Frienship or More...?

Amanda Pov.

-You did a very good job today, students. I expect you to hand in my essays by the end of the week. A good day! Says the teacher, and all my colleagues are already about to leave the classroom.

It always takes me longer to get my things together, but at this moment I feel like I'm moving on the restart. I got a text during the class from Josh, my boyfriend, telling me he hurt his knee during rugby practice.

Yeah...My boyfriend is sporty, while I'm a nerd. How we ended up being new in a relationship that is already eight months old, I have no idea...

I finally gather all my things into my bag and take a deep breath.

Josh is going to be fine, Amanda. Maybe he just bruised himself a little, that's all.

I walk out of the lecture hall and towards the rugby field at the other end of the campus repeating over and over in my head like a mantra "Josh is fine."

I have to be honest and say that although my boyfriend is the captain of the rugby team, I'm not sporty at all. I thank Mother Nature for entrusting me with a fat-free body.

When I get to the rugby field I see all the players gathered in a circle laughing.

Wait...What?

I make my way between them and my eyes immediately find Josh's and I can immediately tell that there is nothing wrong with him.

I hate it when he does that...

He acts like a child just to watch me gasp to get to him.

-Hey, baby. He said with a big smile on his face.

I groan in frustration and punch him in the shoulder.

Sure enough my punch wasn't hard because Josh laughs then pulls me into his arms and presses his lips to mine.

One more thing...Even though Josh and I have been in a relationship for eight months, we haven't reached "that" level yet in a relationship. The reason, I could say, is me. I don't feel like he's the right man to take that step, or maybe there's something wrong with me. I've had this conversation with Josh more than once, but it bothers me that he doesn't seem to want to accept that I'm not ready to take that step, and that his reputation as a captain doesn't suffer in front of his teammates, it's on display like now. He kisses me forcefully, and I have to pretend I'm delirious.

Nonsense...I'm not comfortable showing myself like that in public.

There is definitely something wrong with me.

Sometimes I wonder why I'm still with him when I could let him go and meet a girl who will give him what he wants...It sure is rare to be in your twenties and still be a virgin. But I'm not ashamed of it. It makes me different from other girls who can't wait to get rid of their clothes.

-Are you ok? I ask as soon as he decides the kiss has gone on long enough and gets a standing ovation from his teammates.

• Yes, baby. I just wanted to see you.

-Ahem...Ok.

Now what? What should I do or say? I feel like he brought me here to corner me on something.

-Tonight, Brad is throwing a party in honor of tomorrow's game, and I'd like you to come with me. What you say?

I was right...He really cornered me. He knows I won't turn him down in front of his friends.

Who the hell wants to party on Thursday? And then go to the party on Friday because it will be one in honor of whether the match was won or lost. I don't understand some people.

-Sure. But I won't stay long because I want to be fresh for tomorrow.

-Ok... He says simply and then gives me another kiss, this time a short one, before letting me go from his arms.

-Ok...Are you coming to pick me up? I ask before leaving the field.

-Yes. Be ready at eight.

I nod and prepare to make my way back from the field.

-And one more thing...Don't let Ron make you change your mind about the party. He says in a serious tone, and I just nod my head.

From the first day Josh met Ron, he didn't like him at all. He keeps making nasty remarks about Ron and doesn't even know him like I do.

Ron and I have been good friends since my mom and I moved here five years ago. I was fifteen and he was twenty-two. Ron was a little curious about my life and why only my mom and I moved to Miami and my dad stayed in New York, so I started telling him just to get rid of him and give us the keys to i can cry quietly about dad deciding he doesn't want anything to do with me or mom anymore, but the weird thing was that telling ron made me feel better and that night i made it to sleep without filling the pillow with tears. Then in the days that followed I kept bumping into him around town and before I knew it we became good friends. He is like an older brother to me. We are inseparable no matter what happens.

Well...Nothing in the world would stop me from talking to Ron or taking his advice. In the end, thanks to him I ended up in a good college. After my mom and I moved here, my mom found a rich man and now all she does is travel the world. I have no idea where in the world she is now...

Ron was there for me every day and never let me down. He was the shoulder I could cry on whenever I felt the need, he was my guide in everyday life, and when needed he was the brother who protects me from everything bad.

I can't help but listen to him...

The smell of diesel and oil fills my nose, but that doesn't make me pull back. I've been here so many times that it smells like "home" to me.

-Ron, your doll has arrived. Says Tim, a service worker.

Tim is a nice person, but I don't like him when he calls me "doll" and that happens every day. However, he is a cheerful and responsible person who works even in his fifties years for his children to have everything they want.

-How many times have I told you, Tim, that her name is Amanda? Ron says after getting out from under a car he's most likely fixing.

• Well... You know I call her that because I love her. She's the only girl who comes here willingly and doesn't wrinkle her nose when the smell of diesel and sweat hits her.

Ron turns his attention to me and smiles as he wipes his hands with a cloth.

-I ordered from McDonald's. He says to me then turns to Tim. I will take a break now.

Tim just nods with a laugh, then Ron motions for me to follow him inside to eat with him. As soon as we get to the small office room, I hug him and he laughs.

-You're going to get dirty. He says wrapping his arms around me answering my hug.

-I do not care.

-You will smell like me. He says, but still he doesn't move away.

-You're kidding? i love your smell

Here's the interesting part about me...I'm shy about saying or doing certain things with Josh, but when I'm with Ron, everything is normal. It seems natural for me to say or do certain things. Everything is natural with him.

• Ok... Let's eat and you can tell me what's bothering you. He says breaking the hug and I sigh.

He knows me so well that if I ever decided to lie or hide something from him, he would know immediately.