Imperfect

T H R E E - M I C H A E L P A L S B Y

  She seemed happy to me; but then again, she seemed also saddened. I already knew what she was sad about, but I didn't want to ask her.

  I grew to have love for dogs, like my pet Chihuahua, Maxie. But, I think Abbie was expecting for an announcement for a "different" type of love.

  If only she knew the truth... the honest, frightening truth that I've been hiding for so, so long ago.

  The palm of my hands became sweaty, I was so nervous to actually acknowledge her. I stood quiet, she also stood quiet.

  Thankfully, the waitress broke the silence.

  "Have you guys decided on what you want for this evening?" She said with a smile that seemed so fake... it was a fake smile, she hated the job. I could see it written all over her face.

  "Just a steak, that's all." Abigale acknowledged the waitress without even looking at her.

  "And what would you like?" She asked me as she began writing Abigale's order down quickly.

  "I would take a loaded potato, that's fine with me." I said grabbing my phone from Abigale's hand.

  "Okay," the waitress said smiling, "your order will be ready in just a moment."

  "I wasn't done with your phone," Abigale said laughing, "is there something that you don't want me to see on it?"

  "No," I said laughing, "never."

  But, I just couldn't admit it. She was right. There was something on my phone that I didn't want her to see.

  "So what are you doing back in Atlanta?" I said quickly changing the conversation.

  "Lawrence and I had a fight," she confided in me, "it was a huge fight actually."

  "To make you run back to Atlanta," I said laughing, "what kind of a fight was it?"

  "If you're going to laugh, then I won't tell you." She said to me with anger in her voice.

  I wasn't trying to make her angry, these were the type of things we would've done when we were younger, but I guess certain things change...

  "I'm sorry," I tried explaining to her, "I didn't mean to get you upset. I guess you aren't the same person that you use to be..."

  "Yea," she said getting up from her seat, "because I've grown up while you're STILL acting immature!"

  "Goodbye Michael." She told me, walking out of my sight.

  For a moment, I thought about the food that she ordered... I had to pay the bill for that--but, that wasn't the point, why did she say "goodbye"?

  That really hurt me. It hurt me badly.

  As children, we agreed to never say "goodbye" to each other. Instead, we would've said "see you later".

  "Goodbye" is similar to saying that I will not see that person again. What if something bad happened and the last thing that I remembered was that "goodbye" that I said.

  I guess our friendship is over just like her proposal is over with her fiancé.

  Abigale was a nice woman and a nice girl when we were children.

  I knew all of her secrets; she knew all of mine, except for one.

  I loved the way her smile brightened up my day. The way that she would feel down, and I would try to lift her up, but she'll laugh because she knows that I'm "trying", but me "trying" is just hilarious to her.

  Her tortured body reflects to her moods, but her mood changes when she's around me, because I keep her mind from all of the pain that she's been through.

  She wants to marry a man that couldn't POSSIBLY love her for her.

  How could she love a man that she wants to "love her for her" when there's a man that "loves her for her" right in front of her?

  This secret is eating me up inside... Why can't she just love me like the way that I love her?