Irreplacable

Irreplacable: Chapter 2

"Jack? Ja-ack? I know you're in there."

I knocked repeatedly on his bathroom door. I had been doing this for about seven minutes and he wasn't making a sound. I knew he was in there.

"Okay, Jack. I don't care if you're naked or something. I'm coming in." I turned the knob and thrust open the door.

Jack was in there, sitting next to the sink with his head leaning against the cabinet. He didn't look up at me as I walked in.

"Hey, Grace."

"Gracie. My name is Gracie."

He ignored me, obviously aware that he was using the wrong name. Or the right one. Or the different one. Definitely the different one.

"Anyways, I need to know whats up."

I plopped down next to him and leaned against the cabinet, facing him.

"You know what's up."

"Well, I don't know why it makes any difference."

"What do you mean?" He looked at me in the eye, which was really starting to kill me.

"I mean, I don't care if you like me like that."

"Don't be ridiculous, Grac-Grace."

He stumbled over my name, but I knew it was because he was trying to stop calling me Gracie.

"Jack, c'mon. I swear."

"What are you talking about?"

"Why are you making such a big deal out of this?" I turned to face straight ahead, him still staying unmoving to my left.

I felt his shoulders shrug next to me.

"Because. It's been just there for me, and I've practiced telling you so many times. And it just didn't work out like I planned, Grace."

Alright, this stupid kid was going to be the death of me.

"Gracie, Jack. Call. Me. Gracie."

"Why, Grace? It's not like it matters anymore! You're never going to talk to me again."

"I'm not going to anymore if you're acting like this. This is so not you, Jack!"

He sighed, but hesitated before replying.

"Gracie...I've never...liked a girl before."

I faced him again. We just kind of sat there. I didn't know what to say to him. I knew that he had never liked anyone, but it was still something to have him say aloud. I knew tons of girls liked Jack. He was fourteen and he was rather good-looking. He was sort of what every girl wanted. I mean, you know eighth grade girls. 'Boys, boys, boys.'

Hey, I guess that was me too. I did think Bailey Rogers was the best looking thing in the world.

But Jack was...Jack. We were best friends. I could barely think of him as more than a friend. But sometimes it was hard to NOT think of him as something more than a friend. Like when I accidentally walked in on him when he was changing and saw him shirtless. Or when I was upset and he was the only one there for me. But I never had to actually think about it like this.

"You know what, Jack?"

He smiled at me with his award winning grin.

"What, Gracie?"

I smiled at him and took a deep breath.

"You're a pretty cool guy."

And then I gave him a kiss. It was about a millisecond long and barely just a peck, but as I got up to leave, I could see him bringing his fingers up to touch his lips. The last thing I saw of him before I went home that day was Jack's goofy smile.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~••~•~•~•~•~

Jack and I have never ever spoken of this day, even though it had been 3 years.

We were still best friends, but I still...I still sometimes wondered if he thought about that day as much as I did.

********

I'm sorry this is the classic best friends romantic thing :D

But those are the one's I like to read/write the best so save your tears for the pillow.