We're Neighbors

Wrong

I woke up in an unfamiliar room. I started to freak out for a second. Then I remembered.

Last night. I couldn't bring myself to go home, so I texted Peyton and slept at her house.

"Hey sleeping beauty. It's almost eleven", I heard Peyton say.

I sat up. She was looking at her phone.

"So you wanna tell me why you came to my house at midnight in tears?" She asked, setting her phone down," Oh! And the message you sent me."

I gave her a confused look and she handed me her phone.

Ocjopus😘: Hey Pey, can I crash at your place tonight? There's a relentless, lying, stupid, cowardly cockroach infesting my apartment

"So would this human-like cockroach happen to be the reason?" She asked.

I nodded solemnly. "We had another fight".

"A big one I presume?"

"There really wasn't a whole lot of actual fighting", I said," But I think its time we quit. For good".

"Jo, I don't want to hurt you, but I think you're right. You're relationship was always the back and forth kind".

I nodded. She was right. It was a stupid dream to think that we'd ever work out. We were so unstable. We'd fight and make up the next day. It just wasn't right. There were so many things that we avoided that were unavoidable.

Silently, I wished I could've fixed things. But that would mean change. And we both had trouble changing. And besides, we both knew we couldn't be the perfect man or woman.

And fixing us would be a full time job and a half.
We had so many undiscussed problems.

But it was so nice. Forgetting the world and pretending that we were the only ones that existed. It was a dangerous world that I couldn't help but love.

I sighed. "I know. But I still love him".

"Of course you do. After you cross that line, there's no going back. You can't un-love someone."

She hugged me. "Oh Jo, don't cry. All I want is to see you happy."

"I know. But I don't know how to be happy. I don't even know what makes me happy. I'm deceiving my parents and you're my only friend. Who else do I turn to?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. But know this: I love you and will do anything to see you happy. You can stay as long as you want or need."

I squeezed her. "I don't know how I ended up with you. You're an angel".

"Maybe so", she smiled," But anyways, I have to go to work. Make yourself at home. Just leave me enough food to survive".

I nodded. "I think ill head to the gym. I haven't been in forever. And Pey?"

She stopped. "Yeah?"

"Thank you so much. For everything", I said.

She nodded. "No problem, love. I know you'd do the same for me".

Then she left. She was amazing. I had only known her for three months or so, but she was my closest friend. Being social an talkative was never easy for me. I guess one man in my life had made it hard for me to trust and open up to people.

But she didn't care. She understood that I was shy and sometimes awkward, which made me believe that she had once been that way too.

I groaned and made myself get up. It was weird. Even though I felt somewhat empty, I also felt immense freedom. It wasn't like the first time.