Eric Miller

The North Hill High School cafeteria was always chaotic at lunchtime. Trays clattered, students shouted from table to table, and the constant smell of cheap pizza filled the air. But for Eric Miller, all the noise disappeared whenever Olivia sat down across from him. Because Olivia Parker had been her best friend since she was eight years old. And also the girl he had been in love with almost all his life. "I swear if I fail chemistry again, I'll disappear off the face of the earth," she said, dramatically dropping her head onto the table. Eric let out a soft laugh as he handed her the juice. —You can't just disappear. You've owed me ten euros for months. Olivia looked up and smiled. And there it was again. That damn knot in my chest. Because she smiled at him like that all the time. As if it were easy. As if she had no idea how he made her feel. Eric knew every detail about Olivia: how she bit her pen when she was nervous, how her eyes sparkled when she talked about music, and how she always stole the potatoes from her tray even when she asked for her own. What I didn't know... was how to stop loving her. The problem was that Olivia had never looked at him that way. To her, Eric was safe. Familiar. Her favorite person. But never “that boy”. And yet, Eric was still there. Listening to her talk about the new guy on the basketball team. Pretending it didn't hurt. Smiling as if he wasn't breaking a little bit every time she asked him for advice about other guys. "Do you think he likes me?" Olivia asked suddenly, resting her chin on her hand. Eric felt his chest tighten. Even so, he smiled. —Yes… I think anyone would fall in love with you. Olivia smiled happily, completely unaware of the disaster sitting in front of her. And Eric understood something at that moment: Being in love with your best friend was probably the worst feeling in the world.