”Why don’t you just say it? Just say it Danny.“ I looked into his eyes, knowing for the first time in a while that he was finally going to tell the truth.

He kicked the dirt with his sneakers, as though there was something interesting in the gravel, his face red and embarrassed.

”Look at me Danny. Just say it.“

Sighing, he looked up. ”I do love you Sophie; you know I do but, things, things have changed.“ He grimaced as he said: ”I think it might be over.“

I nodded. ”Fine.“
* * * * *

Lying on my bed, staring at my ceiling, I couldn’t stop thinking about what might have been. It was a month since he had said no more. We had been good friends, really good friends in fact, but had we wrecked it by taking it a step further? Maybe he’d been right to stop things before we went to far, before we went past the point of no return. It’s true that things weren’t quite the same. Every time we held hands it felt unnatural and every kiss felt forced; every conversation we had there was a strained tone to his voice, as though the words didn’t come as easily. The before times were the best.

Sat in the computer labs at break time, chatting, laughing and messing about. You’d crack a few jokes and play the fool, just to impress me. Not Mel. Not even Beth or Hannah. Me. Everyone thought there was something going on, we both denied it, adamant that friendship was the best way; that we needn’t go any further.

Georgia always knows best though. Pushing and pushing until we both took that final leap. She knew what we both wanted.

”Will you go out with me?“ We both said it at the same time too, as though we knew what the other was thinking. We both laughed. We both said yes.

Then things began to go down hill. The cracks began to show and then he called time out.

Raindrops slammed against the window, it’s nights like these that make you feel alone. You just want someone to cuddle with, to hold and talk to. It’s night like these you need a special someone.

Bang. I listened again. Bang. There it was again, a knocking on the window; one that doesn’t match the sound of rain. Slowly, I rose from the bed and opened the curtains apprehensively. I rubbed at the steamed up glass with my sleeve, the pane streaked with raindrop trails.

Bang. I noticed a stone drop onto the windowsill outside and my heart skipped a beat. What the heck…?

Pulling open the window I saw a figure stood in the front street, a figure I’d know anywhere; large but not fat, rugby does that to a guy. His hair was plastered to his head but he didn’t seem to care. I saw his lips move…

Sorry.

I ran downstairs and flung open the door.

I didn’t mean it.

I sprinted through the rain.

Nothing’s changed; it’s just altered a bit.

Our lips collided, sending me rocketing back into the past. The times were everything felt more wrong than right; where friendship took priority. This was oh so much better. We’d finally clicked. Our hands locked together like to pieces of the same puzzle, finally found after months of looking.

We stood like that for what seemed like forever, surrounded by nothing but the sound of rain.