AN: Not my characters. That's why I'm writing on a fanfiction website.
How do you tell a guy like Pence that you like him? In a potential boyfriend kind of way, I mean. It would be easier if he wasn't so completely oblivious to everything around him. For Pence, the world revolves around sea salt ice cream and practising for Struggle battles.
Hayner constantly teases me about it whenever we're alone, pretends to be offended that I don't prefer him. Daft things, but it gets upsetting at times. Not that I'd ever let him see me cry – I'd never hear the end of it. I've just been "one of the guys" for so long now that I think they've forgotten I'm actually a girl. Maybe that's part of the problem.
We practise Struggle together, we skateboard together, we even do jobs around Traverse Town together. It's just normal, everyday life for me, Pence and Hayner. Hell, we even feud with Seifer's gang together.
………………
The last week of the summer, we decided to go to the beach. We'd all been working for weeks, so we felt we deserved the time off. Hayner, for some reason, decided to be as irritating as possible.
"Looking good, Olette. New bikini? What do you think, Pence?"
I threw a bucket of seawater over him. Hayner, not Pence. You'd think he'd be used to cold water when we're on the beach, but he still squealed. Actually, it was a new bikini (so I'm shameless – I wanted to look good), but I wanted Pence to notice it.
Later on, I'm sitting on the beach, pointedly ignoring Hayner as he shows off on his surfboard. His ego is big enough already – no need to make it worse. Pence plonks himself down next to me (there's really no other word for it) and hands me a drink.
"Thanks, Pence."
"No problem."
We sit in comfortable silence for a while, then there's an almighty splash as Hayner falls off his surfboard. It's too good an opportunity to miss, so we're both catcalling loudly as he makes his way back to the beach.
"Oh, stuff it, you two."
We don't, or at least not until we fall apart in helpless laughter instead.
This, I realise, is precisely why I've never told Pence how I feel. The three of us are so comfortable together, despite all the teasing, that I don't want to be the one who ruins it. Our friendship means so much to me, that I couldn't bear to lose it, or make Hayner feel like a third wheel.
………………
I'm not going to tell him. I can't. It just doesn't feel right. So I'll take what I can get – his friendship, and if that means being "one of the guys", that's exactly what I'll be. I can do that, after all.
AN: Over to you for reviews, please.