Every time I end our call, I can’t wait for when we next connect. Not to mention our future plans. Of course… I’m so excited to see you again.

We’ll have so much fun, right? We’ll talk, we’ll hang around the city, we’ll become closer and closer. Unless you don’t want to.

No, no, no. You want to see me again, you wouldn’t call me so often if you didn’t. How ridiculous of me to think we weren’t friends.

Are we good friends, though? Or is this more of a strong acquaintances deal? We don’t share anything that deep. That would be weird. After all, I have other friends. I do.

Back to our future plans, they’re happening for sure. I’ll ride the bus into your neighbourhood and we’ll make a day of it. Nothing could go wrong, I won’t let myself ruin all the fun. Not like every other time.

What other time? Oh, I’m talking about nothing. It’s just I don’t keep friends for very long. I guess I get a little annoying, a little dull, a little controlling, a little creepy as time passes. Though I promise, it’s not the same with you.

Funny, isn’t it? It feels like only yesterday we were nothing more than strangers. You meant absolutely nothing to me. Today, our plans are all I think about. It’s because I’m excited! I dread the past when I didn’t know you.

Tomorrow, I’ll have to solidify those plans I keep yammering about. Then again, do we have to make anything concrete? We don’t have to rush the next time we meet. I know you’re busy. I want the next time we meet to be amazing, perfect even. Sure, I might be a little too ideal in my expectations, but you want us to have a good time too.

Right? You still want to see me again?

On second thought, I can’t make it tomorrow. Bummer. I swear, it’s not because if I ever see your face in real life once more it’ll finally occur to me that I have stuck in my head cycling over and over this horrific version of you that’s just so unrealistic and borderline inappropriate, then all my daydreams of us together will shatter as I realise that we can’t be friends forever; you’ll learn to hate me or I’ll drive you away and I’ll have to learn to live without you.

I’m telling you! I’m not nervous!

I’m cool. I’m normal.

Yeah, sorry. I can’t make it tomorrow.

But I might have some time forever.

Watch the fruit thief

climb through the trees.

He rustles a leaf.

Does he think no one sees!

Plucks but one,

holds it to the sun.

The skin is smooth,

its colour an amber yellow.

Feels squishy inside like Jell-O,

a soft flesh in which to sink his tooth.

Make him leave!

That’s not his property.

See how the farmers grieve

the lack of integrity.

But there is a plentiful crop,

from which many fruits may drop.

More sweets will grow.

Perhaps he’s nothing to eat today,

so to the farmers I say,

“Let the man go.”

I agonize over when

next we’ll meet

before you part to another chapter.

You were always special

to me

to anyone

who ever met you.

Whoever did meet you?

How many lies lay

beneath those fake laughs

and dire eyes?

How many introductions were

concluded with your glare?

How many times did I ignore

the strain beneath your skin

for different words?

Is there a chance for a dialogue?

It isn’t up to you,

the way you struggle to say

“Goodbye” the way friends do.

I wish you could have stayed

so I could forgive you

and you could forgive me.

Now I can’t know

how our story ends.

-Were you even following along?-

Or perhaps I will reach

the finale of our feud

between friendship and forever.

I could never have

predicted reaching this far

with you.