..."
"Yeah me too..."
"Well, I'll see you tonight! I have to get to class."
"See ya." What was going to happen now?

******************************

I met the three of them behind my house. The moon cast its light down on us in the dark night. Clare stood next to Willow and Trevor slowly made his way toward me. "Ariel," He began, "I know we've only known each other for a few weeks but I feel like we've known each other forever. I just wanted to say..." Yep, here it comes. I braced myself for his next three words. "...I love you." There it is. My heart stopped beating and I couldn't breathe. Clare was gushing over the whole scene but all I wanted to do was die. I looked at his wide blue eyes watching, waiting for me to say something, anything. What was I supposed to say though?
"Trevor... I-" I couldn't get the words out.
Willow startled us all when he pointed to the sky and said "Oakie, look!"
We all looked up at the sky and watched as the stars spelled out the words 'time's up'. Bright white light began to shoot out of Trevor's fingertips. I began to panic. Trevor was lifted into the air and dropped to the ground like a rag doll.
"No!" I called out. "Wait! Trevor I- I love you!" I fell to my knees and began to sob into my hands. I knew it was already too late. I began to cry even harder until I felt a hand being placed on my shoulder. I looked up through blurry eyes to see Trevor standing there as a human. He took me by the hand and helped me off the ground. He pulled me into his arms.
"But... how?" I said as I looked up at his face. A rustling noise came from the woods and we looked over to see the witch emerging from the trees.
"You learned to love him." The witch said.
"But... I didn't love him the way he loved me." I was very confused at this point.
"No, you didn't love him romantically but there are different kinds of love, deary. You learned to love him as a brother or best friend and that love will grow into romantic love with more time."
I sort of understood now. Love doesn't always have to be romantic. I turned to Trevor and held onto him while I cried into his shoulder. All I could think now was how am I supposed to explain this all to Clare?