He Doesn't Know

Nineteen

On the seventh day I stopped crying. On the eighth day I finally accepted my fate and left my sorrows in my room. On the ninth day I had lunch with Foster. "You know when I got your message to have lunch I was thinking this can't be Vera my friend asking me for lunch. But you know I checked the name again and sure enough it was you. I'm so proud that you've finally resurfaced from the dead," he tells me as I take a seat in front of him. With no emotion I question, "I think the saying is back from the dead, Foster." His eyes meet mine and their filled with concern as he tells me with no trace of his joking tone, "I've been worried about you Vera." I look at the food on the table and realize he bought food for the both of us. "I mean at least I got you to buy me my favorite food again," I say with a smile trying to change the subject. Foster doesn't say anything, simply stares at me like I'm his case study. Then just like that he gives me a smile and rolls his eyes at me. "I know. You always seem to find a way to get me to buy you food," he teases me while taking a couple of fries that are set in front of me. "Hey now," I object while swatting at his hand from stealing anymore.

Two Days Later

"Let's go to the library," Foster bluntly states as we're walking past the building that's next to the library. "Why?" I stick my nose up to the suggestion. "Because I have these," he tells me while stopping and taking his backpack off to unzip it and pull out two cans of silly string. I raise my eyebrows at him and question, "Now what would we use those for in the library?" Foster gives me the most mischievous smile and replies, "Play tag." I laugh at his statement and ask, "No really why do you have those?" He takes a step closer and hands me the green can while never leaving my gaze as he comments, "I'm serious. Play tag. We'll start on different levels and whoever gets caught the most out of three rounds has to do whatever the winner wants to do." Realization sets in that Foster's not joking one bit. "What if we get caught though?" I ask once I accept what he's propositioning. "We run," he simply answers. "You're crazy Foster," I tell him while giving him back the can. He laughs and remarks, "I'm willing to have fun with a little risk."

I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm on the third floor looking everywhere around me to make sure Foster is nowhere in sight. I started on the second and he was on the fifth, so I finally started to make my way up. People are giving me looks, but honestly I'm having a lot of fun. I mean yes I've accidently squirted two guys that looked like Foster, but that's all a part of the game; causalities. I hear someone approaching me from the behind so I stand where I am as if I haven't noticed him, then turn around all of a sudden and spray. Except I get an earful from an angry Liv. "Vera what the fuck?!" she yells at me even though we're in a library. I mean I guess I can't blame her, I am in here playing tag with silly string. "I'm playing tag with Foster and whoever sprays the other first wins the round," I tell her while trying to get the silly string off of her luckily I didn't aim at her hair.

I feel the coldness against my face before I hear the triumphal glee from Foster. "I got you," he tells me while skipping around circling Liv and I. "Oh now it just got serious bud," I tell him while throwing the string off of me. "Round two starts now," I add while running away to the elevator to get back in my starting place.

I've reached the fourth floor and still haven't found him. I see what he's doing, he's playing defense. Patiently waiting for me to come to him so he can attack, but he's got another thing coming if Foster thinks I'll go down easily again. If he wins this round then he'll win overall. I slowly turn the corner then my body freezes, no it's not Foster, but a tall strong built blonde sitting at a table with a laptop that looks like Fallon's. I don't know what to do. It's been over a week and I told myself that I was ok. That I would get past this. I was wrong. I was so wrong. Even when once again I feel the coldness now on my arm, I find myself falling to my knees and crying. I feel strong arms around me asking what's wrong and I expect to see a blonde haired blue eyed boy there, but instead I'm greeted by brown hair and a worried Foster. "Fallon... I saw him," I get out in between sobs luckily I've never been a loud crier. Foster looks the way I was just facing and pulls me closer to him while saying, "Vera that's not him. I was afraid this would happen."

As we're walking out of the library, once I've stopped crying and don't look like a wreck Foster mentions, "A part of the deal of winning is you have to do whatever I say." I look over at him and plead, "Oh dear god Foster, don't make me wash your laundry." He laughs at me and tells me, "Don't worry your pretty little face Vera. That's not what I wanted you to do." A sigh escapes from my mouth before I ask, "Ok pull the band aid off. Tell me what it is." He stops walking and gestures to a bench off to the side. I raise my eyebrow at him for the second time today, but sit down next to him anyway. "I need to tell you something first. I didn't want to tell you this weeks ago when this happened, because you were dealing with...some things of your own, but Phoebe and I broke things off. Long distance had strained our relationship and things weren't the same between us," he tells me. My eyes go wide with astonishment, I feel terrible. What kind of friend have I been? I've wanted him there for me, yet he thought he'd burden me with this. "I'm so sorry Foster. I should've noticed something was up with you. I'm sorry for not acting like a friend," I voice. He gives me a small smile and reassures, "Vera I knew you had a lot on your mind already and I chose not to tell you. It has nothing to do with you I promise." I wrap my arms around him and ask, "Next time anything is on your mind tell me no matter what's going on with me, ok?" Foster's smile widens and he promises, "I will. Next time."

"So what's the request that you want to offer?" I question once the air between us is back to normal. Foster laughs a little and he asks, "Don't laugh at the cheesiness of it. Ok?" I nod my head so he'll continue to talk. "As the winner my request is for us to make a pact to help the other be happy again." I once again find myself pulling Foster in for a hug while saying, "That's not cheesy at all Foster. That's the best request I've ever heard and I'll gladly accept it." I pull away to face him again and he has the biggest smile on his face. "Then it's a deal," he states. As we get up to go eat something, which I offer to pay, I can't help but feel a little better than the incident in the library. That's all that I need though, to slowly get better and with people by my side that care for me I know I can achieve that. Foster doesn't know how grateful I am that he's willing to be by my side through this. He doesn't know yet.