Chapter 1: Chapter 1
I can't remember a time when Mary wasn't my best friend. It's been over a decade now since her family moved in next to mine and we met when her family came over to our place to introduce themselves as our new neighbors, and we've been inseparable ever since. Since grade school, and all the way to where we are now, we've always been together, never had an argument... it's a storybook childhood friendship. However, while we were always best friends, we never took things further—we never confessed our love for each other or anything like that—and I know she wants to do that. Mary was never one to be pushy about what she wants—she would always defer to me and go with the flow—but I can tell very much that she's got that itch. She's been looking at me in that special way more and more, but she's never said anything, which is just like her. And it's not like I don't feel the same way about her! I... I'm just waiting for the right moment. Deep down inside, I think I'm just a hopeless romantic, and I want to say those three little special words when the time is just right, so it'll be all the more memorable. I want it to be the biggest moment in our lives, y'know. And the time will come, I'm sure.
After all, the two of us have been together as friends all this time, despite our differences. It's surely because of our deep connection from childhood on that we've been so tight, because the two of us really could not have developed in more different ways. I became an athletic wonder with a lot of training and would eventually become the ace pitcher for the school's baseball team, popular with basically everybody and the desire of about half the girls at school. Mary, meanwhile, would turn into a wallflower, always sticking to herself apart from when she was with me, frequently spending time alone in the school's library when I was out training, reading and writing poetry that she would share with me later. It's an unlikely match in every way, but we never cared about that. I was supposed to be switching girlfriends every few weeks with whatever new hottie showed up wanting the top jock at the school, and she was supposed to be alone and friendless, and yet, that's just not how it went.
However, I'm starting to feel like I have to make a move soon, and thankfully for me, there's a perfect opportunity coming up—the town fair. Our little town doesn't have a whole lot going on, so the fair that comes around just as school summer break starts is always a big event that the entire town looks forward to, and to me, it could be like a romance novel come to life. I could win a stuffed animal for her at the shooting gallery, hold her hand through the haunted house, and at the end of a fun-filled day, after bringing her home, I can finally tell her I love her. It would be absolutely perfect, and I've been preparing for it for a month or so now. Several girls have already asked me to be their date to the fair, but of course I've turned them all down. Mary is the only one for me, after all. I've arranged tickets to certain rides in advance just to be absolutely sure, I made sure the shooting gallery has plush cats for me to win, since cats are Mary's favorite animal... being the star athlete of a small town has its perks.
But then, something odd happened. When I asked Mary to come to the fair with me, she seemed... strangely non-committal. Normally, she'd eagerly say yes and I'd pick her up at her place, but this time, she was a lot more subdued and said she'd meet me there, which was unusual. I would have been lying if I said I wasn't worried. Had I been waiting for the perfect moment for too long, and now she's starting to doubt whether her love for me is reciprocated? Did she feel like she didn't deserve me? That just hardened my resolve, however. The fair would be the moment where I would confess my love, and everything would be alright... or that's what I thought, at least.
And so here I am now, standing in the middle of the fairgrounds after spending an entire hour looking for her. I looked everywhere, I asked around, I went back to the place where she said she'd meet me several times just to see if she was a bit late... she's not here. I can already feel myself starting to panic, all my plans are falling apart... I need to find her, and there's only one more place I can look. The park. There's a hill there that overlooks a lot of the town, and it's her favorite spot to just sit and quietly think about things. We've been there several times, and when she's not at the library, that's the place she's most likely to be. The library is closed during the fair, since nobody wants to stay behind and work during the fair, so if she's not at the fair, she has to be there.
As I leave the fairgrounds, several girls try to talk to me and stop me, but they wouldn't understand. I had set all this up perfectly, and I won't let it fall apart. I am going to confess my love to Mary today, no matter what may come. I run through the deserted town, my destination clear: The park at the other side of town. And nothing is stopping me now. Running faster than I ever had before, I sprint all the way to the small, winding path through the forest that leads up to the hill and make my way up, my mind racing. What would I say when I get there and find her? What do I do if she isn't there? But in the end, I just decide to let my heart tell me what to do. I had gotten into this situation by thinking too much, trying to do things just right. None more of that.
Slowly and carefully, I approach the clearing that leads to the hill, and I can see her sitting there, just staring out at the view that is overlooking the town. How do I approach her? I figure the best way to do it is to just walk up normally. In doing so, I step on a branch laying on the ground, snapping it and making a noise. Mary jolts up, turning towards me, panic in her expression. But as she realizes it's me, the panic leaves her face, albeit only to be replaced by trepidation. "Why are you here?" is her first question.
Some might be annoyed if their best friend asked that first thing after they just spent over an hour looking for them, but I know there has to be something behind her behavior, and despite it all, I'm not mad at her. I just want to know why, too. So I answer honestly. "Because I've been looking for you, and I figured you might be here."
She frowns and looks away, back at the town. The hustle and bustle of the fairgrounds is still visible, even from here. "You should be down there, enjoying yourself. Aren't there at least a dozen other girls that would throw themselves at you just for the chance of spending the night with you?"
I slowly walk closer to her. Where is this self-doubt coming from? "I want to be with you, Mary. You know that. I invited you."
As I sit down in the grass right next to her, I get my first good look at her face, and I'm struck by just how bottled up it looks. She's holding some sort of emotions inside, I'm sure, and I'm pretty sure it's my fault. "I... I don't deserve you. You're the star of the town, loved by everyone. I'm just some nerdy girl that nobody likes. Why do you even want to be with me?"
It's now or never. I have to do it now. I have to say the words that will hopefully heal everything. "Because I love you, Mary. I always have."
She's shocked, and I can tell. Her eyes go wide, her mouth hangs open, and she starts stammering. Eventually, all she can get out is a half-muttered "H-Huh?".
I smile gently, taking her hand in mine. "I'll say it as many times as you need me to. I love you, Mary. You're the only one for me."
Tears start building up inside her eyes, and suddenly, she flings her arms around my body, pressing her face into my chest. I continue talking. "I'm so sorry, Mary. I should have said something earlier. I was obsessed with finding the perfect moment to confess, and I was going to do it at the fair. I had it all set up... I was going to win a stuffed animal for you and everything, just like in those sappy romantic stories. I thought you would appreciate it... but I was being stupid."
I wrap my arms around her and hold her tight as she sniffles quietly. I run my hand through her hair and rub her back, trying to comfort her a bit. When she looks up, a massive weight feels lifted from my shoulders as I see that she's smiling. Breathing heavily and trying to keep her composure, she manages to say "I thought you'd never say it...".
"I always intended to, but I only considered my desire for a perfect moment. I didn't think about how you felt, and I apologize. From now on, I'll make absolutely sure you're my top priority, OK?" I reply, nuzzling into her neck.
All she says after that is a soft "Thank you..." before the two of us fall silent for several minutes. There's nothing to say right now.
But then, I look out over the town, and I'm struck by the beauty of the view. The bustle of the fair has faded away all the way out here, leaving only a bit of quiet background noise reminding us of where everybody else is, with it blending together with the rustling of the leaves. The sun is setting, giving the entire atmosphere an intimate tone. And now that I look at it...
"Hey, Mary... isn't this kind of a storybook confession too? The childhood friends confess their love for each other at their favorite spot as the sun slowly sets, the active daytime giving way to the intimate night... the entire town unaware of what's going on, just the two of them all alone..." I muse quietly.
Mary nods, a content smile still on her face. But then, a blush crosses her face, and she looks up at me. "It really is... but you know what happens in all those stories after the childhood friends confess their love for each other, right? What happens when they're all alone, with nobody there to disturb them...?"
Now it's my turn to blush. I know exactly what she's getting at. "But... we don't really know what we're doing here, right?"
She leans closer and whispers "It doesn't matter. I don't care if it's clumsy, or awkward, or whatever. This is a special moment, Jake... let's make it truly memorable."
This is happening. We're just about to take our first awkward and timid steps from friendship into something more. And we have all the time in the world right now, everybody else is at the fair. We can take it as slow as we want, and so we begin slowly, by simply entwining our hands.