Friends

Copyright September 12, 1996

The sound of the tires crunching against the dirt and gravel road made her look up with apprehension. Sensing her own excitement, She instinctively dove herself more furiously into the work of scooping the insides of the pumpkin onto a dish. When he arrived, she didn’t want him to see that she had missed him. She didn’t want him to see that she had been thinking about him every day since he had left, or that she had traced his career as an actor to the present, where he was a TV actor for a popular TV show. She concentrated hard on perspective.

Today, he had to be just an old friend, nothing special. She was nervous anyway. The sound of the tires and the engine stopped. A door slammed. Footsteps . . . Suddenly, two strong arms grabbed her from behind and lifted her off the ground. She shrieked in surprise. He laughed.

"Put me down, Roy!" she yelled as he tosses you from side to side in his arms.

"Make me." he teased.

"I’ll tell everyone you kissed Kristen Peters in the boys bathroom in 9th grade."

"Ah, but nobody’s around for miles." he says playfully, hugging her closer.

She wiggled uncomfortably in his arms. It was precisely what she was thinking, but was too uncomfortable to say.

"Put me down anyway. Please." she pleaded.

He released her with a mock frown of disappointment. She returned to her seat on the porch in front of the pumpkin and began scooping again. He watched, and his disappointment grew. He sat down on the ledge of the porch next to the pumpkin, trying to catch her eye.

"You don’t seem excited to see me again, Jazzy."

She shrugged without looking up. "Why should I be? I’ve known you since you were eight. We used to come up to this farm together every summer with my family. What’s there to get excited about?"

"Well," he said, placing his hand on her arm, "I missed you. I just thought that you would miss me too. I haven’t seen you in a long time."

Seven years, three months and fourteen days she thought to herself. Her hands began to shake nervously. She dropped her scooping spoon in the pumpkin and looked at him.

"I’m sorry. I did miss you Roy. I guess I don’t know how to act around you. You’re a TV star now, and everything . . ."

He shook his head. "Its still me, Jazzy" he said, standing up, his profile highlighted in the last rays of the golden sunset.

He pulled her to her feet as well, and caressed her face, pretending to brush strands of hair from her eyes. She smiled at him nervously. He smiled back. His arms closed around her in a gentle hug.

She rested her head on his shoulder and remembered how he never knew she loved him even then.

He rocked her gently in his arms. He moved his head and kissed her cheek affectionately. Her heart jumped. She pulled away quickly, afraid she would give away her feelings for him in her touch. She jumped from the porch and grabbed the rake leaning against the house.

"There’s a lot of things we gotta do while we’re here Roy." she said, talking rapidly.

"This place doesn’t take care of itself. I’m going to go rake some leaves out here. Why don’t you--"

"Yes?" he said, jumping down to stand beside her.

"Start cooking dinner."

"Cooking?" he said incredulously.

She grinned. "Yeah. My mother isn’t here to cook for you this time, so you’re going to have to do it yourself. Think you can handle that, Mr. Hotshot Actor?"

He smiled. "I think so."

He stepped inside the house while she begin to drag the rake across the multicolored ground.

Slowly, a thought developed in her mind: Its going to be a very long weekend, indeed.

The sky had just turned its first shade of evening blue when Jessica had done all the raking she could do for the day. She dropped the rake next to a massive pile of colored leaves and walked wearily into the house, to the aroma of good food baking.

She collapsed into her favorite chair and listened for Roy. She could hear him in the kitchen and got up again. She gasped when she turned a corner and saw a beautifully set table with two candles glowing and two places set. The food prepared looked as wonderful as it had smelled, and she gazed on it with wonder. Roy emerged from the kitchen.

"You like it?" he asked.

"I love it." she whispered.

He stood beside her, unaware of his gaze on her. I love you he thought. He pulled out her chair and she sat. He sat down as well, and they both began to eat.

She giggled harder as she tried to aim. She closed one eye, cocked her wrist back, and flung the M&M at him. It missed his open mouth and hit his right eye. She laughed hysterically as he collapsed onto his back. She collapsed at his side giggling. Dinner was over, and they were both now laying on the ground in front of a medium sized fire, the only source of heat for the old farmhouse.

"You’re a miserable shot, Jazzy. Even now." he teased.

"Its not an easy shot. You don’t have a big mouth, you know."

"Maybe not, but that’s no excuse."

"Well," she said indignantly, "my hands were shaking. Its freezing in here even with the fire."

He smiled, and took her icy hands in his. "Then I guess I better warm your hands," he said.

He placed them against his mouth and blew his warm breath over them. Jazmyn watched his eyes. It was hard for her being this close, and only being friends. Were they more? She couldn’t be sure. She pulled her hands away and looked around the room nervously.

"I’m just saying that its hard to aim for the mouth." she said quickly. "The M&M’s are hard to aim. Here. You try it." She sat up and opened her mouth, waiting for the M&M with her eyes shut.

Roy sighed and looked at her sadly. Why was she pulling away every time? Why did she think he had come back? He couldn’t go much longer pretending not to feel what he felt for her. Jazzy didn’t feel the M&M touch her open mouth, but instead, two lips fell upon her and kissed her deeply.

She fell backwards, and he followed. I’m dreaming she thought. His mouth lingered beside hers, then pulled away slowly.

She opened her eyes and saw his face hovering over her. A million thoughts, a million rationalizations overtook her. She got to her feet.

"You’ve had too much to drink, Roy. I think we should both got to bed now. I mean, well . . . I’ll take the upstairs bedroom and you can take one of the two down here, Ok? Good night."

She trembled as she spoke and almost ran from the room as she headed to the upstairs bedroom. She threw herself on the big king sized bed, curled up into a tight ball, and squeezed her eyes shut.

Tears formed in her eyes and began to fall onto the sheets. After a minute, she heard footsteps approaching her room slowly. The bed creeked as he lay down beside her. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest. His chin rested just above her ear.

"Have I hurt you?" he whispered.

"No," she answered.

"Then why do you act like I will?"

She shook her head. "Its not that. Its just . . ."

"What?" he asked, propping himself up so that he could see her face.

She took a deep breath and looked into his beautiful green eyes. I might as well tell him.

"I think I love you." she said.

He smiled with relief and said nothing. His silence made her uncomforatable again and she looked away.

"I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you." she said, curling up into a ball one more.

He lay down again and kissed her shoulder. He kissed her neck. "Its cold in this cabin in the fall." he whispered as his lips trailed over her cheek. "Stay with me. Keep me warm."

Jazmyn turned over and looked at him, finally seeing what had been there all along. She smiled and wrapped an arm around his neck.

"What about when spring comes?" she asked.

He gazed into her brown eyes affectionately.

"Stay with me then too. I don't want you to ever leave me."

She kissed him gently. "I guess we're more than just friends now, Roy."

"We always were."


	FRIENDS By: Ange Copyright September 12, 1996 ***All Rights Reserved. Story cannot be reprinted/reproduced without Ange's permission.* The sound of the tires crunching against the dirt and gravel road made her look up with apprehension. Sensing her own excitement, She instinctively dove herself more furiously into the work of scooping the insides of the pumpkin onto a dish. When he arrived, she didn’t want him to see that she had missed him. She didn’t want him to see that she had been thinking about him every day since he had left, or that she had traced his career as an actor to the present, where he was a TV actor for a popular TV show. She concentrated hard on perspective. Today, he had to be just an old friend, nothing special. She was nervous anyway. The sound of the tires and the engine stopped. A door slammed. Footsteps . . . Suddenly, two strong arms grabbed her from behind and lifted her off the ground. She shrieked in surprise. He laughed. "Put me down, Roy!" she yelled as he tosses you from side to side in his arms. "Make me." he teased. "I’ll tell everyone you kissed Kristen Peters in the boys bathroom in 9th grade." "Ah, but nobody’s around for miles." he says playfully, hugging her closer. She wiggled uncomfortably in his arms. It was precisely what she was thinking, but was too uncomfortable to say. "Put me down anyway. Please." she pleaded. He released her with a mock frown of disappointment. She returned to her seat on the porch in front of the pumpkin and began scooping again. He watched, and his disappointment grew. He sat down on the ledge of the porch next to the pumpkin, trying to catch her eye. "You don’t seem excited to see me again, Jazzy." She shrugged without looking up. "Why should I be? I’ve known you since you were eight. We used to come up to this farm together every summer with my family. What’s there to get excited about?" "Well," he said, placing his hand on her arm, "I missed you. I just thought that you would miss me too. I haven’t seen you in a long time." Seven years, three months and fourteen days she thought to herself. Her hands began to shake nervously. She dropped her scooping spoon in the pumpkin and looked at him. "I’m sorry. I did miss you Roy. I guess I don’t know how to act around you. You’re a TV star now, and everything . . ." He shook his head. "Its still me, Jazzy" he said, standing up, his profile highlighted in the last rays of the golden sunset. He pulled her to her feet as well, and caressed her face, pretending to brush strands of hair from her eyes. She smiled at him nervously. He smiled back. His arms closed around her in a gentle hug. She rested her head on his shoulder and remembered how he never knew she loved him even then. He rocked her gently in his arms. He moved his head and kissed her cheek affectionately. Her heart jumped. She pulled away quickly, afraid she would give away her feelings for him in her touch. She jumped from the porch and grabbed the rake leaning against the house. "There’s a lot of things we gotta do while we’re here Roy." she said, talking rapidly. "This place doesn’t take care of itself. I’m going to go rake some leaves out here. Why don’t you--" "Yes?" he said, jumping down to stand beside her. "Start cooking dinner." "Cooking?" he said incredulously. She grinned. "Yeah. My mother isn’t here to cook for you this time, so you’re going to have to do it yourself. Think you can handle that, Mr. Hotshot Actor?" He smiled. "I think so." He stepped inside the house while she begin to drag the rake across the multicolored ground. Slowly, a thought developed in her mind: Its going to be a very long weekend, indeed. The sky had just turned its first shade of evening blue when Jessica had done all the raking she could do for the day. She dropped the rake next to a massive pile of colored leaves and walked wearily into the house, to the aroma of good food baking. She collapsed into her favorite chair and listened for Roy. She could hear him in the kitchen and got up again. She gasped when she turned a corner and saw a beautifully set table with two candles glowing and two places set. The food prepared looked as wonderful as it had smelled, and she gazed on it with wonder. Roy emerged from the kitchen. "You like it?" he asked. "I love it." she whispered. He stood beside her, unaware of his gaze on her. I love you he thought. He pulled out her chair and she sat. He sat down as well, and they both began to eat.** ~~~~~~ She giggled harder as she tried to aim. She closed one eye, cocked her wrist back, and flung the M&M at him. It missed his open mouth and hit his right eye. She laughed hysterically as he collapsed onto his back. She collapsed at his side giggling. Dinner was over, and they were both now laying on the ground in front of a medium sized fire, the only source of heat for the old farmhouse. "You’re a miserable shot, Jazzy. Even now." he teased. "Its not an easy shot. You don’t have a big mouth, you know." "Maybe not, but that’s no excuse." "Well," she said indignantly, "my hands were shaking. Its freezing in here even with the fire." He smiled, and took her icy hands in his. "Then I guess I better warm your hands," he said. He placed them against his mouth and blew his warm breath over them. Jazmyn watched his eyes. It was hard for her being this close, and only being friends. Were they more? She couldn’t be sure. She pulled her hands away and looked around the room nervously. "I’m just saying that its hard to aim for the mouth." she said quickly. "The M&M’s are hard to aim. Here. You try it." She sat up and opened her mouth, waiting for the M&M with her eyes shut. Roy sighed and looked at her sadly. Why was she pulling away every time? Why did she think he had come back? He couldn’t go much longer pretending not to feel what he felt for her. Jazzy didn’t feel the M&M touch her open mouth, but instead, two lips fell upon her and kissed her deeply. She fell backwards, and he followed. I’m dreaming she thought. His mouth lingered beside hers, then pulled away slowly. She opened her eyes and saw his face hovering over her. A million thoughts, a million rationalizations overtook her. She got to her feet. "You’ve had too much to drink, Roy. I think we should both got to bed now. I mean, well . . . I’ll take the upstairs bedroom and you can take one of the two down here, Ok? Good night." She trembled as she spoke and almost ran from the room as she headed to the upstairs bedroom. She threw herself on the big king sized bed, curled up into a tight ball, and squeezed her eyes shut. Tears formed in her eyes and began to fall onto the sheets. After a minute, she heard footsteps approaching her room slowly. The bed creeked as he lay down beside her. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest. His chin rested just above her ear. "Have I hurt you?" he whispered. "No," she answered. "Then why do you act like I will?" She shook her head. "Its not that. Its just . . ." "What?" he asked, propping himself up so that he could see her face. She took a deep breath and looked into his beautiful green eyes. I might as well tell him. "I think I love you." she said. He smiled with relief and said nothing. His silence made her uncomforatable again and she looked away. "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you." she said, curling up into a ball one more. He lay down again and kissed her shoulder. He kissed her neck. "Its cold in this cabin in the fall." he whispered as his lips trailed over her cheek. "Stay with me. Keep me warm." Jazmyn turned over and looked at him, finally seeing what had been there all along. She smiled and wrapped an arm around his neck. "What about when spring comes?" she asked. He gazed into her brown eyes affectionately. "Stay with me then too. I don't want you to ever leave me." She kissed him gently. "I guess we're more than just friends now, Roy." "We always were."