Just Friends

"I'll be fine dad," I said. He looked at me and then shrugged.

"We'll talk more when I get home from work," he said.

"Great," I mumbled.

I tried to go back to sleep, but it wasn't happening. My father's words kept repeating in my head. I took a shower, got dressed and left the house as quickly as I could. I wasn't sure where I was going in such a rush until I was parked in front of Megan's house. This time I got out of the car and went to the door. Megan's mother answered it.

"Hi," I said. "Is Megan home?"

"Hello Jerry," she said. "I'm sorry to hear that you two broke up."

"I was too," I sighed.

"Really?" Megan's mother asked. "I thought you were the one to bring it up?"

"Well, I guess I was in a way," I sighed. "But she's the one who decided."

"And you're here why?" the Megan's mother asked. I looked at her and froze for a moment.

'Why am I here?' I asked myself. The answer came with surprising ease. I laughed and shook my head.

"Jerry, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said to Megan's mother. "I just really need to talk to Megan."

"She told me not to accept any of your calls," the woman frowned, but then smiled and shrugged to herself. "But she didn't say not to let you in. She's upstairs in her room."

"Thanks," I smiled and nearly ran up the stairs. I was a man on a mission. I found Megan lying on her bed watching a soap opera rerun.

"Hello beautiful, time to get out of bed!" I said as I entered.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise.

"Oh, I'm here for a lot of reasons," I smiled. "Not the least of which is that you promised me we could still be friends after we stopped dating, and you haven't been friendly these last few days. Not that I was any better."

"Jerry, I don't..." she began, but I interrupted.

"Get up and out of bed!" I demanded. "It's a beautiful day and we've got stuff to do!"

"I'm not going anywhere," she said.

"Want to bet?" I asked, moving to her bed and lifting her out of it.

"Put me down!" she snapped.

"Of course," I smiled, but then took a moment to kiss her.

"Stop that!" she cried.

"For now," I grinned. "And by the way, when's the last time you used a toothbrush?"

"You jerk!" she cried, but a moment later she laughed despite her annoyance.

"Go take a shower, brush you teeth and get dressed," I insisted. "Like I said earlier, we have stuff to do."

"And if I don't want to?" she asked. I looked at her and stopped smiling for a second.

"Just this once," I said slowly. "I don't care what you want. You're coming with me if I have to carry you kicking and screaming."

"You're serious," she said, looking at me in shock.

"Yes," I said seriously. "Yes I am. Don't worry. After today, you never have to see me again if you don't want."

"What are you talking about?" she frowned. "Who said anything about not wanting to see you again? We are friends after all."

"Then go get ready to go out," I said. "If for no other reason then a friend asked."

"Okay," she sighed. "But whatever you have in mind better be good. I was planning on one of those vegetable days."

"Just hurry," I laughed, shaking my head.

"Where are you going?" her mother asked a half hour later when Megan came down the stairs.

"Ask him," Megan snapped as she walked past us and went into the bathroom. "He won't tell me."

"And where are you taking my daughter?" her mom asked.

"The where doesn't matter," I shrugged. "I need to talk to her, alone." Megan's mother looked at me carefully for a few moments.

"Good luck," the woman finally said with a smile. "I don't know if it will work out, but I hope it does. She was very happy these last few months while she was dating you."

"I was too," I grinned.

"What are you two so happy about?" Megan asked as she joined us.

"I'm just happy to be getting the house to myself again," her mother replied. "You've been wondering around like a zombie this last week."

"Very funny," Megan said, blushing slightly.

"Let's go!" I cried. "Time's a flying."

"Oh brother," she said, rolling her eyes. I led her out and held the car door open for her. She shook her head and slid in. I went around the car and climbed in the driver's side. I started the car and pulled away from the curb. I went exactly one block and pulled over and parked across from a local park.

"You wanted to go to a park?" she asked in surprise.

"Nope," I smiled, and clicked the car locks down. I also took a moment to kiss her. She started to relax into it like I'd felt a thousands times before, but she stopped herself and pulled away.

"We can't do this. We're not dating anymore," she said.

"I was thinking about that," I said. "And I have to say, I'm glad you broke it off with me."

"Pardon?" she asked in confusion.

"You know, we starting this whole dating this with a promise that we'd be friends first and always be honest with each other," I said. "And you've been lying to me from the start."

"I have not!" she denied.

"Sure you have," I said calmly. "But don't feel bad. I was lying just as much as you."

"You did?" she asked in surprise. "About what?"

"First, tell me something," I said. "Am I really nothing more than a friend to you?" She looked at me a long time before answering.

"I think maybe you're my best friend," she finally got out.

"That's nice to know," I sighed. "But that's not what I mean."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand," she said with a shake of her head.

"Sure you do," I insisted. "You just don't want face it."

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Today, my father had one of those talks with me," I began. "He said my mom was concerned. We talked about our break up. He said it was obvious that I cared for you a lot and that I wouldn't have broken it off. I spend quite a while trying to figure out why he thought that. It came to me pretty suddenly in the end."

"You do realize you're talking in circles," Megan sighed.

"Maybe, maybe not," I shrugged. "But that's not really the point."

"You mean there is a point in here somewhere?" she asked sarcastically.

"Of course," I smiled, taking her hand in mine. "Megs, I'm glad you broke it off because we should never have dated like that in the first place."

"You seemed to be enjoying it as much as me," she said defensively.

"Of course," I said. "You're a great friend and the best sexual partner I could ever want, but that didn't make it right."

"Why not?" she asked. "It seemed good enough for you at the time."

"Can't you guess?" I asked.

"Will you please just make your point!" she snapped in frustration.

I swallowed hard. She wasn't going to make this easy. So be it.

"Megan, it was wrong because we went into it as friends and refused to let it go beyond that," I said slowly.

"Go beyond friends?" she asked. I could see the truth just beginning to dawn on her. She looked frightened, scared even. That was okay, so was I.

"Megs," I began, but she cut me off.

"Don't!" she cried. "You'll ruin everything!"

"Megan," I said strongly. "I won't live a lie anymore. I love you and you need to know it."

"You love me," she said, shaking her head.

"I want to date you again," I added. "Only this time, I want to make room for love along with friendship and great sex."

"But I don't love you," she said, trying to pull her hand away from mine. I refused to let go.

"Of course you do," I insisted. "The question isn't whether you love me or not. It's whether you can face what you're feeling. Your break up with Matthew scared the hell out of you and you're afraid to open up to anyone again. I get that, but it's too late. I love you and you love me. All you can accomplish now by denying it is hurting us both."

"You're wrong!" she cried. "I do not love you!"

"If that's true," I argued gently. "Then why did you break it off? There was no reason."

"You wanted out," she said. "It was obvious that you were ready to move on."

"Bull," I snorted. "It damn neared killed me to bring up the idea, but I did it because I thought you had a right to happiness. I was blind to what I was feeling for you in some ways, but deep down I wanted to make you happy. I convinced myself that Greg might be the person to do that better than me."

"How was I supposed to know that?" she asked.

"You weren't," I replied. "But on the other hand, deep down you knew I didn't want out. In fact, I think you knew I wanted more and that's what scared you into breaking it off. By the same token, I think I knew on some level that you were afraid of falling in love again. That's why I denied my own feeling for so long."

"That's ridiculous!" she cried.

"Maybe," I shrugged. "But that doesn't mean it's not true."

"What can I do to convince you that I don't love you?" she frowned.

"That's easy," I smiled. "Come to the prom with me."

"And that will convince you that I don't love you?" she frowned.

"Actually, I was hoping it would convince you of the opposite," I grinned.

"It won't," she insisted.

"Well then, maybe this will," I said, reaching for her.

She reached for the door handle, but somehow missed. I smiled and pulled her to me. Megan fought briefly as our lips met. This time I let the full force of my passion and love come out. My tongue brushed her lips and she tensed in my arms for a moment before sobbing once and opening her mouth to me. The next few minutes blurred.

"Hey you two!" I heard someone say as there was a loud knocking on the window. I looked up to see a police officer standing there.

"Hello officer," I said. Megan turned beat red in embarrassment.

"Maybe you can find somewhere else a little more private for this?" he asked. "There is a park across the street with plenty of kids."

"Sorry," I smiled. "But she can't keep her hands off of me." He looked at the daggers Megan shot at me and laughed.

"Just move along," he sighed.

"Sure thing," I said, starting the car and quickly pulling away from the curve.

"I hope you're happy," Megan sighed. "Someone on the block will be sure to tell my parents."

"I am happy," I said. "Although not about that."

"Let me guess," she said sarcastically. "You're happy because you found your one true love in the whole wide world?"

"And she found me," I grinned. "Whether she wanted to or not."

Megan looked at me carefully while I drove. She didn't say anything for an awfully long time.

"Say what's on your mind," I said seriously. "And be brutally honest. It's the only thing that will make this work in the end."

"You want brutal, fine," she said, looking at me angrily. I swallowed hard.

'Well, I did ask for it,' I thought.

"You were right, I do love you," she said. I started to smile, but she cried, "Don't you dare!"

"What not?" I asked. "It certainly seems like a happy moment to me."

"Because I'm scared!" she cried. "I'm scared half to death."

"Don't be," I smiled warmly as I took her hand and squeezed. "Trust me." She looked at me.

"I always have," she said, growing a little calmer. "only you should know one thing."

"What?" I asked. She looked at me in dead seriousness.

"If you ever even dream about leaving me and breaking my heart, I may actually kill you," she said. I had a hard time not laughing.

"Sounds fair enough," I got out. "And what about you leaving me?"

"Don't worry about it," she sighed. "This week was the worst in my life. It was even more painful than when Matthew and I broke up. I'm not going anywhere."

"Sure you are," I disagreed.

"Where?" she asked in confusion.

"To the prom of course," I grinned.

"Jerk!" she cried, but then burst out laughing. We were still holding hands and hers felt like heaven.

"Where to?" I asked. "We have a little time before we have to get ready for the prom."

"Well," she smiled. "Although I could kill you for saying it to the police officer, you weren't wrong. I really do have a problem keeping my hands off of you. Think we can find someplace to be alone?"

"That's my girl!" I laughed.

"Now and forever," I heard her say softly.

She was smiling at me warmly. Our eyes met and my laughter died. There was friendship and passion there, but also something else, love.