Chances-A Short Story

I always knew this day would come. I just hadn't expected it to be this soon. He was leaving. Not to a University a town away or even across the country. No. He was going across the channel for God knows how long and I would never see him again. He had no plans to come back here; he wanted to escape everything he knew and travel the world. And I didn’t blame him. Being his best friend, I knew how distressing his life was.

Today was his last day and I had been running around school to find him. The hallways were slowly clearing up and I couldn’t help but thinking it was getting a little darker as well, which fueled my unnecessary panic when I couldn’t find him. I was worried that he had decided to skip school after all since he was leaving tomorrow, but then I realized I hadn’t checked a couple of classrooms near the front doors.

When I did, he was lounging in his first-year classroom with his mates listening to music and probably reminiscing old, scandalous memories. He was quite the troublemaker when he first started here and I like think I’ve calmed him down since then, but who am I kidding? For a minute I just stood at the door, watching him, drinking in these last few moments I had around him, even if I wasn’t actively participating in them.

I cleared my throat, knocking lightly on the open door, and Brady looked up. Seeing me, he grinned and winked at me as he elbowed Connor, causing him to look up and see me. "Hey Con, can I talk to you for a second?" I asked the person who I had been in love with since the first time he’d saved me from embarrassment in front of the whole school. His mates started teasing us and implying things as the reason why I wanted to get him alone, but I just ignored them as usual.

"Sure." He replied, giving me that crooked smile I enjoyed making appear so much. Giving a timid smile in return, I turned and headed for the back of the school. I heard him following and our footsteps fell into a rhythm as they echoed down the empty corridors.

Coming to a halt, my hands started shaking a bit and my heart hammered against my chest. Looking at his face, I relaxed a fraction. "So what did you wanna talk about?" He looked at me and I opened my mouth to speak when all of a sudden,

It’s impossible, my pride whispered. I had to agree. I was one of the most stubborn people you'd ever meet and I didn’t open up for anything or anyone. Confessing my feelings was like surrendering and I could never take that.

It's risky, my experience chimed in, agreeing with pride, and I could feel myself grow pale as I remembered all my previous failed attempts at saying what I felt. I mean, what if he laughed?

It's pointless, said reason. And it was right. Connor was handsome and a lot of girls liked him. Who was to say he would like me? To him we were probably only ever going to be ‘just friends’. What if he said no? The thought made my heart clench.

Give it a try, my heart finally speaking up. And it was in that second I decided: I would do it. It would be so much better to look back at this moment and be satisfied that I gave it a chance rather than regret my silence. And so, with my new found strength, I opened my mouth and spoke the words I had wanted to say for four long years; ever since the day he had refused to cut my hair when bubblegum had been caught in it.

He had told me that my hair was far too pretty to cut and gave me a cheeky smile that showed off his dimple. I fell that day as he helped me wash it out and I was still falling. Looking into his hazel eyes, I took a deep breath and said it.

"Connor, I love you."