He Never Knew

Chapter 7

The end of August came quickly, and along with it came the fair.  Cara drug Jeffrey onto so many rides that he thought he might throw up, but Cara just laughed.  Jeffrey won her a teddy bear from one of the games.  She tried to win him something, but it didn't work out.  "Sorry bud," she said laughing, pulling Jeffrey toward a photo booth.  After three goofy pictures, she straightened up and, together, they took one nice, serious photograph.  Jeffrey couldn't honestly remember a time he had more fun.

This is basically how they spent middle school. They laughed and talked.  Cara convinced him to join band.  He played percussion.  He convinced her to try out for the play in the spring and for volleyball in the fall.  Jeffrey still didn't really talk to many people, but he did find Tyler on Facebook.  He spent his days talking to Cara and Tyler, who were his only real friends, one week in summer always spent at camp.  She spent hers doing whatever she wanted.

Fast forward to freshman year...

He never knew that high school could be so difficult.  He always seemed to be behind in classes.  He missed a lab in science, forgot an essay in English, lost his calculator in math, and always had an atrocious locker.  Cara, on the other hand, was the model student.  She always had her homework done, aced all her tests, and kept her locker perfectly organized.  She would spend hours at the library every night, studying and reviewing notes.  Of course, she drug Jeffrey along with her.  It was during these tireless hours at the library that he realized that he loved her.  He loved her, not just a 'like' or a 'puppy love.'  he loved her.  He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but of course he never said anything out loud.  How could he?

Dear Cara,

I love you.  I love everything about you.  Your kind, wonderful, amazing.  You are my greatest friend.  I don't know where I'd be without you.  You listen to me when everyone else acts like I don't exist.  But you'll never know how much you mean to me.

Jeffrey Wilson

He didn't dare to tell her about how he felt and risk losing his only friendship.  Besides, she had an enamoring crush on Cory Haggins.  He could see how she looked at Cory in math, at lunch, everywhere.  When she used to talk about youtubers and music, now she talks about Cory.  When she used to dream about writing and singing, now she dreams about Cory, his hair, his smile, his laugh.  She spends hours talking about how he's on the varsity football team, even though he's a freshman, and how he has amazing singing voice, and he might get the lead in the upcoming musical.  Jeffrey just smiled politely because hurting her was worse than hurting himself.

When she told him that Cory asked her to homecoming he just smiled and congratulated her.  When she talked about Cory's and her matching outfits for homecoming, he just smiled.  When homecoming night finally came, Cara went out with Cory, laughing and dancing, and Jeffrey sat at home, studying and crying.

He still loved her.  It was arguable that he loved her even more now.  He sat at his desk in his room writing letters to her that he knew that he would never send.  Even after homecoming had passed, she would show Jeffrey pictures of her and Cory dressed up and hugging or something.  She seemed so happy and Jeffrey just wanted her to be happy, even if it wasn't with him.  He still loved her, but never showed her because he knew that it would only make her feel mixed emotions and her happiness came first.  Her happiness was before all else.

A/N:  I know that this is a little short, but I felt that this was a good place to end the chapter, so here it is!  I hope that you are enjoying the story so far!