It was morning in the apartment they shared, and James was making the beds. Jessie was in the other room finishing the dishes. As James tried shake out the covers, he noticed something heavy was keeping it from flipping up freely. He pulled and pulled and finally the sheets broke free, launching the object into the air and onto the floor. James looked at the curious object. It appeared to be a book of some sort. He walked over and crouched down to get a better look. James began to read the writing on the pages, when he realized it was Jessie's diary. His first instinct was to get as far away from it as possible before Jessie walked in, but his curiosity took him over. "It wouldn't be so bad if I take a look," he thought to himself, "I mean, it just plopped open, it's not like I was looking for it or anything." Having convinced himself, he began to read. He smiled to himself. It was pretty ordinary stuff, nothing to be excited about. Just then Jessie came into the doorway.
She looked over and saw James. Then saw what he was reading. Her first instinct was to smash his head, but she decided to hang back and do something else. Instead she creeped slowly behind him and looked over his shoulder. She scanned throughout the page and saw that the page had a list of things she liked. It said Pokemon, makeup, stuff like that, but at the very bottom it said, "& of course James, who will be my one true love forever." James read the telling line and his eyes widened. Stunned, he sat back on his heels and felt his back resting against Jessie's legs. He looked up, only to be face to face with Jessie. "Read any good books lately?" Jessie asked as she leaned down to him. James grabbed the book and slowly raised it up to her. "No, that's ok," Jessie replied sweetly. "You can finish." James was stunned she didn't smack him, "No, I've seen enough." "You sure?" she asked. "Yes," James replied. James handed her the book as she sat down on the edge of the bed. James turned to face her and began to get up from the floor. "Uh, Jessie, I -" but before he could say anything more, Jessie had taken his face in her hands and kissed him.
A smiling Jessie was able to pull herself away only to see a stunned James. She became a bit worried, "You ok?" "Yes, I'm fine," James replied shortly. Jessie narrowed her eyes and looked at him confusedly. "Jessie, I've got to tell you something," James said as he got up and sat down next to her. They looked into one another's eyes. "I don't -" he began. Jessie thought she knew what he was going to say, "James, wait." "I don't feel the same way," he blurted out. Jessie stared at him. She didn't want to be it was all she could do. This was her worst nightmare come true. This was the reason she hadn't told him how she felt sooner. Because she thought exactly this would happen. For the first time in her life, she hated the fact that she was right. James saw that she was hurt, "I'm sorry, Jess. I-" "No, no." Jessie waved him off, "You shouldn't be sorry. Why should you be sorry? You've just read through my most personal things and now you've destroyed my with it." Trying to explain, "Jessie, please! I do care for you very much but-" "But what?" she asked, "I mean, I'd like to know. Is it my personality, my looks?" James shook his head, "God no! You're perfect!" "But not enough for you?" she demanded, "Just tell me the truth, James." "Alright, I do like you. As a friend and much more than a friend. But -" "But what?" she demanded. "But I don't want to loose our friendship." he replied. Jessie smirked at him. "Oh please! James, if you don't want me, at least have the decency to tell me. Instead of this lame reason that preschoolers give to one another!" "It's not lame!" James yelled back, "It's the truth!" He paused and then soften his tone. "Jessie, your the best friend I've ever had and I love you. I've never loved anyone like I do you. But if we move into a romantic relationship, what if we fight or something happens and we part forever? The I'm out a true love and a true friendship." Jessie just looked at him and answered back, "But if you have such little faith in the feelings we have for one another. Then it's already lost." She leaned forward to kiss him once more but James moved away. "Don't worry, James," she said with sad eyes, "It's the last time you'll ever have to suffer." Jessie landed her intended kiss, "Goodbye."
She rose up and began to walk away but James grabbed her arm. Not looking back at him, Jessie put her hand on his. James then gently pulled her next to him on the bed. He hugged her tightly and she hugged back as well. "Where are you going?" he asked her. "I'm leaving," she replied. "But why?" Jessie turned to him, "I can't just stay here and live with the one that got away." "Got away?" James asked confused, "Jessie, I'm right here!" "But I'm not here," she explained by putting her hand over his heart, "That's why I have to go. You deserve to be with someone who loves you, but hopefully you'll be brave enough to love them back." Jessie then rose and walked away. James sat there. All he could hear was the deafening sound of the light clicks of her heels on the hard floor that was now synonymous with his frozen heart. He had been so afraid to love her. And now that he finally realized how much he did, she was leaving. He quickly sprang up. "Jessie?" he called.
There was no answer. He ran down the hall and outside. "Jessie?" Suddenly he heard a car engine start. James looked over to see that it was Jessie ready to speed off. He quickly ran over to it. "Jess!" he yelled to her. She did not look up at him. "Jess, please!" James begged, but she revved the motor and put on the gas. As the car moved, so did James. He soon found himself running down the street, trying to keep up with the car. "Jessie! Wait! Stop! Will you stop?!" he yelled. Jessie was not looking at him though, she was trying to watch the road as she wiped away tears. "Jessie! Please, don't go! You can't do this to me!" he exclaimed.
Almost immediately the car screeched to a halt. James didn't notice this, and ran right into a STOP sign and fell to the ground. Jessie got out of the car and walked over to James. "You can't do this to me?" she asked, leaning over him, "That's it, isn't? As if this isn't affecting me at all! I loved you. The reason why, I'll never know." She turned to go back to the car. "See?" James called to her, "That's just what I was talking about! You don't even know why you love me!" Very mad, Jessie walked back over, "Fine." She crouched down and grabbed James by his shirt. "You want to know why? Because your sweet, kind, caring. Because your my best friend. And because you are the most beautiful person I know, both on the inside and outside. That good enough for you?" She then thrust him back on the ground and got back in her car. As the car drove off again, James sprang back up and ran along side. He managed to catch up, opened the passenger door and jumped in the moving vehicle. Jessie was shocked that he had made it. "What do you want?" she demanded. "You can't leave," he said. "It looks like I'm doing a pretty good job so far," Jessie replied. "Please don't leave," he asked her. "Why not? What have I got to stay for? You've gotten what you wanted." "What?" James asked her. "You always said you wanted your freedom. That's why you ran away from your home, isn't it?" she retorted. "Yes," he agreed, "but then I ran to you." "You probably just wanted a ride," she shot back. "I was the one that picked you up in the balloon." he pointed out. Jessie's eyes filled with tears. "Jessie, I-" he began. She pulled the car over and turned it off, but she still didn't look at him. "I love you," James told her. Jessie looked down at her hands, James took one and kissed it. "Why?" Jessie asked him. "What?" "Why? Why do you love me?" she questioned him. James did not answer. "See?" she sadly laughed, "You don't. You're only saying that because you don't want to be alone." "No, that's not-" he tried to say. "Don't worry about being alone, James. I'm sure there are tons of girls that would love to live with you." "But I don't want any other girls," he told her, "I only want you." Jessie was quiet. "I-I can't believe you," she said as she opened her door and got out of the car. James got out of the car as well, and followed her. He stopped her, and turned her to face him. "Jessie, do you have any idea what you did to me back there?" he demanded, "When you walked out on me, it killed me! I felt like my life was walking out on me." Jessie didn't answer, as tears rolled down her face. James lifted his hand and gently wiped them away. "Please come back," he asked her softly, "And I promise to never let you have a reason to leave again." He then put his arms around her, and hugged her. She buried her head in his shoulder. "I can't imagine my life without you," he whispered. "Well, I think-" she said, standing herself up and drying her eyes, "I think, you'll have to." She quickly got into the car and closed the door. James grabbed inside of her window. "Jessie!" he said frantically, "Where are you going to go?" Jessie put her key in the ignition, revved the engine, as she stared into his eyes. "Frankly, my dear James. I don't give a damn." She put her foot on the gas and drove around the block and out of his life forever.