Fictional Friday; The River

Hey there guys. So, I wanted to share with you some fiction that I wrote. I actually had to write it for a poetry class, believe it or not. However, I am so excited to be writing some short stories, thus creating a new feature on Finding My Voice called 'Fictional Friday'. Nonetheless, all of the story is completely fiction. If there are any representations of any actual characters, then it's completely coincidental. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the story.

Here we were again. Near a peaceful river, where there was nothing but old memories, and new discoveries. Where I sat on a gray boulder with him by my side, so close that I could hear his breathing. It was so quiet, so peaceful, and I could see the reflection of the water mirroring up back at us. This was our place, that one place of peace that we can go to whenever we just needed a break from the world. Greenery was surrounding us. I felt like it was in some twisted real life fairy tale.

Daniel looked down at me, and he smiled. I remember when I first fell in love with that smile. He was handsome, kind of like the stereotypical Prince Charming. He had floppy auburn hair, the kind that just seemed to naturally fall just right. It was in a high school crowded cafeteria, where there was loud noise, a couple making out a table over from us, and obnoxious freshmen that thought that they knew everything when they clearly didn't. He sat next to me, and we became friends.

The last time we were here, the lines between friendship and relationship have been blurred. It was two years ago, when we were fresh out of high school. We went to prom together, and all signs pointed that we were headed towards coupleville. But, when I started college things changed.

Now, things were different. We knew that we were meant to be friends. We knew that it would only be fair, to my boyfriend to be friendzoned. In some way, we did that to each other. But still, there was some kind of strong feeling deep down in the lining of it.

"Remember when we went here a few years ago?" I asked, breaking the awkward silence.

He nodded. "Yeah." He seemed like he was depressed about it, an underlying tone of regret that was underneath it all.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked.

He nodded.

"What?" I challenged.

"I regret not kissing you here two years ago", he muttered. I was reminded of Charlie Brown who was too shy to even approach the little red haired girl. He sounded reluctant to admit it, like he knew it was wrong.

"Why don't you now?" I asked. I knew that this was wrong, but I really didn't care. I had Andrew's feelings to consider. Well, I should consider them anyways. All I could think about was the hunger that I felt for Daniel's lips that were gently brushing against mine. I shouldn't be thinking about it, because I had made my decision and we were now just friends. This wasn't in the relationship bible. This was in the relationship commandments. Thou shall not kiss people that were not your partner.

"What about your boyfriend?" he asked.

"I think that you're going to become my boyfriend. That is, if you decide to kiss me right this very second." I smiled and attempted to gaze at him flirtatiously. I failed.

He kissed me, and it was wonderful. It felt like something was charging between the two of us, like I was positive and he was negative. Together we were perfect, however, I still thought about Andrew. His face when I would tell him its over.

However, I didn't think about that now. I thought about how good it was to kiss him in this very moment. How his lips felt like pillows when they rubbed against mine. I wondered if he was wearing Chapstick.

He pulled away. "So....?" he asked.

I swallowed hard. I knew what I had to do, despite the fact that it was going to break Andrew's heart. "I have a call to make when I get home."

The rest of the day was filled with us making out near that rock. When I finally stumbled in my house, I saw Andrew on my porch. With a bouqet of freshly picked daisies. A rock formed at the pit of my stomach.

He kissed my cheek. "How was your walk?"

"It was okay."

"Is something wrong?"

I stared at him, in the eyes. I knew that I couldn't lie to him. He reminded me of a puppy. He's intentions were innocent, and he was loyal. Never would Andrew dream of kissing another girl.

I gotta tell him. "Andrew I kissed another guy."

He looked like I told him that the world was ending. I could see tears fill up in the brim of his light blue eyes, and he trying to be brave and making sure he stood strong.

"Daniel?"

"Yes."

He turned away.

"I'm sorry." There was nothing else to say, despite the fact that I actually wasn't. My actions weren't something that I was proud of, however I didn't feel one ounce of sorrow for them. I guess I was the most selfish person in the world, not caring about others' feelings. I must be driving a knife into his heart, and now I couldn't even feel sorry for the blood he was shedding on my account.

"It's over", he said, voice breaking. He turned to leave. I didn't stop him. I watched him drive away in the car that once made us, well us. I didn't cry. All I wanted was Daniel.

I decided to wait a week before calling him. I wanted to show Andrew some degree of respect before flaunting my relationship with Daniel. When I finally did, the phone didn't ring.

"Hey", he said. He sounded like he was waiting for my call.

"You gotta moment?"

"All of the time in the world."

"Come over then."

In five minutes, he was at my porch.

"So we broke up."

He took it as an invitation to kiss me.

I pulled away. "Wait."

"What?" he asked. "I can kiss you now."

"Says who?" I asked biting my lip.

"Says your boyfriend", he said.

"You have to ask me that", I said.

"Okay", he asked. He got down on one knee, and grabbed my hand. His palms were drenched with sweat.

"Lauren. You've been my best friend since sophomore year. However, I want you to be more than that. Will you be my girlfriend?"

I nodded. I knew this was right, depsite the fact of the lack of sorrow that I felt when Andrew on this same porch said we were done. Some things come natural despite that we may not want them to. And therefore, we must not feel sorry for them. Instead, we must embrace the natural things and how like rivers,someting things just flow together.

Like they are supposed to be.

He's NOT the Man.

It was one of those Marches that began as a lion, but appear to be leaving as a lamb. The snow was melting, revealing pieces of green grass that were from the hard snow. It was a new beginning, and a chance for a new opportunity.
I looked at the newly boomed I was waiting to meet George, my best friend from high school. We usually met one Sunday a month to have Sunday brunch and to catch up with each other. We had this little cafe that we considered to be our place, which was between the frozen yogurt shop and the bookstore.
George was always fashionably late, so I sat on the bench outside waiting for him. It truly was a nice day. After five minutes of waiting I was able to spot his fitted yellow pants from the  distance. He was also wearing white Ray-Bans, and a black shirt with a yellow tie. He walked with attitude, strutting down the sidewalk as if it was a runway and he was a model rocking the latest fashions.
“Darling!”  he said, as he gave me a hug and kissed me on both cheeks . “How are you?”
I smiled and hugged him back. “I’m good how are you?”
He grinned. “I’m good. I have amazing news to tell you. Shall we go get some coffee?”

“Of course,” I said.

We went inside and got coffee. He got a latte with skim milk. . I got a hot chocolate, because I never really enjoyed the taste of coffee. We shared  a giant chocolate chip cookie to share.

“So,” I said, taking a sip of my lukewarm hot cocoa. “Tell me the good news.”

He ripped off a piece of our cookie. “So you know that guy I’ve been seeing for a while?”

I nodded. He’s been involved with James for the past few months. James also went to our old high school. He was in the grade below us, and very openly gay. So was George for that matter. However, James had an ego the size of Alaska, and more chicks than  the quarterback on the football team I often thought he was in a relationship with himself.

“Yes”,  I said. “What about him?” I had an idea of what he was going to say, and began to brace myself.

“We’ve decided to get married! Isn’t that wonderful?”

I felt my jaw drop so low that I could probably taste the linoleum on the floor “What?”

“We’ve decided to get married. He asked me yesterday, so you’re one of the first to know.”

I didn’t know what to say. I knew it was a big mistake, because something was off about James. I had said that from day one. He thought everyone in the world should cater to him and his needs. Every guy in school liked him, and I was more than positive that he knew it. I was sure that he didn’t have a non-superficial bone in his body. I knew that George could do so much better. I had made that very clear.

“George, are you sure about this?” I asked.

“Of course I’m sure. What makes you think that I’m not? You know, you’ve never liked James too much. Can’t you give him a chance?”

I opened my mouth to say something, but then I saw it. All sound exited my mouth, and I was left with nothing to say. Out of the  cafe window, I saw James holding hands with a very attractive male. He was wearing George’s favorite purple zip up hoodie sweatshirt. They stopped walking, and embraced into a very passionate kiss.

“I can’t give him a chance, because he’s kissing another man,” I said, pointing to the end of the movie scene that was being played live right outside.

George turned. “OHMYGOD! That liar!” He stormed out of the coffee shop, racing towards them like the Road Runner Cartoon. He looked like a mixture of devastated and angry, a volcano ready to explode.

I watched them through the the glass of the window as George confronted him. George looked like he had been stabbed in the back, while James looked like he hadn’t done anything wrong. I couldn’t exactly decipher what he was saying, but when James took off the sweatshirt, I knew that the nuptials were no more. After ten minutes, he headed back towards me. I didn’t know what to say, but I knew that I had to be supportive because it was clear that he needed me. However, on the inside I wanted to gloat.

“You know what?” he asked.

“What?” I asked.

“You were right, and I was wrong.”

I laughed. “It’s about time you realized that .”

“Seriously? Why couldn’t I realize that? How could I not know this?”

I laughed. “It’s okay.  We all make mistakes. He just wasn’t the man for you”.

We went back to eating our cookie. George ordered another one. After all, chocolate was the best healer of them all.