When We Were Almost

Elaina’s POV “El, I love you.” I wish I could say I knew what those words would mean to me. I didn’t. At seventeen, I thought Daniel Brooks and I had all the time in the world. I thought our story was only just beginning. I had no idea how wrong I was. Ten minutes earlier…. Daniel stood right in front of me, unusually quiet. That alone should’ve warned me that something wasn’t quite right. Normally he always had something to say. A joke. A sarcastic comment. Something, anything. Instead he rubbed the back of his neck, looking everywhere else but at me. I laughed. “What’s up?” “Nothing.” “You’ve been acting pretty weird for the past twenty minutes.” “I have?” “Mhmm?…..” He let out a nervous laugh. “You know almost the whole school thinks we’re a couple right?” I rolled my eyes as far back as they could go. “Oh please, Hazel has been saying that since year ten.” “They all have.” “That’s because they enjoy making our lives difficult.” He smiled. “I don’t think they’re wrong.” My smile faded quite a little. “What?” He looked down at the grass before looking at me again. “Lately I’ve been trying to convince myself that it’s not crazy to admit to your best friend that you’ve been in love with her for a while.” Everything around me suddenly stopped. The laughter. The music. The wind. Even the football someone had kicked across the field. It all faded into the background. “El, I love you.” I stared at him. Surely I was dreaming or something. Daniel Brooks….. My literal Best Friend. The boy who had somehow been part of every single one of my days. Loved … me? I blinked. “You love me?” He laughed nervously. “I was hoping that wasn’t the only part you heard.” I couldn’t help laughing too. Then neither of us spoke. We just stood there. Like two complete idiots. “I think…” I whispered. “I think I’ve loved you for a while too” His eyes widened. “Don’t joke around like that?” I nodded. Before I knew what was happening, he pulled me into the tightest hug known to man. And somehow. It felt exactly like home. Exactly one year earlier …… If someone had told me Daniel Brooks would become the most important person in my life…. I would’ve laughed. Not because I didn’t like him. Quite the opposite. Daniel had always been…. Daniel The loud boy who never returned the pens he borrowed. The football captain who somehow knew everyone in school. The one teachers complained about but secretly adored. We’d known each other since we were little. Not exactly inseparable. Just…. always around. Our parents knew each other. We went to the same schools. Ended up in the same classes more often that not. He was simply another family face in my life. Or so I thought. Everything changed the day our Chemistry teacher announced a partner project. “I’ll be choosing the pairs,” she said before anyone could complain. A loud chorus of groans filled the classroom. “…Daniel and Elaina.” Hazel gasped dramatically from behind me. Grace slapped my shoulder. Emma grinned like a celebrity had just walked into the room. I turned. “Yes?” “Oh nothing,” Hazel says innocently. “We’ve just all been waiting for this moment” “There is no moment.” “Oh there definitely is!” I sighed. Daniel leaned over from the desk behind mine. “Looks like you’re stuck with all of this.” he says, gesturing at himself. “I’ve survived worse.” “Ouch.” “You’ll recover.” “I don’t think I will.” Emma burst into laughter. I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. Maybe that project should’ve been ordinary. Instead it became the beginning of everything. Over the next few weeks, studying together somehow turned into eating lunch together. Lunch became waking home after school together. Daniel became my favorite part of everyday life. I just didn’t realize it yet. Meanwhile…… Hazel, Grace and Emma noticed long before I did. “I swear,” Hazel whispered one afternoon as Daniel walked away. “The way he looks at you isn’t normal.” Grace nodded almost immediately. “He literally smiles before you even start talking.” Emma folded her hands. “Can you two just date already?” I groaned. “We’re friends.” “Best friends.” “Exactly” Hazel smiled to herself. “We’ll see.” I had no idea then…. That she was right. Seven days later…. Daniel had texted me “Meet me after football practice.” “Sure.” Looking back …. He’d probably rewritten that text a hundred times before hitting send.