Chapter 7

The Poem

The next day, Mercedes woke up very tired. She didn't get much sleep. All she could think about were those three words that Brian had said to her. "Did he really say that? Was I just dreaming? Does he mean them?" she thought to herself.

"Hey Mercedes," said Cassandra. "What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing."

"Come on you know that's not true. You sound like Andr-" she stopped and looked down.

"Well, the other night, as Brian was leaving, he turned to me and said 'I love you' and I don't know if I was just dreaming, or if he really said that."

"Whoa, cool!"

"Yeah, but did he mean them, if he really did say them?"

"Well, let's go find out!" said Cassandra and grabbed her cousin's hand.

"No! Cassandra!"

"I'm just kidding. I'm sure that you'll find out in time."

"Find out what?" asked Emalia yawning, who was just coming downstairs.

"Oh, to find out if the Limited Too is having a sale," said Cassandra.

"Oh okay," said Emalia opening the fridge. Cassandra and Mercedes looked at each other and laughed. Emalia just gave them a weird look. Just then, a note was slipped underneath the door. The both of them looked at it, then ran to the door, and opened it to see who was the caller, but nobody was there.

"Don't open it! You remember what happened last time!" said Cassandra.

"Yeah I know. Look, it's addressed to me," said Mercedes. "I'm gonna take a chance and open it." The contents of the note, was indeed a letter to Mercedes. She read it, then looked at Cassandra with a tear in her eye.

"What is it?" asked Cassandra a little worried. Mercedes didn't answer her. She only looked down and read it again. "What?" Cassandra asked again.

"Here read it," said Mercedes and handed Cassandra the letter.

Dear Mercedes,

I don't know how or why this happened, but I really like you. I think that I'm falling in love with you. When we kissed, I really felt something. I hope that my poem can express my emotions toward you well enough and help change your mind.

From the first day, That I saw your smiling face, I knew that we would be, Together forever.

When I asked you out, You said no, but I found out, That you'd been hurt, You thought that you'd never love again.

I deserve to try, Honey, just once, Give me chance and I'll prove, it's all wrong. You walked in, you were so quick to judge, But Honey, he's nothing like me.

As time goes by, you will get to know me And I know you're afraid, To let your feelings show, And I understand, but girl it's time to let go.

I'll never break your heart, I'll never make you cry, I'd rather die than live without you, I'll give you all of me Honey that's no lie.

I guess that I do love you. I hope that you are over him enough to love me too.

~Brian

"Oh my God, Mercedes! That's awesome! I know I'm completely speechless!" said Cassandra, reading over the note again.

"What's going on?" asked Emalia.

"Here read this!" said Cassandra. Emalia read it, and looked up. "Woo hoo, Mercedes! Hot stuff!" Just then Isabella, Nicole, Coreene came down.

"Who's hot stuff?" asked Isabella. Emalia handed them the note. They read it, and they all screeched together. "Oh Mercedes! How do you feel about him?"

"I was kinda hoping they wouldn't ask me that," she thought to herself.

"Well?" asked Coreene.

"I don't really know how I feel about him. I think that I still have some feelings for Eric, but I know that I have strong feelings for Brian. I think that I could definitely learn to love him."

"That's awesome, Mercedes!" said Cassandra, and Mercedes continued to smile. Just then, the doorbell rang, and they all jumped. Mercedes opened the door.

"Oh, hi Brian," said Mercedes looking down and blushing.

"Hey, can we, uh, talk," asked Brian.

"Sure Brian. Just give me a sec. I'll go change, and we'll walk, okay?"

"Okay." Mercedes ran upstairs.

"Brian, that note is incredible!" said Cassandra.

"Oh, you guys read it too?"

"Yeah, it's so cool!" said Isabella. "You're such a romantic!"

Mercedes came downstairs wearing jeans and the shirt that Brian had picked out for her.

"Wow," thought Brian.

"Okay, let's walk around the block," said Mercedes.

"All right."

They walked out of the door, and down the street. Their hands were dangling by their sides until they met each other, and Brian held on to hers. "I take it you got my, um, letter."

"Yeah it was beautiful," she said quickly.

"It was?"

"Yeah, it was." They continued to walk, not saying another word to each other, until she saw Eric. Brian didn't really know what he looked like, so he didn't even give Eric a second look, and kept walking. "Why don't we go this wa-"

"Hello, Mercedes."

"Eric," she said.

"You know this guy?" asked Brian. "Of course she does, she's my girl," said Eric. Brian dropped Mercedes' hand.

"What?" asked Brian.

"You heard me. Mercedes, dear, aren't you going to introduce us?"

"I'm not your dear, and I'm not your girl!" she yelled. "I'm with Brian now!"

"You are?" asked Eric.

"You are?" asked Brian. She turned to look in Brian's eyes.

"Yes I am."

"Oh yeah," said Eric, "I don't believe it. Prove it."

"God, I can't believe that I'm doing this," she thought, but she knew that she had too. She went over to Brian and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips to his. She opened her mouth and let his tongue enter it. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she returned the kiss.

"Okay, okay, I believe you!" said Eric. He turned around and walked away, he knew that he had lost her under his own wrongdoings, and she knew that she could move on now.

Brian and Mercedes didn't say anything to each other. Brian took Mercedes' hand and they both turned around and headed back for her house. Halfway there, Brian stopped and turned her towards him.

"I meant every word in that note that I wrote to you," Brian said and kept walking.

"And I meant every second of that kiss," said Mercedes and kept walking with him back to her house.