Confession

"So, why did you need me?" Mark asks, walking into Mindy's apartment.

Mindy closes the door, locking it. She turns around, looking at him. "I just wanted to talk to you about something I've been holding back from you."

Mark walks over to the couch, sitting down. "You serious? You haven't been telling me something?"

Mindy walks over to the couch, sitting next to him. "I'm sorry if you are mad. It's just that, this is a little personal to my feelings about you."

Mark looks her in the eyes. "Just tell me. You can trust me, alright?"

"Do you remember that 'date' we had last Friday?"

"Yeah, but it wasn't a 'date.' I would say it was more of a hang out," Mark says, chuckling. "But, you can think of it however you want. I'm not stopping you."

Mindy nods, smiling. "Well, I was feeling nervous a lot, and I felt like I couldn't talk."

"That was alright. Nobody is perfect with being calm with someone like that. Also, you told me you've been isolated. Maybe that was why."

Mindy looks away, hiding her face which started to heat up. "Yeah, that may be it," she stutters.

Stop being this way. Look at him.

Mark suddenly places a hand on her shoulder. Mindy jumps, surprised at the sudden touch. She looks at him. "I'm okay, really."

"Are you, though? You seem more nervous than the times we talked before. Can you tell me?"

Mindy sighs softly to herself, looking down at the carpet floor. "I wish I could change myself for the better."

"Why?"

"I don't sometimes see the point of me being in love with someone. I bet they'd think I'm an idiot with this condition. Also, with my isolated self, I bet they would never understand me."

"Do you like someone, Mindy? I can help you with that." Mark smiles at her.

Mindy looks up at him.

Tell him.

"You want to know who it is? Here's the answer," Mindy pauses.

Mark motions with his hands.

Mindy begins to speak. "The person I like is you, Mark. There, I said it." Mindy blinks, feeling tears slowly forming in her eyes.

Mark's eyes widened, his smile faded into a frown.

"I knew it," Mindy mutters to herself. "I bet you didn't like that answer." Mindy gets up from the couch.

"Where are you going?" Mark asks her, worried.

Mindy walks into the small hallway towards her bedroom. She slams the door, laying down on her bed. She looks up at the ceiling.

He's going to come into this room any second from now.

She waits, staring at the ceiling.

A knock on the door. Mark is leaning his head against the wooden door. "Can you talk to me, Mindy? I'm worried about you."

"Why aren't you leaving me?" A soft voice comes out from the door.

"I care about you. I'm different from any of those people who have treated you wrong. I want to make you smile, you seem so miserable thinking these things."

"That's my job, though. Making other people smile, not you."

"Listen to me, please," Mark says. "You need happiness in your life and I'm here to give it to you."

Another knock.

"Let me in. I want to help you."

Mindy sits up, blinking away tears from her eyes. She sniffs, walking over to the door, opening it. Mark walks in, sitting on the bed.

"Sit down, relax," Mark tells her.

Mindy sits down on the bed next to him. She looks over at him as he wraps his right arm around her.

"I should have gotten my journal. Lightening up the mood would be good right now."

"You aren't leaving my side, Mindy. You are staying right here until you feel better."

A moment passes by. The two are sitting in the octoling's bedroom, waiting for time to pass by, not even saying a word.

"You know, over these few weeks, I can't stop thinking about you. I thought you weren't real, but now you are here with me," Mindy spoke, laying her head on his shoulder.

"You thought about me?"

Mindy nods. "It's been hard in these trying times."

Mark nods, looking down at her.

"It's okay, Mark. You don't have to love me."

Mark sighs to himself. "You need to think-"

"I know, I know," Mindy tells him softly. "It's just you that keeps me away from thinking about any negativity. I hate to break it to you but, thinking like me is just reality, if you've been in a situation like I have been in."

"Understandable. I can't change you, but, I want you to get better."

Mindy hums. "Yeah."

Mark pulls his arm away from her body. Mindy picks her head up. Her right hand grips at one of the sleeves of her black sweater. Mark opens his arms, wide.

Mindy looks at him, nodding. "You can hug me."

Mark wraps his arms around her, rubbing her back. Mindy does the same thing to him.

"You are a great person. Nobody should have the right to be a bitch to you, at all. You will achieve your goals and you will be happy. I promise you that, Mindy," Mark tells her softly. "I've had a little bit of that same feeling in my heart towards you."

"Really?" Mindy feels tears in her eyes.

"You need kindness in your life," Mark says. "You can cry if you need to. I'm alright with it."

Mindy smiles, burying her face into his shoulder. She starts to cry softly into Mark's shoulder. As she cries, he rubs her back, whispering in her ear.

After a moment, Mindy sniffs, looking at him.

Mark starts to pull away, but Mindy grips his back. "Wait, don't pull away. Not yet."

"Something wrong?"

Mindy giggles softly to herself. She starts to caress Mark's cheek with her left hand. Mark's eyes widened, looking at her.

"You okay with this, right?" Mindy questions him.

Mark holds her arm in place. "It's fine, Mindy. I don't mind, even though my heart is racing right now."

The octoling smiles, continuing to do what she was doing.

Mark starts to pull her close with her right hand, making them close to each other.

"I haven't been close to someone like this before. This only happens in my head, but now it's real, I can't believe it," Mindy tells him.

Mark smiles, chuckling. "I feel the same way. The last time I have felt this way was when I was not in this city, before I moved here."

"Why did you move here? I have lived here for most of my life, and it has gotten downhill with the crime rate going slowly up."

"I guess I was wanting to start fresh, but this isn't what I expected." Mark sighs. "People from where I used to live told me it was a good place to be and I trusted them."

"It's okay, Mark. We can't always trust others," Mindy says. "When we do, it can lead to a grand of happiness, or downright hell."

Mark nods, letting go of the octoling's arm. Mindy placed her hand by her side.

"Are you okay, now?" Mark says, placing a hand under her chin, picking it up to look at her.

"I'm fine now, thank you," Mindy says, holding his arm. She doesn't want this moment to end now, or ever.

Tell him now. You have your chance. Do it.

Mindy breathes in, then out. "I love you, Mark." She lets go of his arm.

Mark smiles, hugging her again. "I knew something like that would be said by you."

"Why? I thought you didn't feel that way, saying we were friends."

"After these weeks, I can assure you that I've had the same feelings you were craving for: happiness and understanding. I really wanted to trust someone for a long time since I have been here, and here you are."

"So, you love me?"

"Yes, I do. Why do you think I wouldn't? All those times we were together, I was just wanting to get closer to you. Remember the first time I met you, I said that you were a 'really nice gal'? I meant it."

"So, over that dinner, you really meant what you said towards me?"

"Yes. You get what you deserve: love. That's what you were talking about with me."

Mindy giggles.

The two of then let go of each other.

"Do you mind me moving into your apartment?"

"Mark, you sure?"

"Come on, your apartment is so much nicer than mine." Mark chuckled.

Mindy nods. "Okay then, go."

Mark walks up to the bedroom door, opening it. "Wanna help me out, Mindy?"

Mindy quickly slides off the bed. "Sure, I'll help."