at 1 a.m.

after there was a settling silence on the phone

separating us by a mile or two

"i think i like you," you said once

"i like you too, mah friend," i answered carefully in a weird voice

you stayed silent for a while and groaned

"whaaaat?"

"you friendzoned me."

i let out a laugh and immediately shut up because my parents

didn't know about me staying up talking to a boy

on the night of the comet, i had been supposedly sleeping over at my friend ella's

"you really want to be taken out of the friendzone?"

you didn't answer

i laughed. "austin? did you sleep on the phone?"

no answer, but heavy breathing

"austiiiiiiiiiin! you're really asleep?"

no answer"you won't answer me if you're asleep, duh"

i sighed. "alright, goodnight sleepyboy."

and just as i was about to end the call,

i heard your voice

"yeah, cherry."

"yeah, what?"

pleasepleaseplease say what i want you to say i thought silently

"being in a friendzone sucks, especially yours."

i wondered if you could hear how loud my heart

was beating at that specific moment

this was my chance to tell you, right?

"i think i like you, austin."

"good. because i like you too, cherry, and not in a friend way."

"good," i breathed

"good."

"good," i said.

and there was a long silence after that

there were so many words i could've said

but i think we both needed a moment to realize

what in the world we'd just said to eachother

i was smiling like crazy

and i think you were too

'cause i could imagine you

grinning in that adorably, childish way you do

"austin?"

"yeah?"

"why do you like me?"

you took a small pause

"because you're beautiful, in every sense of the word.

and you thought me that love is kind and forgiving

you saved me from myself, and you made me learn

just how happy i can be. cherry, around you, i am the bestest version

of me there is."

i grinned. "bestest isn't a word, austin."

"i don't care."

and that night,

i fell asleep with a smile on my face

with the phone under my pillow

and i put a hand on it

as if i were with you

 -

SIX CHAPTERS LEFT