What is love?

7

Eric had been her friend since forever. He had been the guy next door, the boy across the hall in their apartment complex. He had been her companion in everything.

Jackie, Ruth and Eric had been the only children in their area growing up. Although Ruth had moved away early second year of high school, they had become the tree musketeers (or the three troublemakers as Mrs. Jo the old hag on the first floor would say).

Everything with Eric came with ease. They both knew where they had the other and there was never any confusion. Being with him the day he came back felt as if he never left, she still felt comforted in his presence. She could relax and the darkness that constantly hung above her head was kept slightly at bay with his dimpled smile and booming laugh.

***

He had texted her the day before, her night off from practice, saying he was coming home for Christmas.

She remembered staring at her phone for a good 30 seconds before realizing what had actually happened. Moreover, when she did realize, she could not fight the smile that split her face in two. Even if she wanted to.

She had stayed up late texting him. Apparently, he had been staying with a surfer buddy in a city a few miles over for a couple of days. He did not go into detail. However, it left her with a warm feeling and a mischievous smile.

She had fallen asleep pretty fast after that, and she even woke up before her alarm to one of her rare good days. She had hummed while eating her breakfast and the whole day she had felt warm and fuzzy on the inside. Her morning run had been over before it even started and on the way to school the sun had warmed her face and the frosty ground had sparkled with its early morning beauty. However, what surprised her was how the thought of Eric coming home had not consumed her mind the whole day.

Jackie was reluctant to admit it, but the reason for that had most likely been Paul. Their study session had been oddly entertaining.

***

They had picked Ruth up from work that evening same evening he picked her up from practice. To say Ruth was surprised was an understatement. The memory of it had Jackie's lips twitch into a smile.

She had walked out of the diner she worked at with her head low. It had started raining, and Ruth hated the wet weather. With a half jog, she was trying to reach the shelter the bus stop provided when Eric honked. Jumping at least a foot into the air, she turned towards the hunk of junk that was his car with a murderous stare. However, when her eyes landed on the beat up vehicle, it evaporated.

Her eyes were bulging out of their sockets, her mouth half-closed, jaw slack and her face slowly morphed into the most radiant smile Jackie had ever seen.

***

They had gorged fast food and ice cream after crashing in Eric's room. Jackie had never felt so full in her life, and she felt good. No guilt, no nothing.

As she looked about, Jackie found nothing had changed (other than six plus months of dust). His walls were still a pale blue; the furniture was still black and posters covering most of the surrounding surfaces. Foot ballplayers, cars, and half-naked models.

With tons of blankets and pillows, they now lay on the floor staring at the world outside through the room's skylight. They were lying shoulder to shoulder, Ruth in the middle, her bleached hair tickled Jackie's cheeks.

Staring at the sky above, Jackie could not help but smile as she remembered.

After Ruth moved, they almost only met her at school. With problems at home and a strict curfew, hanging out became though, but they did their shopping sprees and movie nights. They were just fewer and further from the last.