The year Claire turned fifteen she went through the "boob and hip" stage. During that year Quil was absent from Claire more than ever. Whenever Claire invited Quil to a bonfire he would studder and stumble over his words before he created a reasonable lie. Whenever Claire asked Quil to go get ice cream, Quil would say "I'm not hungry" or "I have other plans" and once "I'm trying to lose weight".
Mornings turned into days, days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months before Claire gathered all the courage and strength she's been containing and walked right over to Quil's house.
Her footsteps were loud and thunderous down Quil's silent hallway. Her tiny hand snapped towards the doorknob and threw the door open. Her eyes landed on Quil who was laying down in his bed with a Nascar magazine above his head.
"Why are you avoiding me?" Claire screamed. "I thought you were my best friend."
Quil looked up to her face and pain filled every inch of his body.
He quickly sat up for his bed and went to go hug Claire.
"You never want to go to bonfire's with me, you don't eat icecream anymore, and you won't even look at me"." Claire's scream turned into a sobbing whisper.
Because when I see the fire play across your face, the sight gives me shivers in every inch of my body. When I see you lick ice cream I dream about our lips and tongues intertwined. And when I look at you I feel my heart beat louder and louder.
"I'm sorry Claire bear" Quil said as he was running his fingers through her hair. "This year has been hard for me."
She would never know how.
