Short Story

Hi! This was a story i submitted as a sunday stars times compition entry...
Just posting it to fill up the page a bit...
Just has no title...

Once again I was sitting in the comfortable chair in the window of the small café on the main road. Also, once again I was sitting opposite my friend Laura, the girl I loved. Her light brown hair caught the light, and it made me focus my gaze on her deep, brown eyes. This was the third time this month that she had called me, in tears about her latest relationship that had gone wrong. I was used to it by now, after two and a half years of friendship. We had met the first day in High School and I was instantly entranced by her. Of course she hasn’t heard about me loving her for three years. For those three years, coming to the café had become a habit, a ritual in which I had one on one time with the girl I loved.

“He said that if we didn’t go forward with our relationship that he’d break up with me… He broke up with me anyway though…” Laura told me as I sat there. I had heard this at least twice in the last three months. It was a pattern, a pattern that was destroying her and me in turn. It pained me to hear what had happened to her, each time she had said it.

I remembered back to the first time that she had come to me crying about her problems. She had stumbled towards me, early in the morning at school. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she threw her arms around me. She cuddled into my neck, unaware of my uncertainty of what I should do. My neck had become soaked with salty tears, and all I could do was hold her until she stopped. When she did finally stop, she told me about her first major boyfriend Harry. “He was so sweet to begin with, loved me, and then…” she swallowed, with fear I thought, and then carried on. “…And then, he… he asked me to go further with him!” she started to wail uncontrollably. I remember that all I could do was hold her tighter, and wait until she stopped crying. We sat in the same spot for half an hour, then she felt composed and I made sure she was okay.

The words “He was so sweet to begin with…” brought me back to the present day, and I felt another pattern happening. I began to worry more than I already was and struggled to find what to say next. I couldn’t say a thing and she continued, tearing my heart to pieces with each word she said.

I thought back to the second year that I had known Laura. It was the first day back at school, everyone with new gear, new stationary and new stories to tell. But this time, no stories were going to be told to me by Laura only one single sentence. “I’m so happy, I have a nice boyfriend this time.” I remember the struggle of wills, trying not to say that this is what she said exactly two weeks before the last sour breakup. This time however, apart from the struggle, I was star struck. I could not give her advice but only stare at her. She had grown her hair longer and it cradled her face. Her eyes were sparkling from happiness and I had to stop my legs from running towards her and telling her what I had kept hidden for that past year.

Her sobbing brought me back to the present once more and I couldn’t help but wonder how many times I would have to go through this until I found the courage, the bravery, the confidence to tell her that I loved her. She leaned towards me, I quickly put down the mug in my hand and put my arms around her to comfort her.


This time, as once more, salty tears ran down my neck, I thought back to the first time we had come to this small café. It was during the first holidays we had that second year at high school and we were only there as I suggested that Laura and I should grab a drink. As soon as we sat in the window, as soon as she gave me a startled look, as soon as I realized that something was wrong I began to worry. “Oliver…” Laura started to say, “Another relationship of mine has fallen into tiny little pieces that I can’t glue back together. When will I be able to find a guy who will love me for me? Not for my body?” Once again, she burst into tears as her feelings overwhelmed her. Like all those other times that past year and three months, I put my arms around her and held her until she regained her composure.

The shock of Laura not crying any more brought me back to everyday thoughts and not the messy, jumbled, confused feelings of the past years. She still clung on to me with all her being and I couldn’t help but smile and look out the window into the sunshine, wondering how I became such a caring friend, yet a held back thoughtful person. When did I suddenly turn so unselfish? Before I met Laura I would have gone out with some random girl once and never return the call, but now I was single for three years, waiting for a girl who acted like I didn’t exist.

Realization hit me like a hammer hits an anvil. I became a caring friend to her after the second time she had gone out with Harry. When I had found out that she had gone out with Harry once more, I felt dead inside. I had been there for her for nearly two years by now and the café had become the spot where I had to put aside any emotion that I held and just care. “He was so reassuring that… that… that he wouldn’t ask me to go further with him this time…” she had told me. “…He asked me though… Just after two days… But I still love him” I was shocked by this and I did not know what to say. I was speechless and Laura looked at me, waiting for me to say something, to give some brilliant advice. I had replied “Follow your heart, where ever it may lead you” and made up an excuse to get out of there.

Laura untangled her arms out of the embrace she had me in. I looked at her longingly, wanting to hold her longer, to convince her that I was the right person for her, her guardian angel. I quickly mumbled a quick excuse “My mum wants me back home… I’ll see you later…” and I ran from the café wondering when I’d next hear from her.

I next heard from her after three days as it was the first school holidays for this year. I had been sent a txt that said “I really wanna talk to u meet u at the café in ten mins?” I was still entranced by her and sent her a reply simply saying yes. I walked down the road, and as I was walking through the door, I saw Laura and Harry kiss each other on the lips and saw Laura walk towards the café. I pushed open the door and choked back tears as I stumbled inside. I found a seat and sat there, trying to make myself composed when she walked through the door.





She looked monotonous as she walked over towards me and I couldn’t help but look at her wondering why she looked like she had no feelings. I was sure my heart dropped as she sat down opposite me. We looked at each other and I wasn’t sure if I could trust myself if I opened my mouth to talk. “Harry wants me back…” Laura suddenly said and my head snapped up with my eyes wide in shock. “So the kiss just before with him meant nothing then?” I asked her accusingly. This time it was her turn to look at me with her eyes wide. I carried on, my words laced with contempt but also love as well. “So I guess you said yes then?” My voice as I said ‘yes then?’ betrayed me and it wavered as I was feeling hurt, confused, and wishing I wasn’t having this conversation at this moment in time.

We sat silently together, looking at each other, trying to figure out what the other was thinking. Once again it was her that started. “Oliver, I… I… I said no to him. There is someone… someone better than him… someone who was been there for me… for me no matter what. Always there… Always there no matter what…” she said “…And Oliver… Oliver, that person is you.” I sat there shocked, but grateful that Laura wasn’t going to go back to Harry. “Then what was happening just before? Before you came into the café?” I questioned her. She looked at me, then looked down at her feet. After a minute, I felt like getting up and walking out, leaving her to sit there by herself. “He was trying to convince me to go back to him. I told him no. I’ve wanted you to ask me out since day one, but you never did…” I sat there and replied “Oh… I don’t know anymore! I need to think, a moment to gather my thoughts and think of what I want.” We both got up and walked out together out of the café and into the scary world.

We walked through the doors, into our math class, with everyone staring as we held hands in plain view. Laura and I saw people whisper and wonder as we took our seats side by side, talking, and waiting for class to start. As Mrs. Snell started talking I thought back to just two days ago. It was another sunny day and I walked into the café, the only safe place in my life where I could just relax without people questioning what I do. I looked around the room and spotted Laura sitting in our usual spot waiting for me. “Hey Laura” I said to her. “I wanted to meet you here because I wanted to ask you something… something I should have asked you three years ago when we first met. Laura will you be my Girlfriend?” I didn’t wait for her reply and continued on “I’m always here for you, no matter what, I’ll always love you.” the next few moments in that wonderful minute are still fresh in my mind. Laura did not answer but stood up and walked towards me, grabbed my hands and tenderly kissed me in the café, in front of the whole group of patrons.

That first day back at school was one of the best days to come. On the first Friday back at term we both said those binding words, those words which could change someone’s life in a heartbeat. “I Love You.” Once again I was sitting in the comfortable chair in the window of the small café on the main road. Once again I was sitting opposite Laura gazing into her deep brown eyes, wishing the day would never end. To this day we have been there for each other. Always been there, no matter what.