Never Meant to Fall in Love With My Best Friend

The hustle and bustle of the theatre’s backstage area died down as Samantha Tessaro retreated into her dressing room after yet another night of singing, dancing and acting in one of Broadway’s biggest musical shows.

She went to read the cards on the bouquets of flowers that had been given to her at the curtain call and had now been placed in vases on the table in the middle of the room. There were flowers and gifts from acquaintances that had come to see the show tonight, old fans that had remained with her since her days as a child actress on television and new fans that had come with her subsequent career as a musical actress.

But there was one card that was attached to a bouquet of flowers, which made her pause especially and smile. It was from her best friend, Cole Sprouse. Samantha had known that he had been in the audience tonight, but she had not dared to look his way once. Although she was getting more and more used to performing on stage as each night’s show passed, she still struggled not to blush when having to perform in front of family and friends.

Samantha had met Cole many years ago when they were both small children co-starring in a movie together and had remained friends ever since. Their continued friendship had of course been helped along as their childhood careers had seemed to follow each other and when they both had decided to take a break from acting to pursue an education, they had both ended up at New York University. Yet Samantha also liked to think that there was some kind of special connection that brought them together as she felt that in some ways Cole saw her in a way that nobody else did.

The calm silence of the room was interrupted by a knock on the door and upon opening it up, Samantha found herself standing face to face with her best friend.

“Cole!” Samantha smiled warmly as she enveloped him in a hug.

“Hey there, Sammy!” Cole greeted back. “You were amazing!”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she blushed bashfully as they pulled apart.

“No, stop it! You were!” he insisted as he shut the door behind him.

“Thank you. I was so nervous you wouldn’t believe it!”

“Pish posh!” he exclaimed lovingly. “I honestly couldn’t tell. But believe me, it was so good! Right now I just feel like I want to see it all over again. I’m sorry that I haven’t made it here sooner.

“Don’t even worry about. I know that you’ve been really busy. Listen, I just need to change before we can head out, okay?” Samantha spoke as she quickly began to scurry around the small room to get her change of clothes. “How’s that Archie Comics thing going by the way?”

Since graduating college both Samantha and Cole had decided to venture back into the entertainment industry with Cole now in the early stages of his work on a new television series based on the characters from Archie Comics, named Riverdale.

“Oh, it’s going well,” Cole said while he busied himself with inspecting the small knick knacks that covered the makeup table and the surrounding shelves. “I’m actually very excited about it. I’ve met a few of the guys that are going to be in it and so far it’s all been good. I feel like we’re getting along really well.”

“That’s good,” Samantha replied as she was in the midst of unashamedly removing her dress and pulling on a shirt and a pair of jeans in the middle of the room. “When does shooting start?”

“In a couple of weeks. We’re shooting in Vancouver,” he said as he turned to look at Samantha with a smirk, while holding up a small ornament of a cat holding a heart with a scribble underneath it from Dylan Sprouse. “So I see that my brother beat me to the show and with the gift giving, huh?”

“Oh, yes. He was here right around Christmas, didn’t he tell you?” she questioned while putting on her shoes before quickly added, “Oh! And thank you for the flowers by the way! I love them.

“Yes, you’re welcome. They’re lilies of the valley.”

“I know,” Samantha smiled. “They’re my favourite. Thank you.”

With these words, she stood up from tying her shoelaces, and with a quick peck on Cole’s cheek, she made her way towards the door.

“So, are we ready to go to dinner?” she asked. “I’m starving!”

Cole let out a little laugh as he put back the gift from his brother on the shelf and gave Samantha a nod.

“Yes,” he smiled. “Let’s go.”

Samantha pulled the dressing room door open and placed her hand on one of Cole’s shoulders to guide him out before following him and closing the door.

“So, any hot guys on this new cast of yours?” she smirked. “Any chance you’re going to introduce me to my new boyfriend?”

This earned a look back from Cole with his eyebrows furrowed which made her laugh.

“Oh, you wish,” he spoke as he jokingly gave her a disapproving shake of the head.

Samantha giggled as she tied the belt of her coat around her waist and casually waved goodbye to her co-workers before stepping out into the cold night air. On the outside of the stage door their movements was momentarily halted as Samantha greeted some of the fans that had been to see the show and were now waiting to get autographs from the members of the cast. Among them was a group of people in their early twenties that was especially excited to see Cole with Samantha.

“Oh my God!” shrieked one of the girls. “You guys are the cutest people ever! I’ve shipped you guys together since forever!”

Samantha turns to look at Cole with a playful smile before turning back to signing autographs for the girl.

“Oh, that’s so sweet,” Samantha smiled.

“Can we have a picture with both of you guys?” one of the other girls of the group asked.

“Of course,” Cole smiled as he stepped up to them and into the line-up for the photo.

The first girl grinned excitedly as she saw the result of the pictures and went to speak again as Samantha and Cole had begun obliging the members of the group on their requests for hugs.

“So please tell me you guys are actually dating,” she said.

“Oh, no,” Cole replied light-heartedly. “You guys know that I’ve always been head over heels for Samantha, but we’re just friends.”

“Aww,” the group sounded, both in disappointment and in reaction to what they thought was a very cute statement by Cole.

“Oh, come on, Samantha! You’re breaking our hearts over here,” one of the girls spoke, only half-jokingly. “And Cole’s too for that matter!”

“Ha! Yeah, right!” Samantha bellowed with a laugh.

She looked at Cole who simply smiled at her with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Well, they’re kinda right, Sammy,” he teased before turning to the group of fans. “I guess she’s going to keep me in the friend zone forever.”

Samantha just rolled her eyes at Cole which brought a laughter out of both him and the adoring group of what was now clearly shippers of Samantha and Cole as a couple. They jovially finish up the autograph signing session with Samantha genuinely thanking them and the others autograph seekers for coming out to see the show. Having said their goodbyes Samantha and Cole begin to make their way down the streets of Manhattan, as she pulls up the lapels of her coat further up in an attempt to shield her face from the cold.

“So tell me more about this Jughead guy,” she insisted and Cole began to tell her about the new character that he will be playing as they hurry along to get to their destination.

They make their way into a bar where they sit down in one of the booths lining the walls where a waitress soon comes to take their orders.

“You don’t mind if I drink even though you don’t, right?” Cole questions Samantha as the waitress leaves their table only to come back with their respective drinks.

“Burgers will be out in ten minutes,” the waitress informed them quickly before going to tend to a new group of customers that has just entered the bar.

“Oh, no,” Samantha answered Cole. “Go right ahead! I’d love a drink, but my voice coach will kill me if dry up my vocal chords in the middle of the show’s run.”

“Alright, well, if you say so,” he smiled as he took a sip of his beer. “But enough about me for a little while, tell me about your co-stars. Everybody treating you well?”

“Oh, yes,” she smiled. “I’m really enjoying spending time with the entire cast. I mean, I was really nervous to join the show since they had been playing it for a while, but they’ve been so helpful and kind to me. Brian has been incredible. He is so supportive and friendly. And super talented as well! But just a really nice guy, you know? And Stacey has been great as well! She’s even helped me to get to know the character even though she’s been on maternity leave.”

“That’s really nice of her,” he replied. “I guess if anyone should know the character well it should be her. How long did she play it?”

“A year,” Samantha said. “That’s pretty impressive, right? Quite big shoes to fill.”

“Yeah, but you’ve done it so well,” Cole smiled and patted her hand encouragingly.

“Thank you,” she smiled back, sincerely thankful for his support.

As soon as the food arrived they both dig in to their burgers while continuing to discuss their work, families and friends. The night continues on and a little while later Cole breaks the comfortable silence that has taken over the table.

“You know I was just joking back there to the fans, right?”

“What do you mean?” Samantha raised her eyebrows.

“Well, you know, the whole thing about the friend zone,” he clarified. “You know I don’t believe in that stuff, right? And I wasn’t trying to shame you at all, I was just trying to be play along and be nice to them. I didn’t mean it to be accusatory.”

“Oh, yeah, I know. It’s fine,” Samantha waved him off before stopping to think about what he was actually saying. “How would it be accusatory?”

“Sammy,” Cole sighed as he tried to find a way to explain himself. “You and I both know that it is the truth.”

“What is?”

“That I’m in love with you,” he answered seriously.

“Cole,” Samantha began to speak uncomfortably before being interrupted by him.

“No! We both know that’s the truth, Samantha. You’ve always known, because it has always been like that. I’ve always been in love with you. And I probably always will be.”

“Cole,” she tried again, but is once again interrupted by him.

“And I just need you to know that I’m okay with that,” he spoke confidently. “I really am used to it. I hardly even think about it anymore, it’s just the way I feel and I can’t do anything about that. But I need you to know that I don’t actually believe in the friend zone. And I am not at all in any way upset that we’re just friends. Because that’s what I want! I just want to be your friend, because I know that this is one-sided and I can take that because I need you to be my friend. You’re my best friend, Samantha… And I just want you to be happy.”

Samantha looks around the bar as she releases the breath that she didn’t know that she had been holding during his speech.

“Cole,” she spoke hesitantly, and this time he let her speak. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ve realised that this is actually the way it is. I mean, I’ve always known that this has been something we talk about, but I’ve honestly believed that it was just a bit or something. I thought this was just a joke or something that has lingered on since we were kids. I didn’t know that you still actually felt this way.”

“Yeah, well,” Cole shrugged. “I’ve gotten used to it. It’s not something I walk around thinking about anymore. It’s just how I feel. But that isn’t important. What’s important is that you know that everything is okay and I don’t blame you for anything. What’s important is that you’re my best friend and always will be.”

Samantha spoke his name once again, but this time in a way that demands his full attention causing his eyes to meet hers almost involuntarily.

“Kiss me,” she requested.

“What?” Cole asked in surprise. “No, that’s not at all what I-.”

“Cole,” Samantha interrupted him. “I need you to kiss me. Please… Just kiss me.”

Something in the way she looked at him made Cole throw away his hesitance to follow her order and forced him to hurriedly stand up out of his seat to lean across the table and gently take her face in his hands. Samantha could not stop the faint gasp that escaped her mouth as his lips first brushed against her own. Cole pulled apart ever so slightly to look Samantha in the eyes again. The smile that grew on her face was infectious and Cole could not stop the one that appeared on his own face before pulling her face back to his own; once again letting his mouth cover hers and for the very first time allowing the world to disappear from around the two of them.