The Boy Next Door

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"I'm doomed." Changmin said as soon as both we both got in the car.

I put my phone down and glanced around. "Don't be so dramatic, you have plenty of space to back out."

"Not the driving!" He said.

"Then what?" I asked because it was usually that.

"Heeji just...."

"Just what?? You'll kill me of anticipation."

"asked me on a date." he said very quietly. He was looking straight ahead and my jaw dropped.

"She did??" I asked. "When?? And how?"

"When you went to the bathroom just now when the bell rang. She just came up to me and asked if we could go out some time."

"And you said??"

"I-I said, I said 'I guess.'"

"YOU GUESS??" I screamed.

"Jesus! I know!" Changmin screamed with me.

"That-that's the worst possible answer!" I said.

"I didn't say no at least." He said.

"Trust me, a girl would much rather get a flat out rejection than a 'oh I maybe want to go out with you, but I'm still deciding' and shit." I explained.

"I feel bad but I wasn't thinking! I just I wanted to say no but I couldn't." He banged his forehead against the steering wheel.

"But why would you even want to say no?" I asked.

Changmin looked at me. "I told you: I just don't want that right now, especially not with her."

"Goddammit Changmin! You're impossible." I put my seatbelt on. "If not her than who?? This is probably the best opportunity you're ever going to get in your life!"

"I don't know why you're so insistent on forcing this on me." He put his seatbelt on too. "And what about you?"

"What about me?" I asked.

"I just mean.... if I were to date her don't you think that would be weird?"

My eyebrows shot up. "What do you mean by that?"

"Not like that--god, you know it's not like that." Changmin said with frustration and I breathed a sigh of relief. "I meant that I would have less time to hang out with you, and everything would change. Like for example I might have to drive her home instead of you."

"Why can't you drive both of us home?"

"Because aren't couple car rides like supposed to be..... whatever I can't think of this it's making me sick." Changmin turned his long neck to look behind him before he began to back out of the parking spot.

"It would be alright," I continued as he slowly drove away from the school. "You and I would always be best friends, it doesn't really matter how much time we spend together no?"

He swallowed. "I guess." he sighed. "I just can't--Argh!"

"Calm down drama queen."

"I just can't even imagine myself with someone." He said. "other than you."

"What?" I laughed. "Us? Together? Ha!"

"And not out of my own free will just so we're clear." Changmin said and drove down the road. "Remember when you had your tragic middle school breakup and my mom made me promise I would marry you if this ever happened again?"

"I remember." I said.

"And every single time our mom's mention it I guess... I don't know. Not like it's an enjoyable thought of us ending up together, I mean I can't even imagine how that would happen." Changmin said. "But even more than that I can't imagine myself with someone else, you know?"