Friends Forever?

    Dave had been my best friend for as long as I could remember. Since we were

little kids we stuck together like glue and as we grew older we only got closer, but in the

tenth grade things had began to change between us; things all fueled by a dance.

    “So….” I said with resounding curiosity.

    “So….” Dave replied, up-playing his amusement, which I could see dancing

behind his glinting green eyes.

    “So? You said your going to ask someone to the dance?” I quickly stated not even

bothering to hide my wonder.

    “Well… er yeah.” mumbled Dave, as he nervously flipped his bronze locks out of

his eyes, his nervous twitch.

    “Are you going to tell me who she is?” I said sweetly attempting to coax him out

of the shy shell that he tends to retreat into when he’s embarrassed.

    “Yeah,” he whispered, smiling at me proudly while the blush from his cheeks

started to fade, “but not now, later. I‘m so excited she’s so beautiful. I think she might say

yes too!”

    I gave him an unwavering smile even though inside my chest I heard my heart

begin to crack. When I could once again form my thoughts into words I began to zone

back into what he was animatedly telling me about, my smile still plastered on my face.

    “…going to pick her up and have the limo drive us to that nice Italian restaurant

you told me about. Oh jeez! What about flowers! Roxy do you think roses are more

romantic than daisy’s?”

    When I was finally able to use my mouth I replied in the most casual voice I could

muster, “Dave, I think you can handle it, you’re a big boy now.” saying the last bit with a

slight catch in my voice, while patting his shoulder robotically.

    “Oh come on Roxy, please help me I‘m not so good with this stuff.” Dave pleaded

in the voice that made me always let him get his way.

    “Nuh-uh!” I said firmly the old feelings of happiness returning as he got down on

his knees.

    “Roxy! You’re my only hope!” Dave begged his voice turning into a slight whine,

messing up his features making him look like the monkey I’d always known.

    “Fine,” I said giving in smiling and trying not to laugh at his face which had not

returned to its normal composure yet, “get her roses, that’s what I‘d like if I were her.”

    His glinting green eyes smiled at me and he strode to my side just as the bell rang

cutting him off as he muttered his thanks in my ear his lips brushing my reddish brown

hair. He leaned over me and kissed my forehead softly so as not to mess up my bouncy

bangs. Then he jogged to his next class, hollering from ahead of me, “You’re my best

friend Roxy. Thanks so much!”

    The rest of the day I couldn’t think of anything but his lips, but the rational part of

me told me that his lips were off limits, he was Dave! He was my friend and he couldn’t

break my heart, he was the one who always helped me pick up the pieces. Then the

emotional part of me told me that inside I had always loved him and now was the time to  

stop pretending. Dave was always there for me but right then I didn’t trust myself to not

go up to him and tell him what my heart felt was true. I had to stay away for a little while

until I figured out what was happening to my heart.

    I spent the next three days avoiding Dave and making many pathetic attempts to

decode what my heart seemed to be telling me, but when Dave caught me trotting to the

library hastily on the forth day he headed me off and cheerfully stopped me from going in

the doors.

    “Roxy!” he called happily as he slid closer to me.

    “Dave,” I called somewhat less enthusiastically, “What’s up?”

    It seemed that Dave immediately saw that I was upset about something and his

smile faded slightly. “Oh, well I‘ve got something to show you!,” he waited expectantly

as I nodded my head to encourage him to continue, “I want you to meet her.” he smiled

that old blush returning to his cheeks. I immediately knew who he meant and as he

beckoned me to follow him he took my hand, warming it to its very core and he

sprinted down the hall with me, leaving behind my shattered heart.

    When we stopped he made me shut my eyes as he took my hand and escorted me

into a dark room, with what I could make out from behind my eyelids held a small

flickering light. As he whispered in my ear that I could open my eyes, his pepperminty

breath tickling my neck, I obeyed finding myself looking at a tall brunette girl with bits of

red peppered through her hair, gazing at me with a look of surprised curiosity on her face.

Her chocolaty eyes skimming over me as I was her, her long fingers gripping Dave’s

hand, but Dave was holding my hand. The realization crept into me as I stared at my

reflection clinging to Dave as he whispered to me, “I told you she was beautiful.” Turning

me around he faced me and asked if I would go to the dance with him. Tears dripping

along my cheeks, I was unable to speak, I could only nod my head profusely as he held

me close. When I calmed down and gazed up at him I smiled and softly spoke, “I thought

you‘d never ask.” His lips moved down and locked with mine sharing a secret dance with

each other in this dark candlelit room which I now noticed had a picnic blanket set on the

floor by the mirror. He had planed this all for me, Dave or as he was now my Dave.