Cyrus' POV
"I never thought I'd be so happy to be dating someone, and yet so depressed at the same time. With Iris, it's like the twin I've never had. That person who reminds you of yourself, who makes you smile and laugh. But I don't feel how she feels about me. In her eyes, I might be the one for her, however, she's not the one for me. The worst part is that it's because she's a she."
Buffy looks at me, slightly annoyed. "Cyrus. This is the fifth time you've talked about your Iris situation this week, and this is the fifth time I'm telling you to do something about it."
"How? How am I supposed to tell her that I just want to be friends? Especially when she clearly wants to be more," I say desperately.
"This isn't anything new. There are a ton of people who don't like their boyfriend or girlfriend like that. But they're honest. If you want any chance at maintaining a friendship with her, you need to tell her."
I feel my phone buzz because of a text message from Iris. "I guess now I have a chance. She wants to hang out at the park tomorrow."
"Good." Buffy gives me a stern, but supportive look. "Just make sure that you follow through. It's your decision in the end, but if you don't, you're going to regret it."
———
As I'm laying in my bed, I'm feeling terrified. Terrified of what Iris is going to say to me when I break up with her. Terrified of what Amber might do to me when she learns that her best friend was dumped by a middle schooler. Terrified of... what I'm going to see myself as when it's all over.
I feel like a guilty criminal for stealing a girl's heart, and then breaking it. I don't like that I have to be the one to do this. I don't want to do this! I just want to skip over tomorrow! I just want to—
My phone rings. Without looking, I immediately know it's Jonah, because it's playing that ringtone I set especially for him. Maybe not special, because I have different ringtones for everyone.
I grab it from off my counter and answer it. "Hello?"
A part of me warms up as I hear Jonah's voice. "Hey, Cy! How are you doing?"
"I-uh..." It's hard that he's going to see me like this, but I don't bother hiding it. "I-I'm not doing so well."
His tone gets serious. "Really? What's wrong?"
"Iris invited me to go on a date tomorrow, and I think this is also the day that I break up with her."
"Dude. That sounds... difficult. If I could give you advice, I would say to rip off the bandage."
"Yeah," I say to him. That's what I was going to do anyway."
"Good luck. I have to go. My parents want me to sleep."
"See ya, Jonah." I hang up the call, holding the phone to my chest. "One day, I'll tell you how I feel about you. First, I have to tell Iris how I feel about her."
———
I wait at the center of the frosty park, sitting on one of the icy benches. Iris walks over to me, wearing that smile that both warms my heart, and terrifies it as well. "Hey there, Cyrus."
"Hi, Iris," I say softly.
Her face shows her sudden concern as she sits next to me. "Are you okay?"
I shake my head. "I really wish I was. But, I don't want to lie to you anymore."
"I'm listening," she says.
"When I first met you, I thought I liked you. I had never had a crush on anyone before, so when I met you, I thought these feelings were a crush. Then I met someone else, and that's when I realized that it was a crush on them."
She looks like she's about to cry. "So, you were just... leading me on?"
"I didn't want to! I didn't mean to hurt you. This was my first relationship. I didn't know how to go about it."
"That makes sense. If you don't mind me asking... your crush. What's her name?"
"His name is Jonah."
Iris doesn't show any sort of emotion. No supportive tone, no negative tone. All she says is, "Oh. Okay."
"Iris, I really hope you want to say acquaintances. I still care about you."
She shakes her head. "I don't want to be 'acquaintances.'"
I nod my head slowly. "I understand."
"Acquaintances aren't as close. We are. We're friends, Cyrus."
"Thank you. I'd hug you, but my buff is frozen to the seat."
Iris chuckles. "Mine too. So, have you told Jonah yet?"
"Not yet. But, I was thinking a picnic in the park when I do."
—————————
I feel like we never see any Ciris stuff anymore, so I made this.