The Anything Friend

by Michela DiMarco

Elizabeth looked out her bedroom window on Christmas Eve. Snowflakes were floating around the sky. It was quite rare that Charlotte ever had decent amounts of snow. They were lucky to get three inches a year. There was something magical about the snow this Christmas Eve. All of the trees on the street were lined in green lights and white lights around the trunks. The houses were beautifully decorated in sparkling lights, animated dancing reindeers and Christmas trees could be seen through the windows.

  Elizabeth put on a pair of rubber boots, her sweatshirt robe and grabbed a blanket. She stepped out on the front porch, sitting down to watch the snowfall. The beauty surrounding Elizabeth was surreal. She lit a cigarette and reached out her hand to touch the snow. A tiny flake glided onto the palm of her hand and quickly melted.

  Elizabeth’s serenity was ruined by the sound of a bouncing basketball. She stood up and went over to the porch railing. She heard the bouncing coming from behind the house. Elizabeth walked up her driveway until she could see the back of the Bennett’s driveway. Jack was shooting a basketball.

  “Hey,” call Elizabeth. “People are trying to sleep.”

  Jack caught his own rebound and looked at her standing there. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

  She shook her head. “Nope. I always try to stay up Christmas Eve in case it snows.” Jack walked over to her, pulled

  the cigarette out of her hands and threw it on the ground. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “You need to quit that shit,” he said, “or you’re going to end up like my mom, a smoker for life.”

  “Oh, come on, it makes me feel better,” she said lighting another one. He just looked at her and went back to shooting his basketball. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Nothing,” he said stubbornly shooting the ball. “I’m fine.”

  Elizabeth grabbed the bouncing basketball before Jack could get to it. “We both know there is no such thing as fine. So, tell me what the real problem is.”

  “I’m just stressed,” he admitted. She threw him the ball and he threw it back at her. She motioned for him to continue. “Dammit, Elizabeth,” he said walking to his back porch. “How do you just know these things?”

  “Because I know you,” she said. “I pay attention to you and right now, you’re not the Jack I know. Talk to me. You always said it was okay for me to talk to you.”

  Jack sighed. “Let’s go the front. We can see all the lights from there.” Jack and Elizabeth walked side by side down the Bennett’s wet driveway to the front porch. “Do you think next year is going to be like you planned?” he asked.

  “I don’t really think anyone is capable of predicting the future but I think we have the power to make it what we want.”

  “Pancake breakfasts?” he asked.

  “Absolutely. Movie nights?”

  “For sure. We can take turns driving home on holidays.”

  “Jack, are you scared?” He put his arm around her and pulled her back until she was lying on his chest.

  “Sorry, I was getting cold. You’re really warm right now,” he said. “Yeah, I’m scared. I’m getting this scholarship to play football. What if I’m not good enough?”

  “You are good enough,” she encouraged. “Jack, you work hard at everything you do. You didn’t get where you are by slacking.”

  “What if it doesn’t work?” he asked. “I don’t think I can do this without you. I need you there, at all my home games. I need to know you’re there.”

  “Jack, you don’t need me.”

  “My entire family loves you,” he said. “They all think you’re responsible for my collegiate future because you helped me in Calculus out of nowhere when nobody else would.”

  “I didn’t do anything. We just studied.”

  “Yeah, well they think you’re like a miracle or something.” He gently rubbed her back. “Elizabeth, you have no idea what you’ve done for me. You’ve given me an opportunity I wasn’t sure I was going to get. You’ve given me choices. I have a shot at a better future because of you.”

  “Jack, it wasn’t me. It was always you.”

 

  “How can you believe in me so much?”

  Elizabeth touched Jack’s cheek. “I can see it in your eyes every single day. You’re one of the single most important people in my life. You’re one of the most extraordinary people I know. I’ll never give up on you. I promise. I believe in you way too much. I

  honestly believe you’re going to change the world someday Jack Bennett. Even if you can’t see it, I can.”

  Jack didn’t answer her. Elizabeth’s eyes welled up with tears. She wasn’t even sure why she was getting so emotional. Minutes of silence went by. All of a sudden, Jack gazed directly into Elizabeth’s eyes. The tears stopped falling and she felt Jack holding her hands. They were lying so close that Elizabeth’s heart skipped a beat and she wondered if Jack could feel it. Jack started to lean in slowly and then paused. Her heart was pounding louder and faster with every second. She looked down and gently bit her lip, afraid of what would happen if she looked up.

  Jack’s hand grazed her chin gradually, lifting her face upward until their eyes met again. Elizabeth slowly closed her eyes. Jack leaned in and kissed her. It was slow and gentle at first. And then it became more passionate and involved. There was no turning back. Elizabeth moved her tongue somewhat forward and Jack responded slightly, caressing her tongue with his. He passionately moved his tongue over her lips in a non-intrusive manner. The kiss lasted for several minutes until Elizabeth suddenly pulled back and touched her lower lip.

  “What are you doing?” asked Jack. “Did you fall asleep?”

  Elizabeth was disoriented. She looked at Jack still lying on the porch and realized she had been dreaming about kissing him. She sat up abruptly. “Oh crap,” she said.

  “What?”

  “I…I must have fallen asleep,” she said embarrassed. “I should go.”

  “Wait,” he said taking her hand. “I don’t really want to be alone tonight.”

  “Jack,” she started crying. “I…I…”

  “Why are you crying?” he held her close. She could feel his heart beating through his chest. “What happened? Did I say something wrong?” Elizabeth shook her head. “I’ll give you a blanket to make a mold.”

  Elizabeth let out a laugh. She wiped the tears from her eyes. “Come on,” she said taking his hand. “I have something for you.”

  “I didn’t…”

  “We have to be very quiet.” They slowly walked up the stairs to Elizabeth’s room. She locked the door behind her. “What time does your family wake up tomorrow?”

  “Eight probably,” he answered.

  “I have a two year old brother who will be up at six,” she said. Elizabeth opened her closet door and retrieved a large box wrapped in metallic University of North Carolina wrapping paper with a Carolina blue bow on top. She smiled handing it to Jack. “Merry Christmas.”

  Jack held the box for a minute. “You didn’t have to...”

  “Yes, I did,” she said. “Open it. It’s technically Christmas.”

  “My first present,” said Jack quietly. He stuck the bow to his forehead and grinned. He carefully unwrapped the paper so it wouldn’t tear. “I’m hanging this paper on my wall. Where did you find it?”

  “I ordered it,” she answered.

  After Jack broke the box free of the wrapping paper, he opened the taped box, removed the navy blue tissue paper and pulled out a University of North Carolina Tar Heels oversized blanket that was tied together with Carolina blue on the bottom.

  Jack’s eyes widened. “Are you kidding?” She shook her head. “Where did you get this?” he said excitedly.

  “I made it,” she answered. “I mean I bought the blankets but I put them together to make it thicker. Tha
t’s why I needed your scissors.”

  “You know what?”

  “What?”

  “This would make a great mold,” laughed Jack.

  “Are you making fun of me?”

  “No, I’m serious. I really like the whole mold thing. I don’t know why you call it that but it’s much better than a pillow. Truthfully, I sleep with the same pillow I’ve had since I was six. It’s kind of gross, but I’ll never give it up. And, I wrap a blanket around my head when I sleep & fold my pillow under my head.” Elizabeth smiled, took off her robe and boots and climbed into bed. Jack took off his shirt and got in next to her. She molded her blanket while he prepared his new blanket. “Hey,” he said.

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you. That was really thoughtful of you. I love it a lot. I can even wear it around like a cape.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “You’re welcome.”

  “Hey,” he said again.

  “Why didn’t you want to tell Bob about Duke?”

  “Oh,” she mumbled. “No matter how many times I tell him I’m leaving Charlotte for college he thinks I’m going to end up at UNC Charlotte with him.”

  “Why are you with him then?” Elizabeth turned to face Jack. He pulled her close against his bare chest.

  “Would you accept ‘I’m not really sure’ as an answer?” she muttered.

  “Yeah, I mean no. You can do so much better than him.”

  “It’s like if someone can’t have what they really want then shouldn’t they just be content with what they have instead of having nothing?”

  “Do you think he would care?”

  “Care about what?” she asked.

  “Care that he knew I was in your bed holding you?”

  Elizabeth swallowed hard. She could feel Jack’s breath on her forehead. Her head was nuzzled in his neck. Her left arm was under his head and her right arm was holding him so her hand was resting on his bareback. Elizabeth thought about her earlier dream. It would be so easy to kiss Jack Bennett right now. Two people could not be any closer than they were at this moment. She wondered if Jack had the urge to kiss her the way she wanted to kiss him. His touch was electric. She was drawn to him like a strong magnet that pulled her in, mind, heart and body. Her body felt fulfilled from her toes up to her head. It was that moment that Elizabeth had a moment of clarity. She didn’t want to be anywhere else, especially not with Bob. Bob never made her feel this good. Jack was able to make her heart feel an emotion she had never felt before. An emotion that she never dreamt she would feel for a very long time.

  “Yeah,” she whispered. “He would care.” Jack was her everything. They understood each other in a way that nobody else could. She couldn’t stop thinking about him. She wanted him to hold her and she wanted to hold on to him for the rest of her life.

  Elizabeth couldn’t stop thinking about his perfection. She couldn’t get him out of her head. He was under her skin and deep in her heart.

  “Do you want me to go? I don’t care about Bob, but I care about you what you want.”

  “No, don’t ever let me go,” she whispered.