Harry
“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” I read the title on the screen and then cursed under my breath. “To All the Fucking Boys I’ve Loved Before... Sarah, are you serious right now? I’m not watching a movie called To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. That’s fucking worse than watching Love Actually, and you know I hate that movie too.”
“Don’t lie, Harry. You love Love Actually. I think you even love our tradition more than me.”
“I promise you, Sarah, I do not love our tradition. I can spend New Year’s Eve without watching that movie. I betcha this New Year’s Eve, we don’t watch it. I bet you a hundred dollars I don’t ask to see it.”
“Harry. She looked at me with big brown eyes. “I know you’re sentimental and I know you’re going to want to watch it.”
“Okay, so then let’s bet. A hundred bucks.”
“Fine. I bet you a hundred dollars that you ask to watch Love Actually this New Year’s Eve.” She paused. “Well... actually, there’s one thing.”
“What one thing? Are you backing out already?” I laughed.
“No.” She pulled away from me slightly and I could feel that my body was sad at the loss of her heat.
“What?”
“Well, if I have a date this New Year’s Eve, we won’t be together, so then you can’t ask me. So, do I pay you then or not?”
“What are you talking about, if you have a date?” I stared at her through narrowed eyes. Since when did Sarah have a date? She didn’t date.
“Well, I don’t have a date right now. I’m just saying if I happen to have a date.”
“What do you mean if you happen to have a date? I thought you were concentrating on your career right now. Isn’t that what you’ve been saying?”
“Well, I mean, that’s what my parents say. They wanted me to concentrate on school and now they want me to concentrate on my career, but I don’t want to do that anymore. I’m ready to live my life.”
“What do you mean you’re ready to live your life? You are living your life. You’re not happy with your life? You’re not happy that you spend almost every weekend with me?”
“Harry, I love spending time with you. You’re my best friend. You know that, but I want someone so I can have a bit more than that.”
“What do you mean you want a bit more than that?” I pulled back and looked over at her face. She was blushing now, a deep, red tinge that made me feel warm inside. Her familiar face was something I’d always loved staring at. Whenever I was upset or angry, all I had to do was look at Sarah to calm down and feel better.
“Is there something you’re trying to tell me, Sarah? Is there something going on that I should know?”
“There’s nothing going on that you should know. I’m just saying that it’s about time that I lost my virginity and it’s about time that I met someone.”
“Hmm. I don’t think so.” Even as I said the words, I knew I was being selfish. What did I care if Sarah found herself a boyfriend? Maybe that would be even better for me. Maybe then she’d want to double date and she would attend the social events with me.
“I mean, if you think that’s what you want, well, yeah, go ahead.” It didn’t occur to me that Sarah getting a boyfriend would mean that we would spend less time together. That just wasn’t possible. We were best friends and had been forever. Yeah, she was three years younger than me. And yeah, some people thought it was weird that my best friend was a girl. But it was cool. We’d grown up together. She’d always been there. Her and my brothers. I expected to live the rest of my life with her as one of the most important people in it. And I expected to be one of the most important people in her life. That’s just the way it was.
“Harry, let’s not talk about this right now. I mean, it’s not like I have anyone yet and I haven’t had my makeover yet, so.”
“What makeover? What are you talking about?” I looked at her properly and that’s when I realized that her glasses were different.
“Did you change your glasses?”
“Yeah, like two months ago.”
“Oh, okay. They did look a bit different.”
“They’re very different. I used to look like I had four eyes, now I just look like I have two eyes.”
“Well, you still look like you have four eyes.” I laughed and she hit me in the shoulder. “I’m joking. I’m joking. You’re beautiful.”
“Actually, I’m going in for surgery. I’m going to get LASIK so I won’t have to wear glasses soon.”
“You’re going in for LASIK? Huh? But you said you would never do that.”
“I just need a different look, you know?”
“I don’t think you need a different look. You’re beautiful.” And then as I studied her body, I realized what I was saying was true. She was beautiful in her own way. Yeah, she was somewhat of a tomboy, always wore jeans, and covered her boobs and her legs. But that was fine. That way she didn’t have to worry about creepy guys all over her and I didn’t have to worry about protecting her so much.
“Harry, I don’t want to be the same old girl that’s just always in the shadows. I want to be the girl in the spotlight.”
“Why do you want to be the girl in the spotlight? Girls in the spotlight are so needy. They always have to be the center of attention. They always want you to buy them things. They always want you to take them out. They always want everything. It’s too much. I’m telling you, Sarah, you just need to be yourself. I’m sure you’ll meet a great guy that way.”
“Well, I haven’t met a great guy that way yet, have I?”
“You want me to hook you up with someone?” Even as I said the words, I knew that wasn’t going to be possible. None of my friends would do for Sarah. They were all dirtbags.
“Would you?”
“Why? Do you want me to?” All of a sudden, I looked at her and she was blushing. “Is there someone you have a crush on? Do you have a crush on one of my friends? Oh please God, don’t tell me it’s Doug. You know Doug is a douchebag. Yes, he’s a model. Yes, he’s good-looking. But he’s a douchebag. He flirts with everyone. I’m pretty sure he would do anyone.”
“Harry, stop. That’s not what I said. I didn’t even bring up Doug. I didn’t even say I had a crush on anyone. I don’t have a crush on anyone. I just want to be able to meet someone. Okay? Really? Is that going to be a big problem for you?”
“No, it’s not a big problem for me. But okay, it’s slightly a problem with me.”
“You just said it wasn’t a problem.”
“Well, it’s a problem for me if you’re going to stop our tradition of spending New Year’s Eve together.”
“Harry, New Year’s Eve is meant to be for lovers, not for friends.”
“Wow. You didn’t seem to have a problem with it the last twenty-plus years.”
“I didn’t because I love spending time with you, but I want someone special.”
“Is this because I said I didn’t want to watch To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before? Are you like, trying to like flip out on me because I don’t want to watch that girly movie? Because I will totally watch it if you just go back to your normal, regular self. Please.”
“Harry, I am my normal regular self, I’m just... ugh. You know what? Let’s just watch Die Hard.”
“Yeah. Are you sure?” I burst into a huge grin. “I mean, only if you’re sure, of course. I mean, it is your favorite movie.”
“No, Harry, it’s your favorite movie.”
“Well, yeah, it’s my favorite movie too. But don’t you love everything I love?”
“No, Harry. That’s just how you see things. We always do what you want. We always watch what you want. And you just assume that I want it too. It’s like you don’t even care if I want it or not.”
“Oh my god. Sarah, you’re sounding like a nagging wife.”
“Well, sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like a nagging wife. Not that you ever have to worry about that because you’re never getting married, are you Harry?”
“Oh, you have PMS, don’t you, Sarah? You have PMS.”
“No, I already told you. I’m not on my period.”
“Then why are you being such a bitch?”
“You did not just call me a bitch.” She glared at me and then I shook my head.
“My bad, but you know I’m honest. I call it as I see it.”
“Harry.” And then she hit me on the shoulder, and I grabbed her hands to stop her from hitting me again. I rolled over so that I was on top of her and held her arms down.
“Sarah. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“What’s not a good idea?” she breathed up at me, her face flushed. Her top was riding up slightly so that I could see the creamy expanse of her thighs.
“You’re not wearing shorts?” I asked her, surprised as now I could see a little glimpse of her white panties.
“No, I’m not wearing shorts. Why would I be wearing shorts?”
“I don’t know. Because,” I said. I could feel the warmth of her body emanating into mine and I realized just how close we were as I held her down. She was still breathing, heavily now, her lips trembling, and her hair was coming out of its ponytail. I took her glasses off and put them to the side and looked down at her face. All of a sudden something struck me. I realized that Sarah was a woman. Now she wasn’t just a girl, my childhood best friend. She was a full-fledged woman. She had breasts, a narrow waist, and long, slim legs. And surprisingly, I found her sexy. I didn’t want to think about that, so I quickly let go of her arms and rolled back over.
“Okay. Let’s watch To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. You win.”
“I just said I’d watched Die Hard. What’s wrong?” She leaned over me and I just shook my head.
“Nothing.” She then got on top of me and held my arms down and I groaned silently. She positioned herself on top of my cock, which I could feel hardening beneath her. It’s Sarah. It’s Sarah. Stop it, Harry, stop it, I told myself mentally. The last thing I needed was to get hard for my best friend.
“Harry, what is going on?” she asked in a singsong voice, as she sat on top of me, rubbing herself back and forth. I wasn’t sure she realized what she was doing to me, but my cock was getting harder and harder.
“Sarah, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said slowly as she continued moving back and forth.
“What?” she said, and then she blushed as she seemed to realize exactly what had happened. She quickly got off of me and lay back down on the bed next to me. Looking over at me, she smiled and said, “Okay, this is your last chance. Do you want to watch Die Hard or To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before?”
“Let’s watch To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before because you know what? You’re right. We always do what I want to do, and I want to stop that. I want to stop taking you for granted. So whatever you need from me, you just ask, okay?”
“Wow.” Her eyes widened. “I didn’t expect to get through to you this quickly, Harry. What happened?”
“I don’t know what happened. Maybe I’m just in the Christmas spirit. But hey, don’t forget, I still need you to go shopping for me tomorrow. Three presents, no more than seventy-dollars. And get them some Christmas cards, write something witty inside them for me as well.”
“You want me to write inside the Christmas cards as well? Are you kidding me, Harry?” She shook her head and I just laughed.
“You know, Sarah. You know you want to do this for me. Now let’s watch the movie.” I pulled her into my arms when she pressed play and I tried to ignore the warm feelings that were stirring my stomach as she curled up next to me. It was strange feeling this way. This is how we’d watch movies for years and I’d never felt this way before. Maybe I hadn’t had sex in too long and that’s why it would have happened. I was going to have to take care of that because the last thing I needed was to start feeling sexual chemistry toward my best friend. Sexual chemistry ruined every relationship and Sarah was one person I never wanted to lose from my life.