Best Friends...Forever?

The week went by and Hunter and I still avoided each other. I hated it and as much as I would have loved to get over it and talk to him, I was just too big a coward to. It was probably one of the only times in my life that I was afraid to talk to Hunter. The weekend came and I was bored out of my mind thinking of something I could do that didn’t include Hunter when my phone rang.

“Hello,” I said.

“Hey, Jessica. Whatcha doin?” Susie asked.

“Nothing just sitting here bored out of my mind.” I sighed.

“Great. I have a surprise for you.” She sounded really excited which got me excited. I mean a surprise who wouldn’t be excited.

“So what’s the surprise?” I asked curiously.

“I can’t tell you it’s a surprise,” Susie said in a duh way.

“Well when do I get it?”

“I’m taking you somewhere secret for it. I’ll be over in a minute okay?”

“Okay.” Then she hung up on me and the doorbell rang. That couldn’t be Susie already could it? I walked to the door and opened it to find Susie standing there with a blindfold.

“I’m not wearing a blindfold,” I said demanding.

“You have to. You can’t know where we’re going until we get there.”

“You could take me to a cliff or dump and ditch me there and I wouldn’t know how to get home because I had a stupid blindfold on.”

“Would I ever do that to you? Come on, Jessica. I got my cousin to take us and I want the surprise to, well, be a surprise,” she pleaded. Susie wouldn’t do something like that and I didn’t want to ruin the surprise so I got into her cousin’s car. She placed the blindfold on me so I couldn’t see anything. I really wanted to peek but knew that wouldn’t be what a good friend does. We started driving around and after a few minutes I got bored.

“Susie how long is this going to take?” I asked.

“Not much longer. Just hold your horses,” she said giggling.

About five minutes later we arrived at the destination. I still couldn’t take off my blindfold as Susie guided me out of the car. She walked me to some place as she held the door for some building. I still had a blindfold on as we walked to a set of stairs.

“Okay step up there’s stairs here,” Susie said.

“I’m going to fall, can’t I just take the blindfold off now,” I questioned, I was already uncoordinated.

“No it’ll ruin the surprise. I’ll help you up them don’t worry.” Susie grabbed my arm and slowly we went up the stairs. Every step she would stay step and I would take a step up to the next step. It wasn’t many steps later that we finally reached the top. I only almost fell a couple times. Susie opened a door and led me threw it. She told me to take off my blindfold. I heard Cody say open your eyes but I don’t think he was talking to me. Why was Cody here? Where was here? I immediately took off my blindfold and couldn’t believe where Susie had taken me. She had got to be kidding me right?

Right in front of me was none other than…… Hunter. I was in Hunter’s room with Hunter sitting on his bed. We drove ten minutes to get to Hunter’s house that’s right next door. What the…? Hunter had a shocked and confused look on his face which I imagined was also the look on my face.

“You two sit here and talk,” Susie said going to the door.

“We have to go,” Cody said as he went with Susie out the door.

“What? Susie, Cody?” I asked totally out of my mind confused. Hunter just shook his head and laid down on his bed.

They closed the door behind them leaving me and Hunter alone in his room.

“I’m going to go. Bye.” I went to open the door but the door wouldn’t open.

“Hey, Susie, Cody. Open the door,” I yelled.

“Not until you two talk and make up,” Susie yelled back.

“Yeah. Do you guys know what it’s like to hang out with you two when you’re not talking to each other? It sucks,” Cody shouted through the door.

“We’re going to leave. We’ll be back in an hour. You better have made up and talked it out by then,” Susie said as I heard footsteps going down the stairs.

I heard the door open and close and then they were gone. I was alone with Hunter in his room. It wouldn’t have been anything unusual if thing were still normal between us but they weren’t. We haven’t talked to each other in a week just because we kissed each other on New Year’s. I just stood there looking like an idiot, I bet. Hunter was just lying on his bed with his eyes closed.

“This is just great,” I mumbled to myself. Some surprise.

I knew Hunter didn’t like me. We’re stuck in a room together and he still isn’t talking to me.

After a couple minutes I decided to try the door again. Maybe I could get out. I jiggled the handle and pushed but the door wouldn’t open. How did they do that? I kicked the door again and again but it still wouldn’t open.

“Would you stop? You’re going to break my door,” Hunter snapped. The first words he’d spoken to me in person and it was to tell me to stop kicking his door.

“I’m just trying to get out,” I stated but stopped kicking it because I didn’t want to break it.

“Are you really that mad at me?” He asked. I was confused why would I be mad at him? I turned and looked at him. He was sitting on his bed and he had the saddest look in his eyes.

“What are you talking about?” I asked still confused.

“You know what I’m talking about,” Hunter said.

“No I don’t.”

“Yes you do.”

“No I don’t.”

“Yes you do.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No!” I screamed.

“The kiss! What happened on New Year’s? You’re mad at me because I kissed you!” He screamed back.

What? He thought I was mad at him because he kissed me. He could be such an idiot sometimes, totally oblivious.

“You’re an idiot,” I mumbled.

“What?” Now Hunter was confused.

“Why would I be mad at you?” I asked.

“I just told you. We kissed,” he said.

“But why would I be mad at you about that?”

“I don’t know. Because in the morning you just ran off and you haven’t talked to me since,” he explained.

“You haven’t talk to me either,” I countered.

“Because I thought you were mad or something over the kiss. So you weren’t mad?” He asked looking at me.

“No I wasn’t mad. I was confused, I guess.” I went and sat down on his bed next to him.

“Confused about what?”

“The kiss. I mean….why woul…never mind.” This was too hard. This was why I didn’t want to talk to him about it. What if he doesn’t like me like that? I’m going to make a fool out of myself. Thanks a lot Cody and Susie.

“What? What were you going to say?” This was not the Hunter I goofed off with. It was weird having serious conversations with him.

“Why would you…kiss… me?” I finally asked.

He took a moment to think about it and I knew that couldn’t be good.

“I don’t know. I just wanted to and it felt like the right time to,” he answered shrugging his shoulders. What kind of answer was that? Did that mean he liked me or that he just felt like he might as well just to see?

“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked.

“It means….” Couldn’t he just say it? Couldn’t he just tell me whether he liked me or not without me having to ask him?

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing. Why did you continue to kiss me after?” He totally just avoided my question and reversed it on me.

“I don’t know.” If he wanted to be cryptic I could be too. Besides there was no way I was going to tell him I liked him if I didn’t know if he liked me back.

“You don’t know. So you wouldn’t happen to have liked it or anything?” he asked with a smirk on his face.

“In your dreams,” I said and his smirk suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a frown.
That was not what I was expecting. We joke around like this all the time; he couldn’t be serious, could he?

“So then you don’t like me?” he asked.

“Depends what you mean by like. Of course I like you. You’re my best friend. You have to like your best friend or else you wouldn’t be friends with them.” I answered even though I knew what he meant.

“That’s not what I meant.” He sighed and put in hands over his eyes laying back. “I meant as more than a friend, you know.”

“Do you like me as more than a friend?” I asked avoiding his question.

“I asked you first.”

“I asked you second. So answer me and I’ll answer you.”

“That’s not how it works. You have to answer me first and then I’ll answer you,” he said.

I crawled on the bed so that I was sitting right by his head. I poked him in the stomach then I poked him on his forehead.

“You have to answer my question first,” I demanded like a four year old.

“Why did you poke me?” he asked opening his eyes to look at me.

“Because I want you to answer my question.”

“Not before you answer mine.”

“I won’t stop poking you till you answer,” I said and started poking him. I poked him in the stomach, on his head, his shoulder. I just kept poking him.

“Answer it!” I said while poking him for the millionth time.

“Stop poking me!” he said.

“Not until you answer.”

“Stop!” he yelled. I flinched but didn’t stop. I didn’t want him to hit me or anything because I was making him mad.

He finally had enough and he grabbed me and once again pinned me down to his bed.

“There now you have to stop,” he said sticking his tongue out at me.

I stuck my tongue out at him back. “You’re a meanie.”

He laughed then said, “ Answer my question now.”

“You answer mine.”

“You’re the one who’s stuck. You have to answer my question. Please?” He gave me a puppy dog look. It was so cute. I was about to make a fool out of myself.

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this,” I mumbled.

“Say what? Do you like me or not?”

“I…I… I..” I stuttered.

“You what?” he pressed.

“I… I … I can’t. I’m not going to make a fool out of myself.”

“What are you talking about? Do you like me or not? It’s not that hard to answer,” he said. He looked at me with hopeful eyes. Why can’t he say it first?

“If it’s not hard to answer then why don’t you answer it? Do you like me or not?”

“Just say it, Jessica. Just say you like me.”

“Why, do you like me?”

“Just say it, please!”

“Fine. I like you,” I said it. I finally told Hunter I liked him as more than a friend. Did he like me though? He had to right. He wouldn’t go through all that trouble to just make fun of me for it. Would he?

“I knew it!” He said with a huge grin on his face.

“Now answer my question,” I whispered trying to tell myself that he liked me back. He had to.

“Do I like you? Hmm. Let me think about it.” He let go of me and rubbed his chin like he was thinking about it. I don’t know why but I felt like I wanted to cry. It was a stupid thing to cry over but what if he said no.

“I actually don’t…” he said and I felt like a complete and total fool. I flipped over onto my stomach and buried my head into his pillow.

“What are you doing, Jessica?” he asked.

“Nothing. I’m just waiting for Susie and Cody to get back,” I said into the pillow.

“Would you like me to finish?”

“Finish what?” I asked confused. What was there to finish? He already said he didn’t like me.

“Finish what I was going to say until you suddenly decided to attack my pillow.” He laughed.

“Okay. Finish.” I didn’t really want to hear it. I just wanted to get out of this room.

“As I was saying. I actually don’t think that I could live without you. And I like you too.”

Did he really just say what I think he said? Did I fall asleep? Am I dreaming?

“Really?” I said taking my face out of the pillow.

“Yeah, but I understand if you like my pillow better.” I smacked his arm and smiled.

He smiled back. “Come here, Jessica.” I went over to him and he gave me a hug then he leaned down and once again his soft gentle lips touched mine and sparks flew. I was in bliss. We once again started a make out session. I mean come on we both just admitted that we liked each other as more than a friend and we were locked in his room with little else to do.
We were interrupted about ten minutes later from Susie and Cody walking into the door.

“Alright! I knew you guys would get together,” Susie gushed happily then added, “You guys are together now right? You aren’t just kissing again.”

I blushed, they just walked in and saw us.

“Yeah we are together now. Right, Jessica?” Hunter asked.

“Yeah, I guess so,” I said.

“You guess so. You’re supposed to say ‘Of course. Who wouldn’t want to be with Hunter?’” Hunter mimicked a girly voice.

“Of course. Who wouldn’t want to be with Hunter? He’s so full of himself.” I copied Hunter’s girly tone.

“That hurt,” Hunter said placing a hand over his heart. “I am not full of myself.”

“Yes, you are,” I said.

“No I’m not,” he said.

“Yes, you are.”

“No I’m not.”

Cody and Susie rolled their eyes.

“You guys are so immature,” Cody said laughing.

“Even when you’re together, you guys pick on each other.” Susie shook her head.

Hunter and I just smiled and gave a quick peck on the lips to each other.

“I’m stealing Jessica. You two boys have fun together,” Susie said grabbing my arm and pulling me out of the room and down the stairs.

“What are you talking about?” I said confused as to where we were going now.

“I’m taking you to your house so you can tell me all about what happened while I was gone.” I really would have rather stayed to hang out with Hunter and Cody than talk to Susie. I mean I’m kind of glad that she did she got me and Hunter together but I didn’t really what to talk about it.

We reached my house and she pulled me into my room and closed the door. She jumped on my bed and patted the spot next to her.

“Come on. Sit down and talk.” She had a huge grin on her face.

“What am I supposed to talk about?” I asked kind of confused on what to say.

“What happened after we locked the door?” She asked in a duh way.

“Well I just stood there then I tried to get out. I was kicking the door and he told me to stop.”

“You were trying to get out? Are you insane? We put you in there to talk,” Susie said angrily.

“Yeah but after that we started talking and he thought I was mad at him so I called him an idiot.”

“That’s so typical,” Susie said then let me continue.

“Then he asked if I liked him and I asked if he liked me. Which led to us fighting about who would answer the question first.”

Susie interrupted, “Can’t you guys ever talk and not get into a bickering fight. Sometimes you guys are so childish. Anyways, Go on.”

“We aren’t childish,” I said defending myself.

“You are when you’re with Hunter. You two constantly annoy each other. It must be how you show your love for each other and that is a childish act,” Susie explained to me.

“Hunter always starts it though.”

“I don’t care about you two fighting or you guys being childish. I’m just saying that you guys are. Sometimes it’s annoying, that’s all. Continue.”

And I did continue. “Well I ended up saying it first and was totally embarrassed and ashamed when he said he didn’t like me back.”

“He said he didn’t like you,” Susie yelled fuming. “I thought you guys are together now,” she added confused.

“We are together.”

“So he was joking. Typical jerk.”

“He wasn’t finished and it ended up with him saying that he liked me and couldn’t live without me.”

“Are you serious? Hunter said he couldn’t live without you,” Susie asked in disbelief.

“Yeah I know it was weird. Hunter saying serious, meaningful things is just… really weird.”

“Yeah, I bet.”

“Then he kissed me.”

“And?” Susie asked wanting me to go into farther detail.

“It was amazing. I mean it was so gentle and his lips were so soft. I know it sounds so overplayed and stuff but I could feel the spark. Hunter is just so amazing and just plain awesome and his kisses are just ten times more amazing than he is.”

“Oh my gosh! That is so sweet,” Susie squealed.

“Then we starting getting more into the kissing and that’s when you and Cody showed up.” I ended explaining what had happened.

“Aren’t you glad that we did that?” Susie asked proud of the work she did.

“Yeah. Thanks a lot. I have to thank Cody too. You guys are the best friends ever. None of this would have happened if you two didn’t force it.” I really appreciated what they did, even if I hadn’t at the beginning.

“You’re welcome. Now you owe me,” Susie said with and evil smile.

“What exactly do I owe you?” I asked nervous. Susie took a minute to think about it.

“I don’t know, yet. But you owe me a favor in the future.”

“No problem. I’d be happy to,” I said with a smile then added quietly, “I think.”