Changes and Chances

Chapter 01: I Love You

Most people go through their lives not knowing what they truly want. I've never had that problem and I've known what, or really, I should say who, I want since I was five. Since the age of five, my best friend has held a special place in my heart and it was love at first sight for me. He captured my attention and never let go. We've been inseparable for eleven years and my feelings for him have never faltered. However, I am unsure if he shares these feelings, so I'm hesitant to reveal the truth to him and risk losing everything we share.

He had a captivating smile and let's be honest, his looks didn't hurt either. Simply put, he was drop-dead gorgeous. I could spend hours getting lost in his brilliant blue eyes and running my fingers through his short blonde hair while cuddling with him. Other things too, but we needn't get into that here.

Anyway, today is our last day of tenth grade and then it's summer vacation. I promised myself that I would finally confess my feelings to him once we got out of school this year. Oh, I forgot to mention, I'm Ethan Mitchell and my best friend is Aiden Wilson. I won't bother describing myself, but Aiden? To me, he was perfect, an Adonis. Standing tall at 5'10" with piercing blue eyes, a head of short, sandy-blonde hair, and toned with well-defined muscles from wrestling. But it was his handsome features and flawless complexion that truly took my breath away, making him simply irresistible. And let's not overlook the fact that he's a gaming nerd, just like me.

So, after the final bell rings for the day, Aiden and I head out and make our way home to play some games on his PS 9. You might remember it's the first console that is capable of multi-user full dive VR. We head upstairs to his room, set down our backpacks, and take a seat on the floor. While he begins to boot the gaming system's OS, I'm sitting there fidgeting nervously.

I finally steel myself, and look over at him. "Aiden?" I ask quietly, my voice betraying my nervousness.

Still fiddling with the VR rig, he distractedly murmurs, "Hmm?"

My heart is pounding and with every beat, it threatens to burst through my ribcage. "I have something important to tell you," I manage to say, my voice shaky. "But please, promise me you won't freak out?" My palms are sweating and my throat feels tight as I wait for his response. I feel as if the world has stopped, holding its breath, waiting for the bombshell to drop.

As I look up at him, his eyebrows furrow in confusion and maybe concern because of the way I'm acting. I can feel my heart racing and my words getting caught in my throat. "Why would I freak out?" He asks. I sit there struggling to force the words I've been wanting to say forever to cross my lips. Until he finally lets out an exasperated sigh and demands, "Well? Are you going to tell me or not?" The tension between us is palpable. For me, each second feels like an eternity as repeatedly try and fail to tell him. My mind is a chaotic mess, but I know that I have to speak up now or I never will.

I'm positively terrified, so I clench my fists so hard that my nails dig furrows into my palms. I squeeze my eyes shut and take a deep breath, steeling myself for what I'm about to say. My heart races with nervous anticipation, but I remind myself of the promise I made to see this through. And with all the courage I can muster, I finally blurt out, "I-I like you!"

He lets out a chuckle, rolls his eyes, and backhands my shoulder. "I like you, too."

My heart practically jumps out of my chest and I catch my breath, momentarily ecstatic, until I realize that he only likes me as a friend. "No, you don't get it. Aiden, I am head over heels in love with you," I nearly shout in frustration.

At first, he looks surprised but then his expression turns into a sorrowful stare. After a moment, he shakes his head slightly and responds, "I apologize, Ethan."