‘should I give up.. or should I just keep chasing pavements.. even if it leads nowhere… ‘  Adele’s enchanting voice filled the air inside Tiffany’s small and now stuffy car.  As the rain kept pouring outside, she closed her eyes and let each and every word sink into her deepest thoughts.  Processing them in her mind, she asked herself, ‘should I give up?’, for this has been a question that has lingered in her mind for quite some time now.  Was it time for her to let go?  She had been in love with this boy for as long as she could remember.  He was her first love, and so far, her only love.  And yet, after spending seven years devoting all her heart to him, he still never seemed to notice her.  Well, yes, he knew her.  And, yes, they were friends.  But, for a girl so deeply in love, friendship was not what she wanted.

            She sat silently, counting the raindrops that hit the windshield of her car. Ninety nine.. one hundred.. never has she felt so torn.  Her heart wasn’t ready to let go of her love, but her mind knew better.  He didn’t love her, he never will.  It was foolish of her to wait and hope for something so impossible.  For a seventeen year old to believe in a fairytale ending was perfectly fun and dreamy, but at twenty four, she knew better.  The vibration of her phone broke her chain of thoughts, taking her back to reality.  Without checking the caller id, she answered.

            “hello,” she said, and waited for the other line to answer.

            “Tiffany?” a small smile formed on her lips as she heard a voice that always seemed to cheer her up.

            “hey.. what’s up?”

            “what’s up? Where are you? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where are you?”

            She chuckled, finding his sudden burst of anxiousness rather amusing.  It was so typical of him to be so worked up over nothing.

            “yah! Why are you laughing? You think this is funny?” yelled the frustrated guy on the other line.

            “sorry oppa… I’m fine.  I just got stuck in traffic.” She lied.  She didn’t want him to worry about her.  He was already too nice to her.

            “don’t lie to me tiff.  Who do you think I am?”

            Silence filled both lines.

            “my best..” she started to answer him, but he cut her off mid-sentence with a loud sigh.

            “never mind.  I don’t want to hear it.  Just get home safe, okay.”

            Once again deafening silence filled the air as neither one knew what to say.  She felt awful for making him worried, he felt hurt by her answer.

            “oppa.. I’m sorry I made you worry.  I really am okay.”  She told him, trying to laugh but it came out forced and awkward.

            “you were thinking about him again,” he said matter-of-factly rather than asking.  She didn’t answer.

            “just tell him how you feel tiff.  What do you have to lose? Huh?”

            “I’m scared,” she whispered.  “what if he leaves me entirely? What if he wants nothing to do with me?” she asked, lips already trembling from the thought.

            “well… you still have me,” he said.  His heart secretly pounding a thousand beats a minute.

            “oh oppa, you’re such a good friend..”

            Friend.  the word struck his heart like a poisoned arrow.  Friend.  The most dreaded word in all human language.  Friend.  he hated it.  he hated being her friend.  how much longer was he supposed to keep up his little façade and pretend being her ‘good friend’ when every time he saw her, all he wanted to do was hold her, kiss her, and tell her over and over how much he loves her.  Yes, for the love of god he was in love with her.  More than he ever thought he would be, and more than he was willing to admit.  Because he knew better.  He knew her heart belonged to another.  He knew her heart belonged to his best friend.  and hell, here he was, being the hypocrite he is, telling her to confess her love while he, on the other hand, was too much of a coward to do so himself.

            After a long silence, she finally spoke bringing the other speaker back to life from his deep trance.

            “oppa… I guess you’re right.  I think I will tell him,” 

He tried to listen to her words but all he could hear was the sound of his heart shattering into millions of tiny pieces.

            “thank you oppa..”  she giggled, thinking of how silly her dear oppa must think she is.

            “sure.. anything for you tiff,” he finally managed to say when he got back his senses.

            She smiled to herself as she finally made her final decision to confess, then closed the phone.  If she had listened a little longer, she would have heard something that would immediately change her mind.  For the guy on the other line whispered softly, “don’t tiff. Please.  I love you..”  But to his dismay, the only answer he heard was the beeping sound of a dead line. 

            Tiffany looked out her window.  The rain had stopped.  Turning on the car engine, she promised herself that tomorrow, tomorrow would be the day she finally finds out where her pavement ends.