Make Me Believe.

Chapter 19

"Catch me if you can !" I stuck my tongue at the blonde kid. I started running, and so did he.

"Of course I can !" He said. He was just behind me. He touched my back and said, "Tag ! You're it !"

"Not fair ! That wasn't fair !"

"Come on Em, everytime I touch you, you say it's not fair," the six year old complained.

"But I hate to lose !" I replied, crossing my arms. He looked at me with his deep brown eyes, picked a dandelion and gave it to me.

"There. You lost, but you have this dandelion." He smiled.

"Thanks." I took the yellow flower, put it carefully in my messy hair, touched him, and ran away laughing. "YOU'RE IT !"

"Now that isn't fair !" He pouts. "Let's go play on the swings instead !" I turn around, walk over to him and say,

"Alright, but you push me."

"Why ?" He whines. "I always push you !"

"Please," I give him my best puppy eyes. "Please, Jake."

I woke up in the middle of the night, shivering, in the huge room Harry and I now shared. Why did I dream of him ? Of our earliest moments together ? That dream was so realistic.. It wasn't a dream. It was a memory. It felt weird to dream of something that really happened. But it felt even weirder that I dreamt of Jake.

He kissed you, a part of me says.

But he's your best friend, the other part fights back.

It'll never be the same again.

But that doesn't mean you can't be friends again.

I get up, leaving a snoring Harry in the bed. Sighing, I get my phone and go in the hallway, barefoot, wearing only Harry's oversized shirt and sit in the stairs. I dial the number I always knew by heart.

"Emily..." A sleepy boy says. "Why are you calling me at three in the morning ?"

"Sorry" I whisper. "I don't.. I can't live knowing we're not friends anymore"

"I'm sorry for messing up your prom." He replies. "I was drunk, but I shouldn't have..."

"It's okay, really, whatever. But.. I really want us to be friends... Like we used to. I don't want anything to change."

"It won't"

"Promise ?"

"I swear"

"I love you too, Jake.. Just not in that way and.. I'm so sorry, so sorry that I don't." I whisper, trying not to cry. "I try to imagine how you're feeling but.. I can't, and..."

"Shh, it's alright."

"No, it's not. Jake, you deserve so much better than me, you'll move on, and find someone better than me." I feel the tears streaming down my cheeks. "Someone that'll love you back."

"I always thought that someone.. Would be you."

"I'm sorry... I'm so so sorry." I cry out.

"Don't cry, shh, please, don't cry. I love you."

"I..." I start to say, but I choke on my words.

"You should go to sleep." He says. "Hey, Em ?"

"Y-yeah ?"

"You're on your period, huh ?" He said and I laughed. He read me like an open book.

"Started tonight" I stop crying. "How did you know ?"