Once she was herded into class, Jessica felt numb. The words he had sung had washed over her and she couldn't believe she had just let him walk away. She wanted to rush up to him and tell him all was well, but a part of her was still very scared.

During class, Jessica realized she was still clutching the piece of paper he had given her. She sucked in a breath and slowly unfolded it, hoping against hope that the words were careless and meaningless, hoping that the letter would make her feel relieved that she had let him go, hoping that the words were repulsive. And hoping that they were as sweet, as loving, as beautiful, as she had once believed Bradin was.

Jess,

I know you're probably going to throw this out, but I just had to try to get you to understand. I know how much I hurt you when I didn't respond right away when you asked why I liked you, but it wasn't because I didn't know what to say. I paused because I was just so shocked that you had to ask me. Why do I like you? You're beautiful, but you'll never admit it and you don't deny it to seem modest; you actually don't believe you are, which just blows my mind! You're insanely, I repeat, insanely smart and yet you've never once made me feel stupid. You're kind but you don't let people walk all over you. You've got a sharp edge, but you're such a sweetheart. You're witty and quirky and strange but completely comfortable in your strangeness. You are your own person with your own life and you never followed me around like those other girls, yet I always know you care. You don't say things you don't mean. You won't change yourself to make someone else happy…you are 100 true to yourself. When you smile, you make me feel like all that's wrong in my life is made right again. When I make you laugh, even if for a short moment, I feel like I've done something worthwhile. You're sensitive and I know you get hurt easily but you put up a mask like everything's okay just so others don't worry. If that's not being selfless, I don't know what is. You've never given up on me…until now, that is. I'm hoping you won't think these words are meaningless, because I mean them with all my heart. Jessica, I care about you more than you can know. When you found out about my parents, you did what others couldn't. You just sat with me, not saying any ridiculous words of pity, not making any statements that everything would be okay, not telling me how I should be feeling…You just sat there with me, Jess, and let me get out the tears I had been keeping in. You didn't make me feel awkward or stupid, you just held me, even though we didn't know each other that well then. You may not have known it, in fact most people probably didn't see it, but I was at breaking point. I didn't feel like I could talk about it to anyone and I largely acted as if I was fine. You helped me move on.

I will not be able to forgive myself for making you cry. I'm just hoping you will. I won't make any promises about never hurting you again, after all, if we're in each other's lives for as long as I hope we will be, it's inevitable. All I can promise is that I'll always be there to wipe away the tears. All I can promise is that I'll always care about you. I'll do my best to prevent from hurting you; I'll do my best to be the man you once liked so much.

With love and hope from your former non-friend

-Bradin

Jessica dropped the letter onto her desk and broke out crying. Those around her whirled around to see what was going on, but she didn't care. It was the middle of class, during a video, and the room was silent until her sobs escaped, but she didn't care. The tears wouldn't stop.


A/N: I'm hoping this makes up for the cheesiness factor of last chapter, lol. Again, thanks for reviewing everyone! For the next few days I've got to focus on my other fics, so it could be a while before my next update. Knowing me, a while is probably a week max, lolol