He thought she was the one. When he caught her eye at the party, she gave him the most adorable smile he'd ever seen. She was a sight for sure, with soft blonde hair and playful green eyes. He remembered feeling so flustered, he tripped over his own feet and nearly fell on an unsuspecting server. She'd laughed – it was a beautiful laugh. Like a song. Joyful.

An angel. That's what he'd thought she was. From the top of her head to the tips of her toes, she looked perfect (well, he couldn't actually see her toes, but that didn't matter). No flaws to be found.

Even her name was the best thing ever – Penny. She came from another country, but darned if he could remember the name. It didn't really matter and seemed like a trivial detail to worry over.

He couldn't understand why Wiske didn't like her. The moment he introduced them, she'd had one of her famous tantrums and walked off in a huff. Penny shrugged off his hasty apology with a kind comment, but it bothered him for days afterward. Why was she being such a brat? Who wouldn't want to get along with sweet, considerate Penny? Later, as he was getting ready for bed, he thought he heard crying coming from the direction of Wiske's room. When he knocked on her door to ask if something was wrong, she simply told him to "mind his own business" and said that the crying he heard was "probably a cat or something." Not wanting to start a fight, he did was he was told.

She just didn't get it. She didn't understand. What would she know about love? And it was love – how could it not be? Suske loved Wiske, of course, and she'd always be his best friend, but with Penny, it was different.

Penny was constantly in his thoughts and in his dreams. When she wasn't around, he missed her. Her kisses were like sugar and honey rolled into one heavenly treat. Sure, she'd only kissed him a few times, and only when they were in public, but that just meant she wanted to show him off. That was just so cute. She even let him hold her hand – it was so soft, like a cotton candy cloud. Not blemished at all, not like Wiske's hands. Wiske's hands were a bit rougher, likely from years of chasing bad guys, climbing obstacles, and escaping certain death. They had their charm, but those hands had nothing on Penny's hands.

He found himself listening to romantic music all the time, the likes of Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday crooning from his phone or computer. Even classical music didn't bother him as much as it did before.

He laughed, he danced, he took in everyday things with a new appreciation, as if he'd suddenly realized they existed.

They were going to get married someday, he was sure of it. This wasn't like the crushes he'd fostered over the years. Those pretty girls he'd pined for were like basement dust to him now. His feelings for them had only lasted the duration of a mission or vacation, after all. Penny owned his heart. This was the real deal.

Auntie didn't understand, either. After just one meeting with Penny – and she didn't know he'd heard this – he heard her telling Lambik she didn't know what to do with the boy. Said Penny could be trouble and that he'd wind up with a broken heart. That really upset him, but he kept his mouth shut. She was important to him and meant well, but she could be very wrong about many things. Penny would never hurt him. Ever. She couldn't hurt a fly, as the saying went. Sure, young love could be fleeting, and it didn't always last long, but that didn't mean every teen relationship was doomed. He was the exception, without a doubt.

~xxxxx~

It happened again. Suske was head over heels in love with another girl.

He could be so… Wiske couldn't quite find the words to describe his behavior when this happened. Like nothing else mattered. Like she didn't matter.

And that hurt. It hurt a lot. She knew she acted like a spoiled, moody brat when Suske oogled over a girl, but she couldn't help it. She craved his affection and attention. She hated it when other girls took his attention away, as selfish as that was. It meant she didn't mean as much to him as she thought she did… or, at least, hoped she did.

Was this part of growing up? Did she need to let go? According to a few articles she'd read online, it was "only natural" that he would move on from her when he found "the one," that this girl (be it Penny or some other future sweetheart) was supposed to – by right – take her place as the best friend. Apparently, she needed to keep her mouth shut and let it happen. The general consensus was that if she didn't, she would be a bad person, an immature and naïve fool clinging to the past.

This sounded awful. Painful. Devastating. Why did it have to be this way?

She wanted him to be happy, she wanted him to live the life he wanted, but… it was just so hard.

Because she loved him. Not just as a best friend would love a best friend. Something much more. It was complicated.

Shortly after Suske started dating Penny, Auntie found her on her bed, unable to stop the tears. She was clutching her comforter with all her might. She'd caught Suske and Penny kissing on the front porch, and just couldn't handle it. It was pushing her over the edge.

"We can't choose how we feel," Auntie had said. "We can only choose how we handle our feelings. Cry all you need to, my dear. Then, one day, your strength will come through."

It was then that Wiske made a decision – she'd step aside and slowly distance herself from him. She wouldn't be cruel or anything, but she would go her own way and try to make a life for herself without him in it. It hurt, and her heart would be irreparably broken by such a move, but Suske obviously didn't love her back. Heck, he barely noticed her existence now. What was she supposed to do?

As the world ordered, she was giving up.

~xxxxx~

The sun was starting to descend when she found him. He sat cross legged on the grass in their front yard, his face softly touched by the changing colors of the day.

Suske was crying. She knew it. She could feel when he was sad even when he was a sizable distance away.

At first, as she slowly made her way up the entry walk, she couldn't decide what to do. Give him privacy? Approach him and ask questions? Would he lash out at her, or resent her for apparently not caring about his situation?

In the end, she scolded herself for hesitating. No matter what, he would always have a prominent place in her heart. He would always be deeply important to her. And he certainly didn't deserve to suffer alone.

"Suske… is everything OK?" she asked quietly.

He didn't answer at first. In fact, he didn't do anything at all – simply staring ahead at a fixed spot. Had he heard her speaking?

As she reached over to place a hand on his shoulder, the floodgates opened.

"… didn't love me. She didn't love me. I don't understand. I just don't understand. What's wrong with me?"

Wiske was confused. Was this about Penny? Girl of his dreams? Unsure of what else to do, she let him continue.

"I thought… I thought we…" he bit his lip. "I thought we were always going to be together. But tonight… tonight she…"

"Tonight, she what, Suske?"

"It was all a lie. She said she just wanted to make her boyfriend jealous. Just wanted to teach him a lesson." He wiped at his eyes, but it did nothing to quell his anguish.

"Why didn't she want me, Wiske? Why wasn't I enough?"

In that moment, her insides clenched. This poor boy. This poor, trusting boy. "You are more than enough," she said, her voice chocked with emotion. "Never ever let anybody let you think otherwise."

Suske gave a watery smile and looked toward the house. "I wish I could believe that."

How could she help him feel better? Maybe…

"Suske," she said, gesturing toward her lap, "why don't you rest your head?"

It was an old technique for helping her best friend when things got to be too much, one they'd used in the years since their first meeting. It was never meant to be a romantic gesture, thought of as simply a way for the two children to bond. Her lap had caught many tears, heard many whispered stories of worry, sorrow, and loneliness.

He hesitated for but a moment, but soon moved himself into position, sniffing as he did so. They'd done this so many times, it felt quite natural. Once they both settled, she spoke again.

"Suske… someday there's going to be a girl who loves you more than anything. She'll do anything for you. She'll recognize you for everything you are." The tears cascaded down her cheeks as she struggled to get the words out. "And she's going to make you so happy. I promise."

This seemed to help. His low, even breathing let her know he was calming down, at least a little. She was relieved. Before she knew it, she was slowly running her fingers through his hair.

How she wished she could be the girl to make him happy, but it wasn't to be.

"Until she comes, Suske… I'll be there for you."

She was so stupid. She never learned. Her heart would break over and over again, until nothing but an empty shell remained.

"Thank you… Wiske." He gripped her free hand and looked up at her, unflinching. "I don't know what I'd ever do without you."

They stayed like that until Suske fell asleep and the darkness of night took over. That's when Jerom found them, offering to carry Suske to his room. Carefully, Wiske removed his shoes and covered him with blankets.

As she was about to leave the room, he stirred. "Wiske?"

"Oh, Suske, I'm sorry I woke you."

He shook his head. "No, I was only kinda asleep, anyway. Listen… I just want to say, again… thank you."

"Don't worry about it, Suske. Really." At this point, she was emotionally exhausted and wanted to go to bed herself. She could practically hear her pillow calling out through the wall.

"Listen," he said, sitting up, "um… I'm sorry I neglected you. I guess I was so caught up with Penny, everything else was background noise. You've always been there for me, you're important to me, and I just can't believe I could be so cold."

"You were in love, Suske, I get it. Get some sleep, it'll help you feel better."

Resting his head on his pillow, he let out a sigh. "If… if I ever fall in love with somebody again… I hope… I hope it's…"

Was he going to say what she thought he was going to say?

"Kiddo, I'm about to… oh, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?"

Of all times, why did Auntie have to show up?!

"No, Auntie," Suske said, giving her a half smile. "Just saying goodnight."

"Well, I'll leave it to you, then," Auntie replied. "Yell if you need anything." In a gentle tone, she added, "things will get better, you'll see."

Wiske quickly gave her own farewell and left the room with Auntie. She didn't need to hear the rest. He wasn't talking about her. That would never happen. Not in their dimension, anyway.

The warm feeling that bubbled up in her chest, however, said that maybe – just maybe – she was wrong.

Only time would tell.