I Like... (Kleinsen)

I think...

I knocked on the door. Thoughts were racing through my head. What if he wasn't home? What if he didn't want me here? Does he think I'm annoying? Does he really only talk to me because he has to? Am I burden? Is this being too selfish? Just as I was about to head home, the door opened. It was his mom. Oh my God what do I say? My eyes were already puffy and my cheeks stained from crying so I guess it would be impossible for her not to notice the state I'm in.
"Oh honey. Evan come in, come in. Do you want me to get Jared?"
My "yes" was barely distinguished between my quick breaths as I started to sob again. Just talking to Miss Kleinman was too much for my weak mental state to handle at this point.
"Jared! Honey! Your friend is here to see you," she shouted up the stairs, "deep breaths, Evan."
I heard the slam of a door upstairs, followed by heavy footsteps trotting down the steps. Jared stopped as soon as he entered the living room, "oh my troll Jesus, who died?"
I could tell he was uncomfortable. His arms were raised in defense, his foot automatically stepped back when he saw the state I was in, and his eyebrows were raised practically to his hairline. Quickly, I turned to Miss Kleinman, "Ma'am, I'm fine," stopping to sniffle between every other word, "I'm gonna go home now, my mom will be worried if I'm not home when she gets back from school."
"No, Evan, I'll call your mom later. You're going to stay here with us until you are feeling better."
"It's really fine i-"
"Evan," Jared butted into the argument, "come on up to my room I have something to show you." He turned and started toward his room. Hastily, I got up and followed him.
When we got to his room he closed the door behind me.
"I'm really sorry for bothering you, I should really get going."
"Oh my God! You look completely pathetic!"
"Uh wow, thanks. I'm sorry. I'll leave you alone. Sorry for coming over."
"Jesus dude. Stop apologizing, and no, you're not leaving, my mom will go off on me if I don't 'comfort you'," he did air quotes.
"Uh," I stutter, trying to find my words, "okay..." I sit down on the wooden floor, beside the air vent, up against the wall. Sniffling, I pick at the grime in between the planks of floor.
"What happened?" He asked, reluctantly.
"Hm?"
"I mean, like, why are you crying?" He questioned, actually sounding genuine.
"Oh, I uh," I could hardly get the words out, "it's stupid, I'm fine, really."
"I'm your friend, you can tell me what's wrong."
Friend? Does he really consider me a friend?
"Um, I, uh- I don't-" I take a deep breath, "I don't like Zoe."
"Oh," he looked a little taken aback, "and that is a problem because...? I mean you guys have been broken up for- what is it- 2 months?"
"Ya, well, ever since freshman year, the only person I have liked is Zoe. There was never a doubt in my mind. It was always Zoe Zoe Zoe..." I trailed off a bit, " but I uh- I don't- I really- um I don't think I ever liked her? It was kind of just like everyone had a crush, you know? And I felt like it was weird that I didn't like any of the girls. So I kinda just decided that 'hey Zoe is pretty, I guess I'll have a crush on her'. But now looking back on it, I think I wasted 4 years of my, my-" I take a break to catch my breath, "I think I wasted 4 years of my life liking the wrong person."
"Oh, I guess that means you- you like someone else?"
"Ya," I whispered.
There was an awkward stillness that filled the air until Jared jumped off of his bed and plopped himself beside me on the floor, his feet placed on my lap as he stretched his legs out.
"Who is it?" He finally asked.
"No," I responded.
"Pleeaaase, you're supposed to tell your friends everything!" He pleaded.
"You wouldn't know them anyway," I said, trying to make up an excuse.
"Oh let me guess, 'she goes to a different school," he mocked me.
That jerk.
"No, you just.... Wouldn't know them."
"... Tell me about her," he demanded as he laid down, feet still on my legs.
"Well, they have really pretty blue eyes, with only the tiniest hint of brown accenting the inner corner. They have an impeccable sense of style. They can be a bit rude sometimes, but I know it's because they just don't know how to handle their emotions," I kinda stopped thinking, and just started speaking, "Oh! And he is so cute and pudgy! I always just want to give him a big hug! But he would probably never let me because we're just 'family friends," I stop talking.
He sits up and looks me straight in the eyes.
He leans forward and presses his lips into mine. I felt a spark that quickly grew into a whole fireworks show in my heart and what I wouldn't describe as butterflies, more like a swarm of birds, in my stomach.
The kiss, unfortunately, was over as quickly as it started.
"Are we, like, boyfriend's now?" He asked, regaining his breath.
"I guess so," I said as I leaned in to kiss him again.