I see my mom sitting at the kitchen table. "Mom, I need to talk to you." I start from the beginning and then end with the words I think I like my best friend. "What do I do?" She tells me to breathe and stay calm. She explains how she thought we were perfect for each other since we were little. She tells me that honesty is the most important thing in a friendship and that I should tell him before it is too late. She tells me to follow my heart and just go for it. She then wishes me good luck.
I finish all the makeup work I have to do then take initiative and text Jake. I write, "Hey, can we talk?" I press send and await for the message. I go back on my computer checking my phone constantly, still no response. Minutes go by and I decide to call his home phone but when I do, no one picks up. Why won't he answer? I just need to talk to him, it is important. I hear a chime on my phone but it is Travis. He writes, "Hey beautiful." How sweet of him, I start writing back. "Hi, how are you?" I see that he is writing back so I wait for him to respond. Chime. "I am good, how are you today? Have you told guy yet?" "No. I texted him and called him but no response. What do I do?" Travis says, "Don't make it look like waiting for him is the only thing you can do. Keep busy in the meantime." "Okay like what?" Travis writes back, "Do you want to get some coffee? It's my treat." "Yeah, sure. I would like that." "Okay I will pick you up in 20 minutes, I just need your address. I run downstairs and ask my mom if it is okay and she says as long as I am back before it is dark. I run back upstairs to straighten my hair and put on a cute outfit and a squirt of perfume.
I hear a honk outside then the doorbell rings. I run downstairs to open the door and yell to my mom that I am leaving. Travis walks me to his car and opens the door for me. He is such a gentlemen. He starts up the car and we start talking. I tell him we should go to Starbucks since I have never been there. He agrees and then we head there. We find a parking spot and walk to the doors of Starbucks. I order what I want and he does the same. I find a table and then seconds later he comes over with both coffees in hand.
As I am drinking my coffee, guess who walks in. Jake and Madison again hand in hand. They order their coffee then Jake finally turns around and looks me in the eye with this puzzled look on his face. He goes to sit on a couch in the back where he starts to make out with Madison. Gross. I turn back to Travis. "It was really nice of you buying me coffee but I can't do this. He is here with her." Travis turns around to see who I am talking about then tells me, "That is what he wants you to do, leave. Please just stay for me. We can even go somewhere else if it makes you feel better?" "We can stay here for a little more but I just can't stand him not even acknowledge the fact that I am right here."
"I know, but listen. I am here for you whenever he isn't, okay? As a friend or close friend I won't let you down." "Thank you, Travis. It was really sweet of you to step in." We finish our coffees and I stand up and give Travis a tight hug for about 10 seconds. I look up and notice that Jake is staring at me with this appalled look on his face. I look at Travis and kiss him on the cheek and then we walk out. Bye Jake, I think to myself. I look back to see if Jake is going to come after me but to my dismay he goes back to making out with Madison again. Travis takes me home and I thank him for the coffee. I tell him I will text him later this week and with that he drives off.
The next two weeks were a blur to me. I haven't spoken or made eye contact with Jake since I saw him at Starbucks. He doesn't even sit with me at lunch anymore, he kind of just left me alone. He has been so busy with Madison he doesn't even have time to text or call me anymore. I feel lonely without him. He is my best friend and the one I would talk to when I am feeling down. Ever since I met Travis, it is like he is taking over Jake as my best friend. I am glad that Travis is there to talk whenever I need him.
I created a new routine for myself. Wake up, school, lunch by myself or with some of my old friends, and then walk home by myself and do homework all night. I think to myself of how I should have told Jake about my feelings for him already but I am too scared of what he will say. When I am home I fix my makeup and change my clothes into something pretty, grab my phone and head to Jake's house. I don't see any cars which is good because it means no one is home. I ring the doorbell and seconds later someone opens the door. It is Jake with Madison at his side. He greets me, "Hey Nicole. What's up?" Madison is clung to his arm like a magnet. Wherever he goes, she goes. "I need to talk to you in private, it is really important." Jake tells Madison to go relax on the couch and that he will be back in a few.
Jake leads me to his room. I head up there and it is like everything has changed about his room. "What is so important, Nikki? Madison is waiting for me." I say, "Ever since you have been hanging around and dating Madison, it is like you have completely ignored the fact that I still exist." "That isn't true I have lunch with you every day." "Are you sure about that, because last time I checked you sit with Madison every day in a different spot not even bothering to tell me that you found somewhere else to sit. Do you know how that made me feel? It made me feel awful and like my heart had been crushed." Seconds pass and you can see Jake trying to process what I just said. "No, you are just a jealous b**** who can't stand that I am happy for once." I start to feel tears rushing down my face. "You don't know me anymore. I haven't experienced anything love related. Nothing. I have tried so hard for you to realize how I felt about you. I wanted you to see beyond my imperfections and all that it has left me with is a broken heart. And ever since we met... I loved you, and you were too blind to see it. You chose another girl and that girl wasn't me. That's what you don't understand. I am sorry I didn't tell you sooner which would have saved me a lot of heartache but I got scared of what would happen." I exhale softly after finally telling him how I felt about him. "I can't deal with this right now, Madison is waiting for me." I turn around and run down the stairs crying, Jake runs after me but I am too fast. I run into the distance as far as I cannot even daring to look back. I say to myself how stupid I am for knowing that this wouldn't have happened. I guess this is how it is going to be from now on.
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I cannot believe Jake didn't even take the time to respond to Nicole. How rude of him.
