Untouched

A young man slowly walked through the army of various colored leaves, making his way to the center of the forest. Small branches nicked at his face, his chocolate brown eyes squirming in slight pain, but he didn’t mind. He had walked through this forest many times before, and he had gotten used to it. Eventually, he made his way to the heart of the forest, and smiled warmly.

A large majestic lake stood before him, reflecting the colors of the evening sky. Completely surrounded by the thickness of the woods, this was the only area left around there that hadn’t been touched by people who would put construction here. He gazed at the beauty of nature undisturbed, feeling safe and serene.

He slowly walked down to the shore, taking a seat in the soft dirt. He ran his hand through his russet hair, getting comfortable with his surroundings. The wind breezed by, tussling around his clothes and hair. Suddenly, he felt something land in his hair softly. He grasped it in his hand, bringing it down to his face. It was a small leaf, red it color. He grinned, then gently tossed it into the lake, watching the small rings reverberate outwards from it.

Watching his reflection swirl in the lake’s murky waters, his mind drifted to his current issues. How could this have happened? To him, of all people. He was supposed to be the serious guy in school. Concerned only for his work and grades, and nothing more. Alas, a new concern had drifted into his mind: love.

He’d denied it to himself fervently when the thought had first crept into his mind. After all, she was just his best friend, and he’d only ever thought of her in that way. The pair had met in their freshman year, and had shared multiple classes together, leading them to become friends. Now, senior year had rolled around, and he wasn’t shy in the least about calling her his closest companion. Unfortunately for him, his heart was prodding him to call her something else, something much closer.

He closed his eyes, unsurprised that her image appeared in his head; for a while, every time his eyes closed, she was the first thing she saw. It was awkward at first, but he’d slowly gotten used to it. Golden tresses cascaded down to her mid back, a few strands framing her heart-shaped face. Her yellow eyes glowed brilliantly, shining as warmly as the sun. And her smile…his heart jumped to his throat as he envisioned her lips curving upwards the way they did. The left side of her mouth always moved up higher than her right; it was odd, but he adored it.

His eyes opened, examining his reflection. Tints of ruby decorated his cheeks, and he found himself smiling in a way he’d never smiled before. There was no mistaking it; he was in love, and it was with his best friend. A small gust cooled his warm cheeks, closing his eyes with a sigh. A pessimistic thought burrowed its way into his mind. This feeling he had for her…was it truly worth it? Half of him was genuinely happy that he knew her, and that they were such good friends. On the other hand…he gulped, grasping the ground as dirt covered his knuckles and fingernails. What if that’s all they would ever be? Just friends? His eyes watered as he opened them, hating that he even had to be worried about such a thing.

He smacked his hands on his jeans, dusting away the dirt before wiping the blurriness from his eyes. Time had marched on faster than he’d kept track of, and hadn’t realized how dark it had become. If he stayed any longer, his parents would surely worry about him; this wouldn’t be the first time he’d have to tell him he was late because he was “staying after to catch up on work”. Eventually, they were bound to grow suspicious. He didn’t need his parents to worry about him, not when he had enough to deal with.

Turning on his heels, he marched back into the barrage of trees and leaves. Unfortunately, had he focused hard enough on the other side of the lake, he would have noticed something extra. Because as his figure disappeared into the forest, another figure sat along the shore of the lake, holding her knees to her chest. Her locks of golden hair fell over her shoulder, glittering in the last remaining rays of the setting sun. As she rested her chin between her knees, her lips curled sideways in her usual grin. The boy with brown hair and matching eyes, her best friend…how was she supposed to tell him she was in love with him?