The Friends Zone

by Tarrah Anders

  I pull back and look at these two standing in my kitchen. “Let me change real quick and then we can head to Dane’s.” I start for my bedroom with Rebecca close on my heels.

  “How are you honey? I feel like I haven’t spoken to you in ages.” She exhales as we enter my bedroom.

  “I’ve actually never been better.” I smile looking around my room. Normally my room is the cleanest of cleans. But since Dane spends a few nights over during the week, things are a disarray. Rebecca is noticing the mess of my room and then all of a sudden my heart practically leaps out of my chest. My eyes land on discarded condom wrappers on the nightstand, just as I make a move for them, Rebecca is laughing and grabbing the doorframe to hold her up.

  “Sorry.” I mumble embarrassed as can be. I feel like I was caught in the act.

  “Oh honey, you’re old enough. I’m just glad you’re getting some. Lord knows Dane needs to get some!” I cannot believe she just said that.

  “What?” I turn toward her.

  “Oh you know as well as I do that Dane’s very protective over his… shall I say personal life. For all I know since that Tamera girl, he’s a monk!” She exclaims.

  If she only knew. I smirk as I turn my back to her. I walk into the closet and grabb a pair of jeans and a shirt. I graba matching cardigan as well as switch out my shoes. I quickly run my hand through my hair and smile at Rebecca, who still standing in the doorway.

  “Let’s go get that Monk!” I laugh ushering her out of my bedroom.

  ***

  We walk into Dane’s front door and suddenly his mother rushes past me.

  “Dane Crawford! You get your silly behind over here this instant and hug your mama!” She exclaims to the quiet house.

  Richard chuckles beside me and nudges me with his hip and he walks past to sit at the recliner in the corner of the living room.

  Dane appears from his hallway, looking delicious and just freshly showered in just a pair of jeans.

  “Guess what?” She says to Dane and he leans down to hug her.

  “Sterling over there is getting laid left and right. Why aren’t you?” She practically yelled. Dane went still and then his face turned bright red. He cuts a look over to me and I just shrug.

  “You’re a monk according to mom.” I laugh.

  “Um, wow. Okay, um.” He stutters looking nervously in my direction.

  “Actually, mom.” I say starting to move closer to Dane. I wrap my arm around his waist and smile up at him. He mirrors my actions and from the living room, I can hear Richard gasp: “Holy shit!” While Rebecca just screams!

  Richard comes to stand next to us, looking at where Dane and I wrap our arms around another.

  “You’re shitting me?” He says placing with his hand over Rebecca’s mouth.

  Her eyes have tears in them and I don’t think I’ve ever seen them as wide as they are at this moment. She’s trying to pry Richard’s hand away from her.

  “Why didn’t you tell us? How long has this been going on? Good job on using condoms son.” She finishes with a wink.

  I roll my eyes and I can feel Dane laughing. He kisses the top of my head and releases me. He walks back down the hallways still laughing and emerges a moment later wearing a navy blue collared shirt.

  “Well, I thought it would be best to tell you guys in person. I think that reaction was priceless, except for the condom part.” He smiles resuming his place beside me.

  “And it’s been about 5 months.” I add smiling.

  Rebecca gasps again. “5 months is no short fling!” She says as everyone laughs.

  “A short fling isn’t the intention.” Dane simply says.

  The remainder of the evening went smoothly. Dane’s parents asked us for every detail of the way which lead to Dane and myself becoming a couple. We gave them the PG version and kept it simple. Conversation was endless all throughout dinner. Knowing how big of a day the following day would be, I decided that I should drive Rebecca and Richard back to my house. I told Dane that I was just going to go home and clean up all the condom wrappers from my bedroom for my parents arrival in the morning and that I would be staying the night with him. He laughed and kissed the top of my head as he shooed me out of the house and started cleaning up from dinner.

  “I can’t believe you two!” Richard says from the backseat. “I just spoke with Dane last weekend and he didn’t say a word.” He shakes his head.

  “He wanted to see your reactions. My parents don’t even know. By the way, if you guys can just wait to say anything until we tell them that would be super. It meant a lot to him though to see how shocked you guys were. And happy too?” I kind of wondered aloud.

  “Oh honey, you’ve always been a part of our family. You have no idea how happy this makes me, us.” Richard says squeezing my shoulder.

  “It’s true. When Dane had a crush on you in high school, and before Tamera – we had always hoped he would act on his feelings and you guys would live happily ever after, and I couldn’t be more excited!” Rebecca squeals.

  “Wait, he had a crush on me in high school?” I asked shocked. I had a crush on him in high school too.

  “It was gross. It was scribbling on your notebook type of crush.” Richard recalls from the back laughing.

  I shake my head as we pull into my driveway. I make quick of my clean up at the house and soon, I’m back on the road to Dane’s house. I’m pulling into his driveway as my phone screen lights up in my purse. I pull out my purse.

  Ryan: Happy early Turkey day. Missing on you. I shake my head and press the delete button.

  I open the front door and I’m hit with the smell of cookies. The lights are dimmed and there’s music softly coming out of the surround sound speakers. I set my belongings down on the now clean dining room table as I move further into the house. I peer into the kitchen and see the dishwasher is going. I continue to the hallways towards the bedrooms and I hear Dane opening and closing a drawer somewhere. I look and he’s in the spare bedroom that I usually would stay in, before. He turns as he has an armful of my clothes. I’m standing in the doorway, with my arms crossed over my chest.

  “I thought that your clothes should, you know be in the master.” He smirks cocking his head to the side as he walks towards me. I move over so he can walk past me and I’m trailing behind him to his bedroom.

  I’ve been sleeping plenty in there but the thought never occurred to me. Dane approaches his walk in closet and places my clothes on the shelves on the right side, where it’s practically empty.

  “Your side.” He motions. “My side.” He smiles with his hands on his hips.

  I have no words for him, as I honestly don’t know how I’m feeling about the sudden change. I’m not unhappy with it, it’s not like it doesn’t sit well with me, I think I just wasn’t prepared for this step. As little of a step it is considering we’re now more than friends, way more than friends. Instead, I push any of the convoluted feelings and smile at him. I walk over to him and my hands go to his face. I pull him down to me and kiss his lips. He lingers, pulling his arms around my back.

  “So, I heard that you had quite the crush back in high school?” I say pulling away from his intoxicating kiss.

  I don’t think I’ve seen his face turn red so fast. I see an almost panic in his eyes, however that settles quickly. He nods his head and lowers his face back to mine, kissing me briefly.

  “I may have.” He whispers.

  “Is it lame of me to say, that I had a crush too?” I ask.

  “What?! Really?” He pulls fully back in shock.

  “Yeah, I think it was junior year, but you were so immersed in sports and school – I didn’t think you were interested much in girls since you never dated.”

  “That’s because I liked you!” He puffs out.

  We move over to the bed. He sits down at the end and I lay down on my stomach facing him.

  “So.” I start. “There was interest from both of us, yet we never acted on it. Instead we b
oth, quietly just continued being friends and dated other people and now, here we are like 10 years after the start of our crushes and my clothes are on that side of your closet.” I smile

  “It would appear so.” He says leaning down to kiss me again.

  “And, your parents and Max, they knew of your feelings?” I ask.

  “Mom and Dad, never openly said that they knew. But yes, I can say that Max and I have had many conversations over the years. Betsy found out on accident though, she overheard us talking at the office.”

  “I see. Is this why you never really accepted anyone I’ve dated?”

  “Not intentionally. But hey, I really like the guy you’re dating now. I think he’s top notch. You know handsome, successful and incredibly sweet.”

  I laughed and move to a sitting position, I grab his hand, and slowly look up at him.

  “It may have taken us a long time to get where we are right now, but I’m really glad that I attacked you during body shots!” I smile.

  “I’m really glad that we played truth or dare.” He says right back without hesitation as his other hand brushes my stray hairs out of my face. He cups my cheeks and leans into me. “Really glad.” He whispers as his lips embrace mine. His kiss is soft and slow and as my lips part, his parts and he invades my mouth. He pulls back. “I made cookies. Let’s go watch a movie and have some.”

  “Milk too?” I question while batting my eyes.

  “You know it.”

  “Let me change and then I’ll be right out.”

  “I can help with that.” He says starting to pull up my shirt as I push his hands away.

  “Then we’ll never get milk and cookies, out with you!” I shoo him away laughing.

  DANE

  I look around my house at this very moment. My parents, Sterling’s parents, my best friend and his girl and my other best friend who just happens to be my girl are warming my house at this current moment. When Sterling first suggested that we do a Thanksgiving at my house, I did not care one way or another. Through the years, our families have managed to spend one of the holidays together being as close as we all are but right now, I am relishing in the thought that everything in my life is perfect right now.

  Not too long after our parents arrived at my house, I could see my mother was bursting with the news of Sterling and myself being together, that I called Patty and Mitch into my kitchen and confessed my undying love for their daughter. I could tell by the warmth in Patty’s gaze that she had always known, and as I was shaking Mitch’s hand, Sterling walked in the kitchen. She had a questionable look on her face unsure as to what she just walked in on.

  I turned to her and held my arm out to her, and she took that as a sign that I just spoken to her parents about our relationship. Well, I did declare I was in love with their daughter but I didn’t exactly say that we were together. As Sterling snuggles into my side, I lean down and kiss her.

  Patty gasps. “Wait! You two? Together?”

  “I thought you were just telling them?” Sterling asks me with confusion.

  “Well, I confessed my feelings to them.” I shrugged.

  Patty fake punched my shoulder and then pulled us into a tight hug. As she moving back and forth, Mitch is trying to pull the three of us apart.

  Patty is a petite woman, while my mother had long silver hair, Patty dyes her hair to its natural brown and keeps her hair shorter. Mitch, Sterling’s father is your typical soft spoken father and very serious most of the time, he’s my height with a medium build and he sure loves his flannel shirts.

  “You’re feelings, eh?” Sterling pokes my side.

  “You know, those warm gooey feelings that only girls talk about!” I smiled back at her.

  “So now you’re a girl?” Mitch pokes fun.

  We all acknowledge the rarity of the situation as Mitch cracked a joke, at my expense. Sterling and Patty’s eyes are so wide that its comical.

  “Mitch sir, Dane’s been practiced in female speak for ages. He would have to be being surrounded by Sterling here and my girl Betsy.” Max joins in the conversation reaching into the fridge for another beverage. “They’re fluent, and so very confusing.”

  The kitchen erupts in laughter again.

  Again, I look around and see everyone I love in my vision. My parents are seated in the bar stools on the other side of the kitchen island with Betsy as the rest of us are in the center of the kitchen. The amount of gratitude that I currently have at this moment is overwhelming and I excuse myself to the restroom.

  I shut the door behind me and splash some water on my face. I’m not panicking in any way, I’m moved and I didn’t want to, as Mitch so declared act like a girl and get emotional in front of everyone. I suck in a deep breath and dry my face with a towel. I open the door as Sterling is on the other side lifting her hand up about to knock.

  “Hey.” She says sweetly.

  “Hey.” I walk into her and my arms reach for her.

  “You okay? You kinda just bolted.”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Just really happy right now.” I say.

  “Good. C’mon I need some help in the kitchen and I think Betsy is too drunk to be handling hot surfaces now.” She smiles starting to pull me in the direction of the kitchen.

  I pull her back into my arms. I lean down and with my lips right next to her ear, “I love you Sterling.” Then I kiss the space underneath her neck and I trail kisses down. I pull back to look into her eyes and they are glassy. A tear falls from her left eye and my finger catches it.

  She pulls me to her and squeezes. “Oh my god. I love you too!” She sobs into my shirt.

  We stand there in silence for a moment. I’m smiling and she’s sniffling. The girl I’ve loved forever, is in my arms and is in love with me too. Our families are in my living room and crap, Mitch is right, I am a girl!

  ***

  Thanksgiving meal was a hit. I helped side meal prep and baste the turkey when it was needed. I carved my first turkey and we all sat down to a great family dinner. It was a perfect evening surrounded by all of our loved ones. You couldn’t write this into any movie, this is how perfect life can be.

  We eventually had the house to ourselves. With both our parents staying at Sterling’s house and with Max being the sober one of the evening it wasn’t too hard to get everyone out. While it was an amazing day, I’m happy that I finally get Sterling to myself. The kitchen is cleaned, the leftovers are put away, we’re both changed for comfort and now we’re sitting on the couch with the television on. My arm is around her as she’s leaning into me with her legs up on the other side of the couch. We’re watching some HBO documentary in silence. Probably both too tired from the afternoon to muster up the energy. I look at the clock on the wall, it’s 10pm, I believe that’s a suitable time to go to bed at our age after eating Thanksgiving turkey.

  “Wanna crash babe?” I whisper as I kiss the top of her head.

  “Hmmm mmmm” She mumbles. She may have already been asleep, I think to myself.

  I turn off the television and the lights and I pick her up and bring her into the bedroom. I lay her on her side of the bed and I go into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I turn off the light and I crawl into bed beside her. She’s conked out and as I get comfortable, I do only what’s natural and I spoon against her backside and curl my arm around her waist. She snuggles in and sighs. We fit perfectly. I think to myself and then laugh again. Damnit Mitch! I fall asleep easily, with my girl in my arms and happiness surrounding me.

  STERLING

  I’ve returned from lunch and as I’m distracted with writing notes from a phone call I just ended, a stack of folders lands on my desk with a loud thud. I look up from my notepad with scribbles as Mr. Johnson stands in front of my desk.

  “These are going to be new files assigned to your caseload. Mallory, the case worker for these files quit yesterday and I’m trying to equally spread out the cases between you guys.” He huffed as he sat down in the worn out chair. My director was a s
tocky and balding middle aged man. He wore tweed suits that were too big for his frame and he rocked a mustache like it was the 70’s. He was a nice guy, very humble but he wore his emotions on his face sometimes. This is one of those times and he seems stressed.

  “What are we looking at here? Teens, school age, or toddlers?” I ask making room for the stack directly in front of me and retrieving the first folder on top.

  “I think it’s all of the above. I went though most of the files and I’m distributing them based upon strengths on where each case worker is concerned. I know that you succeed in teens and school age, one of the files is still in the family evaluation stage. There’s three females and one male. The male is steady in his home and the parents are considering permanent placement at the end of the trial period.”

  “Excellent. I’ll start reviewing the files and start scheduling my appointments. Have the families been notified yet of the change in staff?” I ask, hoping that I won’t have to be the one to deliver that news.

  “Yes. I had my admin call up and notify them yesterday afternoon. Most of the kids weren’t too attached to Mallory since they were relatively new to her load.” He scratches his forehead.

  “I’ll have to adjust my schedule just a little bit, to make room for the new kids – but I won’t let you down sir.” I smile.

  “How was your Thanksgiving? You head to your parents?” He asks genuinely interested.

  “Just had family come here this year, wanted to do a big deal at Dane’s, it was nice. And yours?”