The Breakup Girl

Chapter Eleven

"I'm really sorry I won't be able to see you on Christmas Day," Todd sighed sitting next to me.

We were sitting on my bed watching a movie. I rested my head on his chest and was on the verge of falling asleep, until he suddenly said that.

"It sucks, I know, but I'll be here waiting for you when you get back on New Year's Eve," I teased.

Todd sat up and reached in his pocket. He pulled out a little black box tied perfectly with a blue bow. He handed it to me and I looked at him in confusion.

"I just figured I'd give you your Christmas present now."

"Well, hold on, let me get your present first. This way I won't have to feel the shame of my sucky gift," I grinned and went to my closet.

I pulled out Todd's present, covered in snowflake wrapping paper.

"Don't worry," he went along with my joke ,"except if you got me a pen, because then you should."

I sat back down on my bed and handed Todd his gift. He carefully tore the paper to reveal the collage I spent the last two weeks working on. I made sure that every inch was covered, topped off with stickers and glitter. He didn't say anything, but looked at it and beamed.

"I love it," he said and kissed me.

He really meant it, too, but I found it hard to believe that a popular, football-playing boy would want a bunch of pictures of his girlfriend for Christmas.

"Now open yours," he reminded me.

I unwrapped the blue bow and put that on my desk so I could save it. I opened the tiny box and marveled at what was in it. My eyes teared up as I gently picked up the necklace and gazed at the blue topaz, my birthstone.

Todd knew that I absolutely loved it by the look in my eyes, so he took the necklace from my hands and I pulled my hair to the side so he could put it on me.

"It's so beautiful, I don't know what to say. This must have cost you a fortune and-"

"Don't worry about that," Todd interrupted, "Do you like it?"

"I love it, but-"

That time he interrupted me with a kiss, and that shut me up. It was amazing how fast and swift I felt it. I felt something in my stomach flutter. My palms were warm, and my heart was beating. My breaths were shallow. It was the most uncomfortable and confusing feeling ever, but it was also the best feeling I have ever felt.

Could it actually be love? It had only been two months. Could I love him already? Most girls my age threw love around after a day of their week-lasting 'relationship', but not me. I wasn't that girl. I took it all very seriously. Who was I kidding? I had never been in love before, but I was pretty sure that that was it.

So, I did it. I pulled away from him and looked him in the eyes. I didn't care that I would be the first to say it. I wasn't afraid of him not saying it back.

"I love you, Todd."

You should have seen the look in his eyes.

He kissed me again and then said, "I love you, too, Paige."

But love can never last, can it?