I'd started liking him.
697 Words
Matt and I didn't go to the same high school.
Other than having Sophie and her boyfriend as mutual friends, we lived in completely different worlds.
We had different classmates.
Different schedules.
Different friends.
If it weren't for them, we probably never would've met.
That first phone call somehow became a routine.
Almost every afternoon around five-thirty, my phone would ring.
Without even looking at the caller ID, I'd already know it was him.
At first, he was always the one who called.
Eventually, I got comfortable enough to call him first every now and then.
We talked about everything.
And somehow...
Nothing at all.
School.
Teachers we couldn't stand.
What we had for dinner.
The latest songs on the radio.
What we'd do if we won the lottery.
Which superhero would actually survive a zombie apocalypse.
Some conversations were meaningful.
Others made absolutely no sense.
Somehow, none of that mattered.
I just liked talking to him.
Hours would disappear before either of us realized how late it had gotten.
One night, he asked me a question that made him laugh.
"You've never seen *The Princess Bride*?"
"No."
"What?"
"I've never seen it."
"Mylene..."
"What?"
"That's a crime."
I laughed.
"I always thought it was one of those Disney princess movies."
There was complete silence on the other end of the phone.
Then he groaned dramatically.
"No."
"No?"
"No."
"So it's not about a princess?"
"Not even close."
I smiled.
"Huh."
"I can't believe you thought that."
"I mean... it's literally called *The Princess Bride*."
He laughed.
"Fair point. But trust me, it's not what you think."
I teased, "I didn't know you were into princess movies."
"I am not."
"Sure."
"I'm serious."
"Whatever you say."
He sighed dramatically.
"I can't let you go through life without seeing these."
"Oh?"
"We're starting with *The Princess Bride*."
I laughed.
"Fine. But if I end up watching two hours of singing princesses, I'm blaming you."
"You won't."
"You sound awfully confident."
He grinned.
"Just trust me."
From that day on, he made it his mission to introduce me to every classic movie I'd somehow missed growing up.
Whenever one was on TV, we'd start it at the same time and watch together while talking on the phone.
Half the time, we'd spend more time making fun of the movie than actually watching it.
Those somehow became my favorite nights.
Other nights...
We'd just keep talking until one of us drifted off to sleep.
Neither of us ever admitted it, but I think we both stayed on the line a little longer than we needed to.
Four months passed.
We were still just friends.
Neither of us let Sophie or her boyfriend rush us into anything.
Every few days, Sophie would ask the same question.
"So... are you guys dating yet?"
I'd laugh.
"No."
She'd sigh dramatically.
"What are you two waiting for?"
Honestly...
I didn't know.
Neither of us had our driver's licenses yet.
Meeting up wasn't exactly easy.
When Sophie introduced us at the boba shop, her older brother had driven Sophie and me there. Matt had met us there with Sophie's boyfriend.
Whenever we wanted to hang out after that, Sophie's brother was usually the one giving us rides.
But then he got a job.
Ever since then, we hadn't really been able to go anywhere.
Instead...
We talked.
Every single day.
The funny thing was, I'd always been the quiet one.
The girl who answered questions with one sentence.
The one who preferred listening instead of talking.
But with Matt...
I never ran out of things to say.
We'd argue over the dumbest topics.
Which fast-food fries were the best.
Whether pineapple belonged on pizza.
Who would win in a fight between Batman and Spider-Man.
Neither of us ever changed the other's mind.
But that wasn't the point.
I looked forward to every conversation.
Somewhere during those four months...
Without even realizing it...
I'd started liking him.
Really liking him.
I found myself smiling whenever my phone rang.
Wondering what he'd call to tell me.
Hoping he'd be the first person I talked to after school.
I just didn't know...
If he felt the same way.
- Writer
