I’ll never forget tonight, the night we became just friends.

Tonight, I was thinking about the day I met you. I didn’t think you were all that great. You were somewhat nerdy and shy, not all that talkative. You didn’t seem like you wanted to really interact with anybody, that you preferred to keep to yourself and live in your own little world, a child playing in their imaginary land.

Tonight, I remember when I started to talk to you, get to know you, and that was the day that I realized you were more than that. You were different, and I remember that we worked perfectly with each other, sharing quiet smiles as we threw a dodge ball back and forth, or played a game of Frisbee in gym.

Tonight, I remember my second impression of you, once I got to know you. You were quiet on the outside, but full of energy and humor on the inside. You never stayed still unless you absolutely had to, always moving, always ready to do something. It was refreshing to see a guy who wasn’t entirely concerned with how he looked or what people thought of him.

Tonight, I remember the day I got your number from a friend, and even though I was locked out of the house that day, I wasn’t lonely or upset. Talking to you made where I was irrelevant; somehow the useless chatter cheered me up, distracted me. You were one of the few people I talked to that day, but it was entirely worth it.

Tonight, I remember how we talked almost endlessly when we could, sending dozens of messages before and after school. It went on for hours and days, until tonight.

Tonight was the night that you complained that you heard some girl in school liked you, and I found the courage to tell you it was me. You handled it the best you could, I suppose, even offering to set me up with one of your friends, but the damage was done. Tonight truly broke my heart, shattering it for the first time.

Tonight is the first time I’ve ever been rejected, and it’s going to take me a while to recover.
Right now, I’m at my friend’s house, trying to keep my emotions inside, though they’re burning within me like flames, threatening to spill out and catch my whole world on fire.

I’m curled up on a bed with a freezing cold bowl of ice cream, trying to stem the fire inside of me.

I’m trying to forget what happened, trying to erase you from my mind.

We’re deciding to be just friends, but to me, just friends is better than not speaking at all.

As I finish my ice cream and wipe my tears, thoughts swirl in my head.

Tonight, I got my heart broken and my hopes dashed, but I learned about myself, and became a stronger person because of that.