One Last Shot At Love

Submitted into Contest #136 in response to: Write about a character giving something one last shot.... view prompt

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Fiction Romance

BROOKS

Two days from now is when I leave for my deployment and I have one last shot to tell the woman, the only woman I have ever loved how I feel about her.

Sabrina has been my best friend since we were kids. We did everything together. We played for hours everyday in each others backyards.

Every summer me and Sabrina would go to the lake behind our houses and collect rocks and play in the water.

Every Halloween we would dress up as superheroes and go trick or treating, after words we would go back to my house and count the candy.

On Thanksgiving we would spend it together with our families. We would stuff our face with turkey and all the trimmings. Me and Sabrina would share a slice of pie. One large piece was good enough for the both of us.

Our younger years were filled with so much innocence, happiness and laughter.

When me and Sabrina got into middle school and high school things started to change. No longer were we the happy, loving kids we use to be.

Me and Sabrina were still the close best friends we always were, but with one added thing, jealousy.

All throughout middle school and high school I was the popular kid, the captain of the football team.

Sabrina on the other hand wasn't popular. She was basically a nerd.

Sabrina loves books. She loves to learn and whenever anybody saw us together whether if it was my team or the cheerleaders, they would make fun of Sabrina. I stopped them when they started. No one bullies Sabrina.

One day after school I found Sabrina crying. I asked her what happened, but I already knew.

I hugged Sabrina and told her everything is going to be okay. She believed me and from that day on no one messed with Sabrina.

Sabrina was and still is my biggest fan. She was the first person I saw after every one of my football practices and the first person I saw cheering me on during my games.

I don't know when I started to have serious feelings for Sabrina. She's my best friend.

She's the person I go to when when I needed help studying. When I needed help with my homework and thank god Sabrina was there to help me because without her I never would have graduate.

Sabrina was name top honors for our senior class. She was very excited when she told me and I was happy for her.

After graduation we all are suppose to go our separate ways. But not me and Sabrina.

We spent the entire summer together and then we went to college together.

Sabrina loved the college we went too. She made many new friends, but I was always the one constant in her life.

Sabrina flourished in college. Me, I had difficulties. I try to get use to college life, playing college football. But I found out early that this life wasn't for me.

I told Sabrina everything I was feeling and in true Sabrina fashion she believed me.

The following day, after my talk with Sabrina I went to the Navy recruitment center and enlisted.

I was happy. My best friend was there for me. But I can't say that for the town or school. They felt I betrayed them.

I didn't care what they thought of me. Sabrina and what she thought is all that matters to me.

So, now here I am preparing to leave, to leave my home and the person I love with my whole heart.

This is my one and only shot to tell Sabrina how I feel.

SABRINA

Brooks is everything I have ever dreamed a guy can be. Loyal, passionate, kind hearted, all these qualities make Brooks the person he is and the reason why I love him.

Me and Brooks have been tied to the hip since we were kids. We did everything together.

During the summers me and Brooks spent every waking moment together. We would go to the lake and play. We would catch fireflies and put them in jars.

Those summers we spent together are some of my most cherished memories and there are plenty more memories.

As middle school and high school approached, I started to get scared. We were changing and it scared me to death that I might lose my best friend.

Brooks was always the popular kid. I wasn't and in the back of my mind I believed Brooks was going to stop being my friend.

When his teammates or the cheerleaders saw us together they made fun of me, but Brooks always stopped them.

One day when I was alone the head cheerleader came up to me and told Brooks didn't want to be my friend anymore, that I was nothing, a nobody and Brooks deserved better.

I knew that wasn't the truth, but it still hurt. I ran crying. Brooks found me crying. He already knew why.

Brooks put the word out that nobody was to bully me and it worked.

Brooks my protector. Brooks my best friend, my whole world and the one person I love with my whole heart.

How do you tell your best you love him?

I never knew how to tell Brooks my feelings. So, I kept it a secret.

After graduation me and Brooks spent the whole summer together and then we went to college together.

I loved college. I made so many new friends, but Brooks was always the one constant in my life.

While I loved college, Brooks didn't. I could tell early on Brooks never loved college the way I did.

His passion for football was gone and the day Brooks told me he enlisted in the Navy, I did the only thing I could do and support him.

I stood behind Brooks while everyone else was angry with him. They thought he betrayed them, not me. I know Brooks better than anyone. I know what he's capable of. He's going to do great things.

Brooks is going to be a superhero only without the cape.

When Brooks leaves in two days, the memories we share will be in this memory book I will give to him.

I'm going to take this one last shot to tell Brooks how I feel about him.

BROOKS

Sabrina looks beautiful, every time I see her I smile. My smile is going to be even bigger when I tell her I love her.

I'm working on my car when I look up and see Sabrina looking at me. She is so beautiful.

Tomorrow, my one last shot and it's going to be memorable.

SABRINA

I could watch Brooks all day fixing his car. He looks really, really good. I can't believe I'm saying that about my best friend.

Brooks loves that car. I remember the day he got the car. Brooks father couldn't afford to buy him a new car. So, he bought Brooks am old beat up car.

Everyday for the last couple years Brooks has been restoring the car. He loves every minute of it and I love watching him. I don't know anything about cars, but I love helping Brooks.

I'm really going to miss Brooks when he leaves, but I know this is what he wants to do.So, I'm going to here waiting for him to come home.

I finish the memory book. I put the pictures from through out our childhood. I know Brooks is going to love it because it's from me.

Tomorrow I'm going to give Brooks this memory book and take this one last shot to tell Brooks I love him.

BROOKS

Well today is the day I tell my best friend I love her. My one and only shot and I hope she feels the same way.

Here I go. I knock on the door. Sabrina answers. Wow, she looks so beautiful.

"Hi Brooks." I love the sound of her voice.

I enter her house. I could always tell something is wrong with Sabrina.

"What's wrong?"

"I have something to tell you."

"Me too."

"You go first."

"We've been best friends since we were kids. You support me during my football years. You were always the first person I saw cheering me on. You support me when I joined the military. Sabrina, you're the best and most important person I know. My very best friend in the entire world. This is my one shot and I'm going to take it. Sabrina, I love you more than anything in the world."

SABRINA

Oh my god! Did I just hear Brooks say he loves me.

"Sabrina, say something."

I hand Brooks the memory book. He opens it and sees the pictures of us.

"I love it. Thank you."

"I'm glad you love it because there is more. Since we were kids we've been best friends. We did everything together, even dressing up as superheroes. You've been my protector when I needed one. You made me laugh and smile. I will wait for you until you come home. Brooks, I love you more than anything in the world."

BROOKS

My girl feels the same way. I'm glad I took this shot.

"Come here and give me a kiss."

Wow, Sabrina's lips taste like heaven.

"I will come back to you."

SABRINA

Kissing Brooks is like heaven. I love it.

"I know you will and I promise to always be by your side. I love you Brooks.

"I love you Sabrina."

Two people. Two best friends took one last shot at love and won.

Sabrina and Brooks all it took was one.

March 10, 2022 22:49

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1 comment

Clyde Laffan
22:57 Mar 17, 2022

Hi Melinda. I was directed towards your story as part of the "Critique Circle." Well done on 60 submissions, that sure is a lot. Your story is sweet and simply told with a happy upbeat ending. I think the style of the two-person POV worked. My critique would ask, who was this aimed at? Even if it was a YA audience I felt that it was too simply told. I never really got a feel for the characters. I would like to have been drawn more into their struggle. Crossing that threshold between friends and lovers is such a big deal and I felt this story...

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