Better Left Unsaid

10

I had been ignoring Ben all week, and now, it looked like he was starting to avoid me. It had been eight days since I kissed him, and a few days ago, he stopped trying to call or text me. When I looked over at him at school today, he never once looked back at me.

His head was bowed as he walked towards home at the end of the day, books tucked messily under his arm. I called out his name a few times before I finally turned his head towards me, pulling out earbuds that I hadn't seen before.

"Oh, now you're chasing me down?" There was a bitterness in his tone that I hadn't been prepared for. I scanned his eyes, trying to read his emotions, but he dropped them quickly, looking at his books instead of me.

"I just..." I didn't know what I was expected to say, thrown off guard by the hostility radiating off my best friend.

"You just what, Easton? Because I get that your dealing with shit, but it's not my fault and I'm tired of feeling like it is."

"I never said it was." I defended, and Ben sighed, kicking at a rock on the path.

"Then why won't you talk to me? Why are my phone calls never answered? Why won't you even look at me anymore? I thought we were best friends. I'm sorry that you wanted to be more, but at this point, I don't even feel like we are friends anymore!" His breathes in deeply, eyes finally meeting mine as he searched me for answers.

"I just need some space, Ben. I'm sorry I'm making this hard, but I can't help it. And I can't go back to what we had. Not yet."

"Fine. Great. I'll give you space. You won't hear a word from me until you specifically ask for it."

What was there to say to that? What answer would I give his bitter eyes? So I said nothing, and that's how we parted ways.