A Honest Conversation

Nathaniel sat in his bedroom, staring blankly at the wall. He hasn't been on good terms with his mother since their last conversation. He wanted to talk to someone, and his best friend Kevin was the first person that came to his mind; the last time they spoke he seemed to have got off the phone in a daze; which might have been a rude thing to do.

Nathaniel picked up his phone and dialed Kevin's number. The phone rang a few times before Kevin picked up.

"Hey man, what's up?" Kevin asked.

"Hey, Kevin. Just wanted to check in and see how you're doing," Nathaniel replied.

Kevin sighed heavily, and Nathaniel could hear the sadness in his voice. "Not good, man."

"Hey, what happened? You're rarely never good?" Nathaniel asked curiously. "Did one of your favorite girlfriends catch you cheating?"

Kevin snickered into the phone, it's was so embarrassing, everyone thinks his problems are related to women. "Come on, man. That's not it." He protested. "At least, respect me a little."

Kevin was silent for a moment. "My mom cut off all my credit cards." Nathaniel stifled a laugh, then he composed himself before responding. "That sucks, man. I'm sorry to hear that." He could hear Kevin grumbling angrily beneath. "What did you do?"

"I skipped a few classes and didn't participate in any social school activities. So the teachers ganged up on me and called her office."

Nathaniel shook his head in disappointment. "You know better than that, Kev. You can't skip classes like that. You kind of deserve that, if you ask me."

Kevin rolled his eyes.

"You don't know how much I am suffering for you to say that." He rambled on. "She refused me of the housemaids, I have to cook my own meals now and go to school using the public bus."

Nathaniel let out a small laugh.

"That's kind of harsh, sucks to be you right now." He laughs even more.

"Yeah, thanks for the sympathy. Do you think you could talk to my mom for me?" he said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Nathaniel chuckled. "You know I would if I could, but I don't think that's the best idea. You kind of deserve it, man. You've been too relaxed about your life for your own good."

Kevin rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the lecture, mom."

Nathaniel laughed again. "Hey, I'm just looking out for you. But seriously, maybe you should try taking school a little more seriously."

Kevin let out a small chuckle. "I know, man. I messed up. But it's too much of a punishment, I'm really heartbroken."

Nathaniel sighed, he really cannot refuse his friend. "I guess you're right. I'll try talking to her, but I don't think it's going to do any good."

Kevin excitement rang in his voice. "Thanks so much, man. I owe you one."

"Of course, man. You can pay me back later."

They chatted for a few more minutes, "What about the girl you told me you like? We didn't have time to talk about her." A blush of embarrassment crept on Nathaniel's face as Kevin brought up Grace.

"I-I didn't say I like her." He stutters shyly.

Kevin was immediately intrigued "I'm kind of curious about what kind of person she is, for you to fall in love with a girl, she must have extraordinary qualities." He gives up, Kevin was actually right about his feelings.

"Well, she's very beautiful," Nathaniel began, his eyes sparkling with admiration. "She has long black hair that falls in soft waves down her back, and her eyes are bright green, like emeralds. Whenever she looks at me, it's like she's staring right into my soul."

Kevin nodded, impressed. "What else can you tell me about her?"

"Well, there's nothing really special about her," Nathaniel admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "She always dresses in plain clothes and doesn't make an effort like the other girls in our class. She's not really girly, you know? And she always acts tough, like nothing can faze her."

"But despite all that, you really like her?" Kevin asked, intrigued.

Nathaniel nodded fervently. "Yeah, man. I can't stop thinking about her. I'm always eager to see her, and I can't do anything right without thinking about her."

Kevin listened carefully, taking mental notes. "Do you talk to her often?" he asked.

Nathaniel shook his head. "No, not really. I mean, we're in the same class, so we see each other every day, but I've been avoiding her lately. I don't know how she'll react if I confess my feelings to her."

Kevin's expression turned serious. "Listen, man. You can't just avoid her forever. You need to confess your feelings to her before someone else swoops in and takes the opportunity."

Nathaniel looked hesitant. "But what if she doesn't feel the same way?"

Kevin shrugged. "You'll never know unless you try. And even if she doesn't feel the same way, at least you'll know where you stand. It's better than wondering 'what if' for the rest of your life."

Nathaniel thought about it for a moment before nodding decisively. "You're right. I'll talk to her and tell her how I feel. Thanks, Kevin. I really appreciate your advice."

Kevin grinned, happy to have helped his friend. "That's the spirit, man. You got this!"

Kevin then sighed deeply. "Talking about the girl you love, makes me…"

Nathaniel asked with concern. "What's going on?"

Kevin took a deep breath before he answered. "I have feelings for someone. And I think I'm in love with her."

Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "Come on, man. You say that about every girl you meet. How can you be sure this time is different?"

Kevin then sounded hurt. "No, Nathaniel, this is different. I've never felt this way before. She's special. I can't stop thinking about her, and I want to be with her all the time."

Nathaniel laughed. "Yeah, yeah. I've heard that before. You fall in love every other week. Don't get me wrong, Kevin, I love you like a brother, but you need to slow down and stop jumping from one relationship to the next."

Kevin shook his head. "No, Nathaniel, you don't understand. This time it's different. I know it's real. I can feel it in my bones."

Nathaniel sighed. "Okay, man. I believe you. But I hope you're right this time. I kind of feel sorry for those girls, you stupid playboy."

Kevin nodded. "Even though you don't believe me, I'm sure about this one and I'm going to make it work."

Before Nathaniel could respond, his mom called him downstairs, interrupting their conversation. Kevin glanced at the screen of his phone. "Sorry, Nathaniel, I've got to go now. I'll call you soon and we can finish our chat."

Nathaniel waved him off. "No problem, man. Talk to you later."

He paced back and forth in his room, his mind racing with thoughts of Grace. He had been crushing on her for what felt like forever, but he just couldn't find the right words to tell her how he felt. He was terrified of her reaction – what if she didn't feel the same way? What if things got awkward between them? These thoughts consumed him, leaving him feeling anxious and unsure of what to do.

As he flopped down onto his bed, his phone slipped out of his hand and landed on the mattress with a soft plop. He stared at it for a moment before picking it up and staring at the screen. It was then that he noticed an incoming call from Rose, one of his closest friends. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should answer. It was late at night, and he wasn't sure what she wanted.

With a sigh, he pressed the answer button and held the phone up to his ear. "Hey, Rose," he said, trying to sound casual.

"Hey, Nathaniel," Rose replied, her voice soft and warm. "I hope I'm not disturbing you. I just couldn't sleep, and I thought I'd give you a call."

Nathaniel relaxed a little, grateful for the distraction from his own thoughts. "No, you're not disturbing me. I was just…thinking."

"About what?" Rose asked, her voice teasing.

Nathaniel felt himself blush and wondered if he should tell her, since Rose is Grace's best friend she should know more about her and what she likes. "Its about…um.. how do I put this?"

"what's going on? What are you so nervous about?"

Nathaniel hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to put his feelings into words. "I don't know. I just…don't worry about it Rose."

"Are you sure? You can talk to me about anything." Rose said, her voice gentle.

Nathaniel felt a surge of hope in his chest. "Yes I know." She sounded worried about him, her gentle voice filled with concern. Nathaniel felt a smile spread across his face. "Thanks, Rose. For being so nice to me."

"Were you making fun of me?" she asked curiously, then tension had dissipated into thin air. "No I wasn't, I'll tell you about it once I'm sure about what I want to do."