“I Believe You”
– A short story from my story, Jerk Candy. Get caught up in the unknown relationship between our Methius Rosas and Julian Vasquez...
“Can miles truly separate you from friends... If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there? “
-Richard Bach
No matter how many times I read the message in my head, the words never stop surprising me.
From: Julian Vasquez
Hey! I’m in town :) Can’t wait to hang out with you! Been waiting for this the whole month!
I looked out my passenger window at the passing street signs. In only a few minutes, I was about to see the face that I dreamed of, the voice that sent my heart racing. My breaths were faster already when we arrived at the park where he was waiting for me.
Stop this! I thought. Remember! This is just Julian! He left only a year ago! You’re just hanging out with him! Catching up, not going on a date! Sighing, I shook my head a little to try to think clearly.
Two years ago, me and Julian became friends as freshman at our high school. When I first met him, I instantly crushed over him. Coming into high school and finding out you’re a guy that is crushing over someone you barely met is not really a good start. While I did have feelings for both sexes (bisexual FYI), I never really acted on my “guy” feelings until I met him. Long story short, while working on an English project together, our subject got on to who we liked. It turned out that we both liked someone who we thought that if they knew we liked them wouldn’t wasn’t to be friends anymore. Well after constantly dodging questions, we decided to say the names of people we liked at the same time. Now when I counted down I wasn’t going to say anything. I just wanted to hear who Julian liked because I knew it couldn’t be me…..but when I stayed quiet he said “you…”
So after two years of lots of drama and helpless love he left to Dallas where his dad had accepted a job offer. Thinking that probably it was the best if he left, I soon found myself thinking if he was alright or did he like it there. Were the people mean or hurting him? Had someone already fallen for my ……..friend? While I knew I had fallen in love for this kid, I had grown use to the burning pain across my heart as I always said the word “friend”. I had thought that if I could come to the fact that I was just that, his FRIEND, then I wouldn’t have to feel bad. But this pain never went away because a part of me never let him fit in the FRIEND section of my heart. He was always something more…..
Those two years with him, even with every new piece of my heart that broke because of him, I picked it up and only felt my feelings for him intensify and deepen. Everyone thought of him as a jerk, a man whore, a cheater, but for me, he was one I truly could understand. Julian confided in me as I did with him. I completely understood why he did these things and I would forgive him. We were best friends, and though sometimes I felt we could be much more, I would be reminded by his latest fiasco that he sure hadn’t felt that.
I was pulled back into reality when my phone went off playing “Heartbeat” by Enrique Iglesias. I knew who that ringtone belonged to all too well. I have GOT to change that! I pressed the talk button and took a deep stuttering breath. “Hey Julian”
“Hey! Where are you?” the playful voice answered.
“Haha, why? You sound like a stalker!” I teased.
“Really? So, where you at?” I could hear the smile in his voice.
I looked across at the park scanning for a bench with one person in it and sure enough, at the farthest bench I saw him. He was looking around like me and held his phone to his ear. I started making my way towards him while his back was exposed to me. “Turn around,”
