One-shot collection

1

Smiling on the outside but dying on the inside

"Hi, I'm Ian, what's your name?"

Those were the first words that he told me when we first met. I remember how his green eyes brightened when he smiled at me for the first time; how those pretty eyes made me grin at him in return. He had his hand outstretched towards me for a hand shake, and I took it; despite the fact that his hand was muddy and dirty. That was how our friendship started.

I loved him since then, but it was purely platonic.

It wasn't long before I classified him as my bestfriend.

He had defended me against bullies in grade school and I helped him to get rid of his fan girls; He's quite a charmer ever since we were young. Ian lives two houses down from mine, so we were definitely close. When we were kids, whenever his parents were away and he was scared, he would always go to my house every night and climb the tree beside my bedroom window (he got bruises and multiple cuts but he learned from experience). We would sleep side by side.

When my parents divorced when I was eight, I ran to him and bawled my eyes out. He didn't get annoyed, he didn't complain; he just hugged me and told me that he'll never leave me.

I was 12 my friends set me up on a date by a dare; the guy made a move on me. I didn't know that Ian had followed us and, after seeing what the guy was doing to me, he beat him up. He told me that he would always protect me.

When my biggest bully threw a jar of worms at me, I ran and searched for Ian. Three days after that, Ian was suspended for a week. Turns out that he punched the bully on the face. I remember seeing the black eye. I didn't know that Ian was that strong.

We treat ourselves like siblings. My parents and his often teased us that we would be married someday and have lots of babies but I just laughed at them. Ian's like the big brother that I wish I could have.

Those crazy rumors started when we reached middle school when our classmates thought that we were dating for we were inseparable. But we just laughed at their remarks and ignored their judgmental gazes. We always had different classes, but he always waited for me and we'd go home together; throwing corny jokes and childish teases all the way.

I forgot how it started but suddenly, I begun to feel a bit weird whenever I'm with my bestfriend. My heart would beat faster than normal whenever his gaze met mine; he would smile at me and my gloomy day would instantly brighten. It was weird at first for I've never felt anything like it before.

It took me a while to realize that I like him.

I like him more than a friend.

It felt like it was my own dirty little secret.

I cried about it. I felt horrible.

I was 14 when I noticed the changes in body; how I seem to be more conscious of my weight and how the bump on my chest seemed to be more noticeable. Ian has changed too; his facial features had sharpened and he was suddenly way taller than me. I don't know why, I don't know how; but I started to notice just how good-looking my bestfriend is. That was enough to creep me out.

I wanted to hold hands with him forever. Surprised by my own thoughts back then, I distanced myself a little away from him.

He noticed that and asked me what was wrong. I just faked a smile and told him that it was nothing. But he knew who I am, so he didn't believe me. I end up confessing about the boy that I like, but I could never be with him.

That's a little melodramatic for a pre-pubescent.

Instead of noticing that the 'boy' I'm referring to is him, he just grinned and hugged me tightly; saying that I'm finally growing up. Know what he said?