Short Stories

Unrequited Love

  It was 1983 when their friendship began. Ron Camden and Amanda Williams met on the first day of preschool. Ron was a very sweet, but shy little boy and liked to stay to himself. He had ash-blonde hair, hazel eyes, and a few freckles across his nose and cheeks.

     One day at Leonard Town Learning Center, Ron was hanging on the monkey bars when another little boy named Daniel pulled down Ron's pants. Ron was humiliated and ran to the back of the play yard, sat under a large oak tree, and cried. No teachers cared to check on him or any other children. There was one exception. Suddenly Amanda tiptoed behind the tree and plopped down beside him. She hugged him tight so he wouldn't be able to run away. She knew he was embarrassed, but she cared about him.

"Just go away!" Ron sobbed.

"And why do you think I'll do that?" Amanda asked.

They talked and played for the rest of recess and soon the two of them became inseparable. Amanda was strong and confident. She wasn't afraid to stand up for Ron when he was being bullied, even if it meant she would be bullied too.

      Amanda's kindness and tenderness still remained through elementary and middle school. All of their teachers knew that if they weren't seated together, they would talk across the room. So, in every class, in every grade, they were always together.
  
      Amanda had a major influence on Ron's life. She was his backbone. Without Amanda, Ron had no confidence.

    In the ninth grade, Amanda tried out for the cheer team and with a lot of practice and encouragement from Ron, she made the varsity team. Ron was excited to watch Amanda cheer and now he would actually have a reason to go to the football games. Little did he know, things between he and Amanda would change. When football season started and Amanda had less time to spend with Ron, they became more distant. Even though she became friends with the snobby, popular cheerleaders, Amanda remained the same. She ignored all of their snide comments when she would talk to Ron or sit with him at lunch. This was when Ron knew she was the one for him. That season showed him that Amanda was sure of herself and could not be persuaded to think differently. During the course of freshman year, Ron made a few new friends. They were more along the lines of acquaintances. Ron would never be able to open up and share his feelings with anyone the way he could with Amanda.

     Amanda continued to cheer. During the school years, she and Ron were not able to be as close due to long practices and games, but during the summers they were again inseparable. They even got jobs at the local Leonardtown yogurt shop. This way, they could make money, but still hangout.

     Amanda and Ron's families became good friends and they included each other in Christmas gatherings and Thanksgivings. During their junior year of high school, Ron's family was invited to Amanda's family's Thanksgiving dinner. While their parents drank wine and reminisced, Ron and Amanda sneaked outside to the pond. They sat at the end of the wooden pier and watched the orange sun sink below the tree line. Ron could feel electricity between them. His hand twitched as he felt the magnetic pull towards her. As he slowly slid his hand over to hers, she lifted it and pointed to a family of ducks near the side of the pond.

"Awww! Look how sweet!" She exclaimed.

"Adorable", Ron sighed.

Ron's courage to make a move quickly came and quickly fled.

      In May, the entire junior class was invited to the annual end of the year party. Ron went with John and Cody, his new friends. They sat around a huge smoldering fire, listened to music and drank beer like their lives depended on it. Once Ron's thinking became cloudy, he began to talk to John about his love for Amanda. He told of his deepest feelings and wishes for her.

    Ron awakened the next day in the back seat of his truck. His head was throbbing and he smelled sour. He couldn't remember anything from the night before. All he could remember was a fog of smoke and alcohol.

     John misunderstood Ron and falsely remembered Ron saying that Ron and Amanda were dating. Soon word of it got back to Amanda and without talking to Ron about it, she quickly quit her job at the yogurt shop so she would not have to been around him. Ron was worried because she wouldn't return his calls. He had no idea what he had done.

   In July, John came into the yogurt shop while Ron was working. They talked and joked about the crazy end of the year party and then Ron asked if John knew why Amanda wouldn't talk to him. John quickly reminded Ron of what he had supposedly told him that night. Ron felt horrible. He couldn't possibly have said they were dating, could he? He called Amanda several times to try and apologize for the rumor.

    Senior year came fast. Amanda ignored him every day and tried her best to not cross paths with him. He became depressed and soon he lost his guy friends too because he always made himself unavailable.

   Even though Ron and Amanda weren't friends anymore, their families remained close. November rolled around and it was Amanda's family's turn to visit Ron's Thanksgiving dinner. During the dinner the snow fell out of the sky and covered everything in a think, icy blanket. Ron's house was surrounded by snow and the door wouldn't budge. They were snowed in. Amanda had ignored Ron during the entire gather and created meaningless conversations with random family members. Now she couldn't ignore Ron. He coaxed her to go to his room to talk.
   
   "I know what you heard sounds really bad. I was drunk that night. I don't even remember anything about that conversation. I don't know what I could ever do to make it up to you, but I'm a wreck without you", he rambled.

Amanda looked anywhere, but at him. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears.

"I can't remember a day that I didn't love you, Amanda. I just don't see why you freaked out, even if I did say something stupid like that", said Ron.

"Ron, we've been best friends ever since I can remember l. I could never date you. You're more like a brother I never had. Remember the time you pushed me down the stairs and I busted my forehead open? And the time I laughed so hard at your funny faces that I peed on myself in your room? Those are memories that you share with your childhood best friend. Not your true love. I guess I don't see things the way you do", she tried to explain.

    "So, you wouldn't even try it out? Well, I mean, us?" He asked trying not to sound desperate.

  "I'm so sorry. Ron. I just don't feel the same. And I don't think it is a good idea for us to be friends. It would be too uncomfortable now", she answered.

  The tears that had built up in his eyes finally overflowed once Amanda left his room. His true love was gone. This time, he knew it was for good.

He couldn't live a happy life without Amanda in it. Everywhere he went, all he could see was her face, all he could hear was her laugh, and all he could feel was the emptiness in his heart that she had once filled. After the first semester Ron dropped out of high school and went to live with his aunt in Wyoming.

    The morning he was to leave, he stopped by her house and left a note on her doorstep. He had to tell her goodbye. He needed that closure. He boarded the train at 7:30 a.m and as he looked out of the window at the beautiful yet dreadful snow, he wondered why he couldn't be the one to keep her warm.

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A/n:

Hey everyone. I decided to create this collection of stories to let you guys get an open idea of how many ideas I have in my mind. I hope you all enjoy all my ideas. Love you guys!!! ❤️
Peace ✌️
                 - 🌸Mal🌸