Differences (l.h.)

12

L u k e

I got up from my couch where I was watching a movie. My dad was on a business trip for a few more days and my mom was out with her friends, so I was all alone tonight.

Grabbing my keys, I slipped on some shoes and ran to my car. I drove as quickly as I could to the school without going too much over the speed limit. When I arrived, I couldn't see much through the darkness. After a few seconds of staring, I got out of my car and walked towards the entrance.

I found Sophie sitting on the ground, leaning up against the side of the school, still crying a little. "Sophie... What happened?" I asked quietly.

"He didn't even- He lied and I-" she broke down again.

Confused, I helped her up. "C'mon. I'm going to take you home." I held her hand and guided her to where my car was parked. I helped her in and closed the passenger side door.

I started driving in the direction of our neighborhood. "Don't take me back home," she muttered.

"Why not? Don't you want to go home?"

She shook her head. "I don't want to be alone." She hiccuped.

"Okay..." My voice trailed off. Wouldn't her parents be home? I decided not to question her about it. "Is it alright if I take you back with me?" I asked timidly. She just nodded and curled up on the car seat, closing her eyes.

When we got back to my house, I looked over and realized she had fallen asleep. I took the keys out of the ignition and got out of the car, making my way over to her side. I opened the door and silently debated whether or not I should wake her up. I decided against it; she was probably extremely worn out from a week of school and everything that happened tonight.

I picked her up bridal style and shut the car door with my foot. Somehow, I managed to get inside. She put her arms around my neck and nuzzled her face into my chest. I set her down on my bed and rifled through my drawers. I finally found a pair of sweatpants and a t shirt that she could wear.

I laid them on the end of the bed and shook her arm a little. "Sophie, do you want to change out of your dress?"

She nodded and yawned sleepily. I handed her the clothes and she walked into the bathroom. She came out a few minutes later with her makeup all washed off and her dress in her hands. But she still looked beautiful. She put it on the floor and sat on the edge of my bed, next to me. "Thank you for picking me up."

"Any time. Do you want to spend the night here?"

She shrugged. "I might as well, since it's already 11. I'm sorry."

I looked down at her. "Sorry for what?"

"For being clingy and asking you to pick me up and making you babysit me." She sighed and fiddled with the hem of my t shirt that she was wearing.

"Hey, don't worry about me. You're not being clingy. You're a great friend and I'll always be here for you" I said genuinely. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

She nodded and wiped away her tears. "I've liked Brandon for a while. So when he asked me to homecoming, I was really happy. Then, at the dance, he went to get some drinks. I went to the bathroom to fix my makeup and when I came out I saw him kissing another girl. Then I left." She tried to keep her tears down, but a few escaped and trailed down her blotchy cheeks.

"And the thing is, I'm not even that upset. I've just been so tired lately and stressed out with this history project and college and-" she broke down again.

I hated seeing her like this. It made me angry at Brandon for doing this to her. I pulled her into my arms and she wrapped hers around my neck. We stayed like that, hugging, for a few minutes. She pulled away and wiped her eyes. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"Don't worry about it. That's what friends are for, right?" As I said it, I felt my stomach drop. Of course I wanted to be more with Sophie, but she would never end up with me. "Do you want to watch a movie?" I asked to get my mind off of the fact that I would never be able to have her.

She nodded. "Thank you for everything, Luke. It means a lot to me that you're being so nice to me even though we haven't known each other for very long."

I smiled at her. I put a movie in and we sat on my bed with our heads resting on the headboard behind us. She laid her head on my shoulder and I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. We stayed like that while the movie played in the dark room.