“Are you okay Alice?” I asked. As I walked over to stand beside her she hurriedly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and turned to look at me.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Are you?”

I wasn’t buying that, of course she wasn’t fine. “Al, I can tell something’s wrong, what is it? Talk to me”.

“Nothing’s wrong Dana, honestly. Don’t worry” It hurt me that Alice couldn’t talk to me anymore. There was a time, not long ago, when we talked to each other about everything and anything. Well, most things, I obviously couldn’t tell her the truth about my feelings for her.

“I am worried Al, you’ve been so distant recently. I don’t know why you’ve drifted away from me but talk to me and maybe we can sort it out” I didn’t know how to get across just how much I miss talking to her and how upset I am that we she has distanced herself from me. “Please. We used to be able to talk to each other about everything, why can’t you talk to me now?”

“It’s nothing Dane, I’ve just been so busy with work. I’m sorry we haven’t been spending as much time together, I promise I’ll make it up to you when I get this article done. As soon as it’s out of the way we’ll have that film night okay?” It was obviously Alice was putting on a brave face and was lying to me.

There was not much more I could do if she was not willing to share what’s wrong, so I guessed I had to drop it and hope that in time she would tell me what it is. I clung to the hope that she would allow us to have our movie night, so things could maybe begin to go back to how they were.  “Okay, you’d better. Don’t take too long, I miss you” I pulled her into a tight hug and held it for a few moments longer than I probably should have, but I just wanted to be close to her.

Alice

I was left standing there, shocked. She misses me. That was the best news I’d had in two months. I told myself that I would have to put more effort into our friendship, not just be angry at Dana for not trying, I wasn’t either. I decided that I would have that film night with her. Sure, it would hurt, but I didn’t want to lose my best friend forever.