#1

Click...


Clack...


Thunk


Thunk? Jordyn rolled over on her stomach and pulled her pillow over her head. She knew exactly what had awakened her sleep. Matt's date was over and he wanted to discuss it with her. She could picture him outside her apartment windows two stories down throwing pebbles--thus the clicks and clacks--and sometimes missing the window and hitting the stucco wall--which explained the occasional 'thunk'.

After longer and longer pauses between the pebbles hitting the window, Jordyn heard Matt resort to fake bird calls.

Throwing the covers off, Jordyn sat up and ran a hand through her sleep tousled hair.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." She stood and grabbed the robe hanging on the back of her bedroom door before walking over to the window and opening the blinds.

Opening the window, Jordyn stuck her head out and frowned down at her friend.

"What do you want Matt? It is one o'clock in the morning, for Pete's sake."

"I think I'm in love." Matt beamed his deeply dimpled smile up at her and threw his arms out dramatically.

Sighing, Jordyn rolled her eyes. "Of course you are Matt. After all, this is your third whole date with what's-her-name and you are still on your best behavior."

Matt gripped his chest in mock pain. "Best behavior? I am always completely genuine for my dates."

"Okay Matt, whatever you say." Jordyn yawned. "If we're done talking, I'm going back to bed."

"C'mon Jo."

"Fine. Let me ask you this Casanova." Jordyn's raised whisper got louder and she narrowed her eyes. "Did you refrain from using the phrase, 'That's what I'm talking about!' at any point during your date?"

"Yes, but what does that have..."

"Did you silently wonder why she ordered a salad and then let her eat the fries off your plate without making any rude comments?"

"I guess so, now that you mention it, but I still don't.."

"Have you at any time brought up the story with your date about how you won the alphabet burping contest at your fraternity party two years ago?"

"Well, no. I don't see what..."

"Matt?"

"Yes?"

"You are still on your best behavior. Until this newest love of your life gets to meet the real you, you can't be in love."

"You are nuts."

"No, Matt. I'm tired and cranky." Jordyn tried to stifle another yawn. "When you feel comfortable enough to let your date see you for who you really are, THEN you can come back and tell me you are in love. Until then, she is on her best behavior too and it is all make believe."

"I don't understand your reasoning there."

"I know you don't. You never do." Jordyn started to stand back from the window and put her hands up on the sill to close it.

"Jordyn, wait." Matt's low pleading caused Jordyn to pause and stick her head back out the window.

"What now, Matt?" She watched as Matt's expression changed from a frown, to a question, to a scowl. "Matt?"

"I don't know." Matt ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "I'm trying to remember why I came here tonight. You are sort of a kill joy, Jo."

Jordyn smiled ruefully, "You came here because you like waking me up in the middle of the night to rub in the fact that you have a social life and I don't. Don't take me so seriously, Matt. I'm about sixty gazillion hours behind in my beauty sleep and I wasn't kidding about the being cranky part." Jordyn stretched her arms over her head. "You go ahead and be in love if you want. I hope she is good enough for you."

"You're just trying to make me feel better." Matt grinned.

"That, and I'm hoping you'll go home so I can go back to sleep."

"Goodnight, Jo." Matt chuckled.

"'Night, Matt."

Jordyn closed the window and watched as Matt jogged over to the parking lot and got in his car. Turning back to her bed as soon as the tail lights of his car disappeared around the corner, she sat on the edge of the bed and hugged her pillow to her.

From the glow of the street light outside, Jordyn could see the framed photo sitting on her desk of her and Matt at their high school graduation.

Someday, she thought to herself with a pang, someday he really will fall in love. And then what am I going to do?