Kim: - Jack, I guess we missed you at the restaurant. Why did you leave?

Maybe we can…hand out tomorrow. I mean if you want… text me

tomorrow morning with your answer. GN Jack…

Jack's P.O.V.

I woke up, eyes blurry. Squinting as the sun came through the blinds brighter

than usual. My mind set was totally gone, I didn't know how I got home, but

I can remember was the text from Kim. I rose up from my slumber slowly,

looking at the clock.

~12:00~

I rubbed my eyes again, slipped out of bed and got my phone. Staring at

Kim's last message didn't jog my memory of last night, but it did bring all

the feelings back, the reason I had left the restaurant in the first place. Also

realizing I never replied to her…

-What time do you want me to meet you?

I exhaled and put my phone on my bed and walked over to my dresser

pulling off my shirt and searching for new one. My phone buzzed as soon as

I picked one out.

Kim:- I was thinking of just stop by your house in a couple of minutes then

we go hangout in the mall.

I looked at the text. Five minutes passed, and I still stared at the text. I didn't

what was going on with her.

First, she doesn't even want to talk to me. Now she wants to hang out with

me and walk the mall.

I dropped my phone and picked up my shirt and pulled it over my head, I

walked over to the mirror as I fixed it onto my torso. I messed up my hair

and pulled out a pair of black jeans. I looked towards to my shoe closet and

pulled out a pair of sneakers my mom had bought me. There were

Converses, gray ones at that and high-tops. I didn't like them because they

weren't my style. But today I felt different, I felt like the opposite of myself,

the opposite of Jack.

I picked up the pair of shoes and walked up to the mirror and held them up

to myself. I nodded to myself and pulled them on. I picked up my phone and

sent a quick, one letter message.

A simple 'K.'

I slid my phone in my pocket and turned back to the mirror to focus on the

wild animal that is my hair. But today I didn't try to fix, I decided to let it be

its natural self: shaggy, messy, and un-combed. The only thing I try to do

was mess it up a little bit more. When I satisfied with whom I was staring

back at, and spritzing myself with a little cologne, I turned on my heel to

head downstairs.

As soon as I reached the kitchen I realized the house was empty with only a

note on the fridge showing the only sign of my mother.

"Jack, left early for work. BEHAVE. Be safe, and if you're going out be

back by 9:00. BEHAVE. Lunch is in the fridge. BEHAVE.

Bye, Love Mom 3"

I laughed at the note, my mom (and just about everyone else) has problems

with my "behavioral actions". My laughing stopped when I heard a knock at

the door.

"Jack?" a call through the door. Kim. My heart immediately started to race.

I cleared my through, threw the note out and walked to the door. I hesitated

at the door knob, but eventually I did open it. When I opened it, Kim looked

a bit surprised. I didn't know why though, she did knock on MY door.

"Hey Jack." She said with a small wave and a small smile.

All the "small things" were killing me. Kim used to be a loud aggressive

girl that I liked. Now she's…she's…

"Hey Kim…"

…different… I didn't bother giving my usual smile, every time I looked at

her or anything about her; all the feelings came back to my heart and brain,

epically the hurt feelings. The ones I always try so hard, so hard to forget.

The only solution is to avoid looking at her all day. Considering the task, it

was hard. But it was worth it.

I motioned to outside and she got the memo. After I closed the door behind

us, we walked up the street towards the city avenue where the mall was

located.

Listening to our own footsteps in sync with each other wasn't a comfortable

silence. I wanted to ask her badly why she picked to hang out with me

instead of John, but that would most likely start an argument. Everything

started an argument between us these days.

20 minutes passed and I was going crazy, my mind was swirling with all the

questions I wanted to ask her. But out of the corner of my eye, I noticed her

looking at me.

Just because I can't look at her, doesn't mean I can't talk to her.

"Liking what you see?" I said while looking off into the scene before us.

"Huh? Oh no, I mean yes, I mean-" she took a frustrated breath. I left out a

nervous laugh. The old Kim was peeking through the fake one, I loved it

when she got frustrated when I said certain things like that.

"You just look different today." She said, summing up her once confused

thought. I nodded, happy for some reason that she had noticed.

"Thanks." I said turning to her eyes, and they caught me and pulled me in

immediately.

Crap.

I looked at what she was wearing for the first time. A short sleeved karate

top and jeans and sandals. But the thing that caught my eyes the most was

the karate top because it meant that Kim wasn't all gone. My eyes moved up

to her hair and it was in a messy bun, just how I liked it.

No will power left. Give up Jack.

While we continued to walk, her hand reached up to my messy hair. I tried

not to flinch with being so nervous.

"I actually like your hair better like this." she said laughing as one of her

fingers got tangled in it. We had to stop walking because we began to laugh

so hard together. I held her hand steady as I released it from my hair, I was

expecting to let go but she held on to it. I was ready to begin walking again

but she stayed put. She played with a strand of her hair like she does when

she's always nervous.

"Kim, you don't have to be nervous around me." I said as I gently pulled her

hand from her hair.

"Jack, I'm sorry." She said looking at me sincerely.

"For what?"

Like I didn't already know.

But I have been waiting for this moment for what seemed like ages.

"I think you already know, for ignoring you and being a terrible, terrible

friend. I just-" she stopped and looked down at the floor, finding a weird

interest in a certain speck in the cement.

"You just what Kim?" she shook her head and I held her hand tighter.

"I'm sorry." I sighed. This is what I wanted but then it wasn't. I'm glad she

apologized but she didn't tell me why all this happened and I doubt she ever

will. But this was all I get now; I might as well accept it.

I pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead. I didn't let go for a while and

neither did she. She held on to me, just like I had dreamed on those lonely

nights when she was out with John. I wanted her to know that I will hold on

to her as long as she would hold on to me.

Two words sum this up.

"You're forgiven…"