[Eric’s Point of View]

"Krystal, you like me don't you?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She nodded. Krystal likes me? I thought she was my best friend, and only my best friend. I've been treating her like a little sister. 

"How long have you been liking me?" I asked her. 

"I don't know exactly when I started, but it was a while ago. If you don't want to be friends any more, I completely understand." She sat on her bed and looked shyly at her hands. She's my best friend, I don't have feelings for her like that. But she's so fragile I might say something and I'll crush her. 

"Why would I unfriend you? Krystal come here." I opened my arms and she crashed into my chest. 

"Krystal, I love you like a sister. I feel bad for making you feel like this okay? But you understand me, right?" I said as sweetly as I could. I said it like a big brother would. 

"Yes, I just wish you did." She looked at me with her big brown eyes then buried her head into my chest. We stayed like that for a while, then her mom told me my mom wanted me home. I said bye to Krystal and went home. I was still thinking about Krystal and a little part of my mind was occupied by Luna. I was do distracted, I ran into my older brother John. 

"Woah there, what are you thinking about little man?" He asked. 

"Stop calling me that! I'm only one year younger than you!"

"You're also 5 inches shorter. Now answer my question. What's on your mind." 

"I'll tell you upstairs, I don't want mom or dad hearing this." So he took me upstairs. We walked down the hall then took a seat in my room. He shut the door so our parents wouldn’t hear us.

"Okay, what's up?" He asked. 

"You know Krystal?" I don’t know why I asked him this, she came over all the time.

"Yeah, she lives next door. You best friend? She's cute. Now what about her?"
He thinks she's cute? Weird.

 "Well, she told me she likes me, but I like someone else.”

"So you friend-zoned her? Ouch. How did she take it?"

"Fairly well, she said she understood."

"Then you’re lucky to have a best friend like that." John was looking at something outside. Maybe there was like a cat or something. I don’t know why he would be interested in the outdoors, he spends most of his time playing his guitar.

"Hey, is that her?" Looking out my window, I can see Krystal's room. Our windows are lined up. I looked into her room and she was sitting on her bed, video chatting with someone. 

"Yeah, that's her, why?"

"It looks like she's video chatting with a guy. She seems to be enjoying it. A lot." John was right. I could make out the image of a male head on her laptop. She was holding her stomach laughing. I could barely see the guy's face, but it was unfamiliar. We continued watching her and after a while, she finally noticed us. She waved to John, but when she looked at me, she gave me a little smile and closed her curtains. 

"Looks like you have some competition little man." John said 

"I don't even like her. She's like my little sister." I've told so many people this before, but for some reason, I didn't feel so sure anymore. 

BEEP BEEP

I slowly and sleepily woke up to the sound of my alarm clock. It read 6:20. I decided I would dress quick and not eat breakfast so I can sleep. I was about to lay back down but my door was thrown open by someone. 

"WAKE UP, AND GO TAKE A SHOWER SLEEPY HEAD! You don't want to go to school smelling like that. I don't think Luna likes boys that smell like monkey butts." Krystal's loud voice interrupted my sleeping. I figured she won't stop talking until I get out of bed, so I got up and walked to my closet to pick an outfit. When I was halfway there, she stopped me and shoved clothes in my arms. 

"I already chose something. Now hurry and take a shower, I'll make us breakfast." She said full of energy, even though she woke up early to get things ready for me. 

"Where are my parents? Why aren't they cooking for us? You don't have to make food for me." I asked. Usually, my mom does all of this for me. 

"I let them sleep, silly. And you made me food yesterday, remember?" She said with a cute smile. She pushed me toward the bathroom and she ran downstairs. 

When I finished showering, I put the outfit Krystal chose for me. Skinny jeans and a simple black wife beater under a white button up. Huh, the girl has style. 
 

"Well she always has cute outfits on, of course she has style." I thought to myself. Wait, no. Why am I thinking of her like that? I rinsed my face and slapped myself several times and then headed downstairs. 

When I got there, I saw Krystal working the stove. That was normal, but John was holding her waist. That wasn't normal. The sight made me boil with anger. I don’t know why. It must be because I don’t like it when people are touchy with my friends.

"Hey, get off of her, you and your touchy hands." I said grumpily, I didn’t sleep enough. I was still tired and the sight of John touching Krystal was just uncomfortable.

                John reluctantly took his hands off her hips. He looked pretty upset, like he could’ve held on to her all day. But because I’m his brother, I love to annoy him. So I rained on his parade. Krystal chuckled a little and shoveled some food onto three separate plates. She handed us our plates and then she started rambling about why we should eat breakfast.

“Okay guys, here’s your food. Eat all of it or you’ll be starving at school. If you’re starving, you’ll only pay attention to your hunger, and not class. Then you’ll miss lessons and be lost and you’ll fail—“

                “Yes mom. I got it, now eat your food.” I said because this girl talks a lot. And I just want to eat. She made pancakes and bacon. She also cut up some fruit and poured mike for us. She said it was important to eat healthy.

We were talking about this horror movie that’s coming out soon. John was checking his calendar to see when he was available to go out with us. We were deciding on a date, but my mom came from upstairs and told us if we didn’t leave for school now, we were going to be late. We said bye to her and headed to the garage because John was taking us to school. We jumped into his Mercedes-Benz SL-Class and he we were on our way.

“Bye, John! Thanks for the ride!” Krystal said as she got out of the car.

“No problem, sweetie! Now hurry and go to your locker and get your books. Don’t be late for class or I’m not buying you ice cream later.” He answered back. He’s taking her out for ice cream? I love ice cream!

“Can I come? I want ice cream too!” I asked. Of course he would take me! I’m his… little man.

“No. I’m not taking you, dork.” He answered and went to park his car on the other side of school  I was standing there in disbelief. How could he do this too his own brother? I looked at Krystal and she was trying her best not to laugh.

“Go ahead, laugh at me.” As soon as I said it, she burst out laughing. People were looking at us, but who cares. Certainly not me, and Krystal didn’t even notice because she was laughing so hard. Her face was turning a light pink color and she was holding her stomach, just like she was when she was video chatting with that guy. Who was he anyway?

“Hey Krystal, last night when you were video chatting, who were you video chatting with?” I asked because curiosity kills the cat.

“Oh, that was my cousin Henry. He checks up on me every so often because he thinks I get in trouble a lot.”

“So he’s just your cousin?” I asked her. She looked at me weirdly and nodded.

“Didn’t I just tell you that?”

“Uh, yeah. Let’s go to class.” I was relieved that there was nothing going on between them, but why? It’s probably because I don’t want her going out with anyone because she’s fragile. Yeah, that’s the reason, I’m sure of it.

I walked Krystal to her class first and walked down the hallway to mine. I had math first period. It’s like the universe wants me to go back to sleep. Doing AP Calculus is a better way of falling asleep than counting sheep or reading. I wish I could fall asleep in class, but Krystal would tell my mom and she would lecture me about how falling asleep in class can lead to death. I don’t want to have that conversation again. The first time I heard it, my mom sounded ridiculous.

I made it through first and second period without dying because of lack of sleep. Now it’s time for lunch. The halls were crowded with kids from all the grades. It was hard to get anywhere, so I waited for the halls to clear up so I could get to Krystal’s class without having to struggle and fight for my life (hungry high school students could be vicious sometimes.) I sauntered sown the hall ready to see my best friend. I reached her classroom and I saw her, but I also saw John. What is he doing here?

“Hey there little man! I bought you some lunch!” John said as he saw me coming.

“Yeah, he bought us Chick-fil-a!” Krystal added happily. The girl loves Chick-fil-a. She might love it more than Nutella.

“What’d you get me, a chicken salad sandwich?” I asked. I was really in the mood for one of those. John handed me a white bag that was decorated with the red Chick-fil-a logo. I looked inside and looked and what I saw was ridiculous.

“You bought me… a kid’s meal?” I asked John. Why would he buy me a kid’s meal?! I am no kid!

“Because you’re a little man!” He said as he swatted the back of my head lightly.

“What did you het Krystal?” I swear if he got her a chicken salad sandwich, I would tell mom he fell asleep in class.

“I got a chicken salad sandwich.” She answered for him.

“But I want a chicken salad sandwich!” I exclaimed like a child. I didn’t care though, I wanted the sandwich!

“I’ll trade with you, if you want to Eric.” She said while pushing her bag toward me.

“Yes! I do! Give me the sandwich!” I replied while snatching the bag out of her hands.

“Calm down, Eric. That was kind of rude don’t you think?” John said.

“No its okay, I don’t mind.” Krystal said with a small smile.

“You sure?” John asked her to reassure himself.

“Absolutely, now let’s go to lunch, I’m starving.”

When the day ended, John drove me home. I was about to ask why Krystal wasn’t getting out, but then I remembered they were going out for ice cream. I asked John if I could come and he objected. But Krystal wanted me to tag along and I told John I would pay for myself and he reluctantly let me join.

He drove us to the closest ice cream parlor. He ordered cookies and cream for himself and asked Krystal what flavor she liked. I knew the answer to that.

“Her favorite is birthday cake, bro.”

“Are you sure?” He asked me. Of course I’m sure! I’ve bought Krystal ice cream enough to know what her favorite flavor was.

“He’s right, I want it in a waffle cone, please!” Krystal said like a child.

I ordered my mint chocolate chip snack and we sat down with our cold, sugary goodness. We were eating silently when all of a sudden Krystal yelped.

“AH! BRAIN FREEZE!”

 John and I sat there laughing at her, and that’s how our night ended.