Jared is giddy. That could only mean one thing. Caroline asked him out.
Jared and I grew up next to each other. We met when we were three and bonded over his play set and my puppy. Unfortunately when we were seven my parents moved my family to a new neighborhood. Jared and I went to different elementary schools but met again in middle school. I still remember the way his face lit up when he saw me and how I suddenly felt so warm and happy. Jared and I have been inseparable ever since. He tells me everything, including the most painful parts of his parent's divorce. I tell him everything, except for the fact that I'm in love with him and that I always have been, at least a little. He's my best friend.
Suddenly now that we have become juniors, Caroline, has decided she has a massive crush on him. And I guess I can't blame her. He is gorgeous. I just can't help but notice that she only liked him this year when he suddenly came back from Acapulco looking a little tanner, a little leaner, and a helluva lot sexier. His slightly curly light brown hair grew to a length that looked best on his head, and his sea blue eyes seemed to glow. His arm muscles had become much more defined as he had recently taken on a new job that required the use of his arms. Something I had definitely noticed when he hugged me the day he got back.
Caroline and I were friends in middle school. I had just been rejected by the popular girls and she wasn't really finding a place to fit in so we gravitated towards each other. We bonded over tennis in gym class. Apparently tennis bonding is not as effective as puppy and play set bonding as Caroline and I had a falling out freshman year. We still saw each other a lot and were forced to be civil towards one another as we still had a lot of the same friends. Every year Caroline seemed to become more confident and well, bitchy. She wasn't as cool as she thought she was though. She always talked about being a major fashion designer but would wear the weirdest outfits. For example when those long plaid button up shirts were in she wore one all the time. It would have been cute on someone twice her size but on her it made her look pregnant. Last year when Alexis, a mutual friend of ours, was going out with Drew, Caroline showed her confidence by flirting with Drew, even when Alexis was around. Needless to say Alexis wasn't friends with her after that.
Anyway the day we got back to school from Spring Break Caroline told me she was going to ask him out.
"What?" I asked stopping abruptly in the hallway. I quickly started walking again when people started to shove past me annoyed.
"Jared. I'm going to ask him out."
"I heard," I say annoyed "but why are you suddenly so interested?"
"Why are you being so touchy Jasmine?" Caroline asks turning to me as we reach my locker.
I say nothing silently putting the combination into my lock.
"Omigod! How cute! You are in love with your best friend." She says with false sincerity.
"I'm not in love with Jared." I lie. She ignores me.
"A little cliché don't you think, Jasmine?" She says making me want to rip her head off.
Now Jared and I are at his house, as we are every Friday after school, watching reality TV and making fun of everyone and everything.
"Aha! Look at Heidi's face!" Jared says.
I stay silent. Jared looks over at me and frowns.
"What's wrong Jasmine? Normally just the thought of Heidi with no makeup and shitty hair would send you into a fit of giggles." He says smiling at me.
"You said yes." I say.
"Yes to what?" He asks looking confused, his blue eyes trained on me.
"Caroline." I say, admittedly a little jealousy creeping into my voice.
"I didn't' say yes to Caroline." He says searching my eyes.
"Then why are you so dang happy?" I ask. Jared smiles.
"When I said no to Caroline she got mad and told me something." My stomach plunges to my feet. No. No. She did not tell him. And now he's silently laughing at me. He thinks it's funny. I suddenly feel like crying.
"Hey, hey what's wrong?" Jared asks when he sees my expression. He scoots over on the couch and puts an arm around me kissing my forehead.
"Don't do that." I say.
"Do what?" He asks looking confused again.
"Kiss my forehead like that, like everything is still the same, like you don't know."
"What are you talking about?" Jared asks.
"I'm talking about the fact that you know that I love you and that you're basically laughing in my face because you think it's a stupid crush! Why else would you be so happy?" Now my eyes are watering. How could he be doing this to me?
"Jasmine how could you be so stupid?"
"I can't believe you're being so mean-"
Before I can finish he pulls me into a kiss, and it's everything, no more than, I ever imagined, and I imagined it a lot. His lips crush mine fervently at first, like he's trying to shut me up. Then slower, like he wants it to last. He pulls away.
"Jasmine I love you." What.
My mouth drops open but I can't seem to form any words.
"I've been happy because I love you too."
"Then-then why didn't you say anything?" I ask
"Because I wanted to hear it from you, not Caroline." I smile.
"That bitch."
I know, I know, the whole best friend cliché, but I don't really care its so much fun to write about! I might even start a story on it.
:) Thanks for reading!
Reviews are appreciated!