they call it love // j.b.

I roped the leash around Abby's neck, pulling her out the door and down the road. I hadn't taken her for a walk in a while, and I could use the fresh air. The scary thing was leaving me to my thoughts for a while.

Abby trotted happily beside me, panting lightly and sniffing everything she came across. I rolled my eyes as she dug her nose into the grass. I was about to pull out my ipod when I saw somebody looking at me. He looked familiar, and apparently I did, also, because he started running toward me.

"Katie!" He shouted, and I instantly realized who it was. My eyes widened; how did he find me? I quickly tugged Abby in the opposite direction and  closed the door behind me once the two of us were inside. The garage door closed and I  unlocked Abby and put the leash away.

"That was a short walk," my mom said, but I ignored her and went up toward the staircase.

"If the doorbell rings please don't answer," I begged. She looked skeptical, but finally nodded. I walked down the hall and closed my bedroom door. I sighed quietly, flopping down on my bed. As if on cue, the doorbell chime sounded and echoed through the large house.

He rang a few more times before stopping. Quietly, I grabbed my ipod and turned on any random song. After only a few minutes, I heard tapping coming from the window in my room. What now, I thought angrily before peering between the blinds.

My eyes widened as I saw him standing on my driveway below. I sighed and opened the window, not wanting to talk to him.

"Why don't you just leave me alone?" I growled, waiting for him to leave from my rude comment.

He sighed, "Why won't you just talk to me?"

"I have nothing to say to you," I spat back. He rolled his eyes at me, clearly not fazed by my attutide to scare him off. I was about to close the window when he threw another rock at me. I dodged it narrowly, getting ready to jump out the window and tackle him. "Please, just leave me alone Justin," I told him, clearly annoyed.

Again, he rolled his eyes again, shaking his hair before grabbing onto a lose brick, then reaching toward a vine that went beside my window.

"Take another step and I'll call the cops," I threatened. He instead started climbing faster. I pulled out my phone from my pocket, hovering my finger over the emergency call button. He was too close and he grabbed my arm, knocking my phone out of my palm.

"Just talk to me for a second," He pleaded, looking me in the eyes. The chocolatey brown color took me in, and it was like I couldn't look away. He smiled lightly. "Please," he whispered in my ear.

I groaned, but eventually agreed. He climbed into the window, falling onto the floor. I laughed aloud, making him glare at me, but only for a second. I rolled my eyes and he stood up, stepping closer. The step was answered by one away from him.

"Can you make this quick please, I'm very busy today," I lied. I had nothing planned, and he could tell. I wasn't ever a very good liar, which sometimes worked to my disadvantage. Like now.

"Sure," he said skeptically, while rolling his eyes in the proccess. That was something else he had a habit of. Rolling his eyes. And of course I loved it. Justin sat down on my bed, bouncing slightly before laying down. I stared at him for a second, but just gave up.

He got comfortable and sighed in content. "So where to begin," Justin started, thinking lightly. He made the cute face he always made when he was thinking. And of course I loved that too. "Why did you leave me?" He asked bluntly.

"Way to be blunt."

"I'm serious," Justin said sincerely. I rolled my eyes as he sat up on the bed. I avoided his gaze. I honestly didn't want to talk about it. It was obvious wasn't it? "Well, aren't you going to tell me?"

I sighed lightly, sitting down next to him. "You've gotten so big in the past year. I just don't know if I can keep up with it," I looked to my multicolored socks. I could tell he was watching me, waiting for me to continue. The bed shifted lightly as he sat next to me on the edge, grabbing my hand in his.

"I'll always have time for you," he whispered, and I felt him smiling beside me. "We can get through this together."

I sighed again, looking up at him. "I have to think about it," I told him quietly. Justin nodded after a few seconds, reluctantly standing up to be brought out. "You better go back out the way you came," I told him, smiling on the inside knowing it would be a little bit of entertainment.

He glared at me but climbed down the window, and I watched him go until about halfway then I closed the window. I was about to lock it when I saw him land on the ground roughly. I quickly lifted the glass up again, to make sure he was alright.

"Justin?" I called. There wasn't any answer immediately like I had hoped. That's when I started to panic. I didn't take any chances climbing out of the window, but I didn't race down the steps and out the front door around the side of the house.

I greeted Justin laying on the pavement. "Justin?" I asked again, kneeling down beside him. He layed stomach down, so it was a little harder to find his heartbeat. I laid my head on the center of his back, and found a heartbeat. I was a little relieved he was still alive, but he could still be hurt.

Tears salted my eyes as I turned the boy over onto his back. The side of my head laid back onto his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. My eyes drifted back up to his face, his eyes closed. Justin looked very peaceful, a little too peaceful for my liking.

His head suddenly lifted up and he pressed his lips to mine. At first I didn't kiss back because I was shocked, but I loosened up and smiled against his lips.

"You still care," Justin whispered after we broke for air. My stomach churned, but in a good way as I smiled.

"I never said I didn't," I whispered back, bringing my lips back onto his.