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Brian's View

The cool water ran down my face as I looked in the mirror at myself. The sight frustrated and angered me. How could I let it get this far? How? How did this happen in the first place?

Taking one last glance at my saddened face, I reached over and pulled a white towel off the rack. Taking it in my hands, I wiped the water that I had splashed on my face to calm me down.

I bundled the towel in a ball and threw it to the side, rubbing my hand through my hair as I walked out of the bathroom. I glanced at the clock and groaned. Nicole was going to be here any minute and I looked like a complete mess.

I rushed over to my closet, pulling my T-shirt off and throwing it in the hamper. After snatching the black button down shirt and grabbing a pair of khaki pants, I got dressed quickly. I fixed my hair, looked in the mirror, and sighed with what I saw. I wasn't fully satisfied with what I saw, but it would have to do. I couldn't do anything else to improve myself. Well, I could change my attitude but that's harder than you might think.

I put on some cologne and stood back, examining myself in the mirror. I hoped Nicole liked the way I looked. I sure didn't.

I looked over to my bedroom door when I heard the doorbell ring. I bit my lip, turned back to the mirror one last time, and then turned on my heal and left the room.

I was a couple steps away from the front doors when I remembered what I was going to give her. I stopped abruptly and turned around, jogging over to the kitchen. It was laying silently on the table. I walked over and took it in my hands, afterwards rushing over to the door.

Nicole's View

The door slowly opened and Brian's smiling face was shown before me.

"Hey beautiful!" he greeted with his hands behind his back. I smiled widely and said, "Hey cutie! How you doin'?"

"Just fine and dandy," he said opening the door wider. "Come in, come in."

"Thank you very much," I smiled. He shut the door behind him and then leaned over and whispered in my ear, "I have something for you."

I bit my lip and whispered back, "What do you have for me?"

He smiled cheesely and stood up straight, clearing his throat. He then bowed and said, "I got you..."

He stood up straight once more and brought his arms from around his back to the front of him, "A beautiful white rose."

"Awww, thank you!" I gushed taking the white rose from his hands and smelling it. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and kissed my cheek, "It's the least I can do."

"Oh oh! Guess what movie I brought?" I asked. He put on a face making it look like he was thinking very hard, "Hmmmm...I don't know. Tell me!"

I grabbed his hand and led him to the living room. He sat down on the couch as I took out the DVD from the bag I had brought, and popped the movie in the DVD player. I rushed over to Brian and sat next to him.

"OK, where's the remote?" I asked looking around.

"Right here," Brian said handing it to me. I smiled and said, "Thanks."

"So what's the movie?" Brian asked curiously. I licked my lips and pressed play, "You'll find out in a second."

"I don't want to wait a second!"

"Lazy bum."

"You know it."

"I love this movie," I grinned. I looked over at Brian and found him staring at the screen, trying to figure out what movie it was.

"This looks very familiar," he nodded. I laughed and turned back to the TV.

"Casper?" he asked looking over at me with his eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, it's such a cute movie," I said. He stared at me for a moment and said, "This is your favorite movie?"

I just nodded. He just laughed lightly.

"What? It's cute!" I defended.

"Why do you like it so much?" he asked. I stared at him for a moment and then said, "I don't know...I guess I can just relate to it."

"Relate to it?" he asked with a look of pure puzzlement on his face. I slightly smiled and said, "It's hard to explain."

Of course it wasn't hard to explain. I could be blunt about it, but if I did that, he'd never talk to me again and I would ruin everything.

He just nodded and looked back at the screen.

"What's your favorite part?" he asked a couple of minutes later.

"I have a couple actually."

"What are they?"

"When she's in her bed sleeping and Casper leans over and whispers in her ear..."

"Can I keep you?" Brian finished for me. I looked up into his eyes a little shocked.

"Yeah...how'd you know?"

"I've seen the movie a couple times," he smiled.

"Oh, I thought you didn't."

"Nah, to be honest, I think it's a good movie too," he nodded. I smiled over at him.

"What's your favorite part?" I asked. He stared at the screen and then looked over at me. After a moment of silence he said, "The very end when they're dancing."

I nodded and said, "That's one of my favorite parts too."

He just smiled over at me.

"This movie makes me want to cry though," I said as I looked at the movie. I could feel Brian's gaze on me.

"Why's that?" he asked very quietly. I looked over at him and found that he was staring at me with concerned eyes. I slightly smiled and asked, "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"When you said that...I dunno...you just sounded so sad," he said. I was a little surprised. Did I sound sad? I can't even get sad. It's not possible for someone like me.

"Oh, I did?" I asked. He slowly nodded and then said, "So you gonna answer my question?"

"What question was that?"

"Why you cry when you watch it."

"Oh, I don't cry...I just feel like crying."

"Same thing," he shrugged. Not in my book. They're both very different in my world.

"It's just that, it's really upsetting how Casper is totally in love with her or really likes her a lot and he cant be with her because he's a ghost, you know? I just think it's terrible how they can't be together," I said. Brian slightly smiled and said, "I can see what you mean but ya know what I think?"

"What's that?"

"Love can get you through anything. I mean, I bet you if they had a sequel to this thing, he'd turn into a boy again just because of love."

"You really believe that?"

He nodded and slightly smiled.

"I really wish I knew what love feels like," I said. Brian frowned and said, "You still got your whole life ahead of you Nicole. Just think of what's coming."

Gosh, he was clueless to everything about me. He doesn't know that I don't have the rest of my life, that I'll never be able to love, that I'll never get to experience what it feels like.

"Did you ever come close to it?"

"To what?" I asked.

"Loving someone."

"Oh," I became quiet. I looked down at my hands and took a deep breath. I didn't want to answer him. Besides, this was about him. This isn't about me.

I looked over at him when his hands softly touched mine.

"You OK?" he asked. I nodded and said, "Yeah, sorry."

"You have haven't you?"

"What?" I asked a little startled.

"You've been in love before or very close to it," he said nodding his head. I shook my head quickly, "No, I haven't."

"Come on Nicole, I can tell."

I looked down again and sighed.

"If you have, why do you say you don't know what it feels like?" he asked.

"Because I forgot OK?"

He looked at me a little shocked at the sternness in my voice.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

"Don't be sorry. How long has it been?"

I shrugged and said, "A long time."

Yeah, it's been a long time all right. Long enough for anyone to forget a bunch of things.

"What was his name?" he asked softly. I opened my mouth to answer but I suddenly shut it, shaking my head, "It's not important."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not."

"Yes," he softly said, putting his hand lightly on my cheek and turning my head to look at him, "It is."

As I looked into his eyes, I saw so many things. Things many people wouldn't be able to see. Things people didn't want to see. They were telling me everything that he was feeling. Sadness was the main thing I saw. Concern and love was the second biggest thing that I saw. He was lost. He was in a hole and he doesn't know how to get out. He's doing such a good job at covering things up but he doesn't realize that it's making things worse. Worse for him, worse for everybody.

"Why do you care so much?" I asked quietly, still staring intently in his eyes, trying to figure him out. I was trying to figure out what he was thinking, trying to figure out why he was so concerned.

"I care for you that's why," his voice filled my ears.

"Why?" I asked so quietly, I'm surprised I could even hear it. He moved over a little bit toward me, his hand still softly touching my cheek, our eyes still met.

I could see it in his eyes that he was smiling a little bit at me.

"Do I have to have a reason?"

I lightly smiled and nodded.

"You want to know my reason?" he asked, slowly moving his face toward mine.

I nodded again.

"You really want to know my reason?" he said softer than he said before. His face was only inches apart from mine now. I still was staring into his eyes. I couldn't figure out what he was thinking, I couldn't figure out what he was meaning by all of this.

"Well..." he stopped about an inch from my face and licked his lips. He looked down at my lips and then up at my eyes again. He leaned in slowly, closing his eyes, letting his lips brush up against mine. His soft lips sent chills down my spin.

After about a minute, he pulled away slowly and whispered while smiling a smile I knew wasn't fake, "It's a secret."