Cold In LA // Why Don't We

Ten

"Hey, do you mind if I come over for a bit?" I spoke softly over the phone, my heart beating out of chest.

"Yeah, do you want me to get like pizza or something and we can watch a movie?" Daniel asked.

"No, I just want to talk to you." I told him. He was silent for a moment.

"Okay," he laughed nervously, "is everything alright?"

"Yeah, totally fine. I'll see you in a minute." I hung up, grabbing my pink vans from beside the front door. "Mom can I go to Daniel's?" I yelled, quickly exiting the house before she could give me an answer.

—

"What's up?" Daniel asked, opening the front door and stepping aside for me to walk in.

"Do you think rumors are true?" I said, not knowing how to ask if he liked me.

"What rumors?" He looked at me like I had grown another head.

"Just in general, like when someone tells you something about someone else, does it usually turn out to be true."

"Sometimes I guess," we both walked up the stairs to his room, "why, is there a rumor about you or something?" He seemed genuinely concerned for the first time in a long time.

"No, it's more about someone I'm close to."

"Christina?" he asked. I shook my head no, "Jonah?"

"No."

"Then who?"

"I don't want to name names." I fidgeted with my thumbs.

"Can you tell me the rumor then?" He sat down on his bed.

"Well, it's like a crush thing. Someone told me this person liked their good friend, but their good friend likes someone else." I could feel my face turn red with a downcast expression.

We both were uncomfortable with the awkward atmosphere of the room. It was quiet for far too long before he spoke, "that's rough." he avoided eye contact, "just to be clear this is about me? That's why you're here?"

I shook my head yes, "It can't be true right, we're best friends." He said nothing. "Daniel-"

"I like being your friend, it's not like liking you was ever in my life plan, but I think you are so great and I could treat you so well-" He began to say.

"Daniel, please just be my friend. You are so great and I don't want anything to come in between us. Promise just to be my friend."

"Yeah okay. Friends to the end. It's better that way, I can tell you really like Jonah." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"I really do."