AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She grabs my shoulders and shakes me, trying to continue the game, but I’m unresponsive. “What do you mean … ‘promise not to date Carmen’? What do you care? You’re dating Chris Harding,” I tell her.
“No, I’m not. I told you he’s a dingus. He’s out.”
“Well then … I never dated Carmen anyway. We just exchanged a few messages.”
“Good,” she says and rearranges her hair.
“Why is that good?”
“Because … you’re too good for her. She’s not your type, Evan. Believe me. I know you better than anyone else.”
“And who is my type?”
I watch her face now, the blue eyes darting across the room as she tries to avoid looking at me, the red lipstick shining like gloss on her lips.
“Evan, you’re such a sweet guy, do you know that? Have I ever told you that?”
“You tell me that every day, Dolly. As a matter of fact, you’re just about the only girl who does. All the others see me like a dork,” I complain.
Emmy puts her arms around my neck. “That’s because you are.” She laughs. “But don’t worry. They just need to see what I see. How sweet, wonderful, amazing, caring, kind, smart, and funny you are!”
“And handsome?” I ask playfully.
“And handsome, of course.” She grins.
“But what if they don’t? What if … I never find my soulmate? What if I don’t find another girl who sees all those things in me? The things that you see?”
She looks at me intently as if trying to read my mind. “Is that what goes on in that smart head of yours? That’s what’s bothering you?” she asks.
“Sometimes…”
“You will, Evan. Stop worrying. Life is not an eternal high school,” she says wisely. “At some point, we’ll grow up, graduate, move away from here, meet other people and … just get on with our lives.”
I ponder her words for a moment. “Hey, Dolly, do you think we’ll still be best friends in the future? Say … ten years from now?”
“If you don’t marry Carmen,” she jokes.
“Come on, I’m serious.”
She shifts and lands on the pillows next to me. I look at her face and can see that she’s worried. “Well, honestly, I’m afraid you might forget about me.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“Come on. You’re going to college to become a doctor. And you will because you’re the smartest guy I’ve ever met. And then … you’re going to become this incredibly successful, rich doctor and just … forget about me. You’ll probably get married to some rich, spoiled heiress or something and I won’t mean anything to you anymore…”
“Emmy, is that really what concerns you?”
“Yes. I mean … you’re the best part of my life. You always have been, ever since we met. But I’m a little worried about what’s gonna happen when you leave for college.”
I wrap my arm around her and pull her close. “That’s not going to happen. You know why?”
“Why?”
“Because you’re the best part of my life too. Sure, I want to become a doctor and I want to help people. But that wouldn’t mean anything to me at all if I couldn’t share it with you. You’re my best friend and always will be, no matter what.”
“Do you promise?” She looks up at me.
“I swear.”
