Loving a Loner (MWL One Shot)

Chapter Five

Dedicated to Jaliscogirl, my newest fan who gave me the sweetest compliment imaginable. Love that you loved this story! (:)

Chapter Five - Jason's POV

7 Hours Before "The Confession"

Laura and I were sitting on the couch, watching some chick flick she'd picked out. Actually, she was watching it while I was watching her. She was dressed up today, in a cute green dress with a short-sleeved gray jacket tied right beneath her chest. But though Laura had obviously put effort into her outfit, her body was slumped in sadness. She'd angled her head so that a dark curtain of hair hung between me and her, as if to cut us off from each other.

But I'd be damned if I let that deter me.

Cursing, I paused the movie and turned to face her. Laura was looking at me, surprise and turmoil in her bright green eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked, the little pucker between her brows forming as it did when she was unsettled.

"You tell me," I countered brusquely, irritated with how we'd both been avoiding this conversation. But now, I was determined to find out what was making one of my best friends miserable. "You look like you're going through hell, Lau, and I wanna know why."

"It's nothing, Jason," she said automatically, giving me a smile. That stopped me short; it actually looked real for a moment, until I noticed that her eyes were still sad.

"You can't lie to your best friend," I scoffed. "I know there's something going on with you and Jordan."

Laura laughed, but the sound was higher pitched than normal. "You worry too much, Jay. We're as good as ever."

"You sound like a parrot." Sliding over, I took her slim hands in mine and squeezed them lightly. "I hate seeing you sad, Lau."

"And I hate being sad!" she exploded, standing up to pace in front of the coffee table despite her ankle. "I hate feeling sad and worried and angry all the fucking time! I hate not being myself, I hate lying to my friends, but most of all - "

She stopped suddenly, the words seeming to clog up her throat. Tugging on her hand, I sat her back down on the couch. "Tell me what it is."

Shaking her head violently, Laura pleaded with me, a hint of desperation in her tone. "I can't say it."

I frowned. "You mean you can't trust me."

"What I mean is that I can't say the words outloud, because that makes them real."

"'The truth, while unsaid, remains the truth,'" I quoted.

It made her smile a bit. "Some truths should never be told."

Heaving a sigh, I leaned back and put my arm around her shoulders. "Whatever you say, Lau. Let's finish this girly crap so we can watch some REAL movies."

"All movies are real," she scolded, nestling into my side a bit as the flick started once again. I tried to concentrate on the movie, but Laura's hair was tickling my nose. Inhaling deeply, I got a whiff of the cinnamon shampoo Julie and I had gotten her last Christmas. It made me feel warm to think that she was wearing something of mine.

What kind of thoughts am I having? I gritted my teeth, determined to focus on the damn movie. Even though I wanted to put some distance between us and these feelings, I knew moving away would hurt Laura's feelings. Not that she was attracted to me; she'd made that abudantly clear. And though I may have had a crush on her, that had been years ago.

My mind began wandering off, remembering the day I'd first met Laura. Jules and I had already become good friends, and Lau had soon been included into our group. While Julie has always been a pretty girl, Laura had something more - something special. Being a typical five-year old boy with a crush, I'd ignored her for a good while. Unfortunately, she'd taken it as a sign of rivalry for the spot of being Julie's best friend. Over the years, it has sparked constant fights between us; still, I'd always had a little crush on Laura.