“You just don’t understand,” he said.

“What do you mean that I ‘don’t understand’?” Tears were beginning to fall like raindrops-slowly forming in her eyes and then quickly falling down her makeup-caked face and off her chin, and finally onto her shirt collar. “David, it’s been four years since we started dating! Why can’t I say it? I’ve wanted to say it for so long, Dave…”

I wiped a tear away from her eye and felt the eye-shadow wiping away with my thumb. I pulled her close to me and felt her heart beat. “I know, Beth,” I whispered, “but you know how I feel about this.”

She was sobbing now, and her tears were falling faster and faster. Soon, my shoulder was soaked with tears. “No, Dave, I don’t. Sometimes you act like you do, but then catch yourself and flip back to your ‘like me mode.’” She held me tighter, then let go of me. “But now you are saying that you don’t? That you never did?” She sank to her chair and put her head in her hands. “David, do you not understand? I love you and I know that you love me. So why not say it?”

I sat down beside her and tried to rub her arm, but she pulled away. “Beth, love changes things. It changes the whole relationship, and I never said that. I said that I love the way we are. I love how our relationship is. But it’s not just that. Love is not made for high school. We are just too young.”

Beth rolled her eyes, and then looked back at me with her beautiful, tear streaked face. Even with the fresh tears in her eyes, I could have stared deep into those eyes all night.

“It’s looks like that one that make me believe that you love me. David, we are about to graduate, High school has nothing to do with this. It’s you. You’re scared to say it.” I look down, knowing that this was true. “David, say it now or let me go home and try to make sense of my life. I don’t want to waste my time hoping that you love me when I know that you don’t.”

She got up and grabbed her small purse. “Well?”

Suddenly, a horrible, aching feeling took over everything. It was like being depressed after she had dumped me once. This feeling took over my every thought and forced me to say those horrible, life changing words.

“I don’t love you, Beth.” Something died in us right then. I had to fight this!

“Do you mean it, Dave? Please, Dave, don’t do this to me…” I wanted to scream NO NO!! But I couldn’t. Why? Why couldn’t I?
“David…” If I couldn’t say this, I would never hear that sweet voice again…
“YES! I LOVE YOU, BETH! I need you. I don’t see how I could have said that.” At that, she jumped up into my arms and screamed “YES! I love you, David, I love you!”
After she said that, I started to cry. I hadn’t cried in years, but I had always wanted this, I just never knew it. A wonderful feeling had surged throughout my entire being. My senses had come alive. Never would I forget this. I would always remember this until the day I died, which I never knew would nearly happen so soon.
The next morning, after having her over all night, I started to drive her home to face her father and tell him of this night. All the way there, I stared into her mesmerizing eyes. But, while doing this, I never saw the light turn red or the truck flying towards us.
The truck crashed into her side at 70mph, killing her instantly and putting me into I.C.U. for three months. I missed my love’s funeral. I missed our lives together. Even though they say that I had severe brain damage, never will I forget those two days.