Sa'iyda closed the photo album sitting on her lap. She sat for a minute; just thinking about all the years she and Justin had spent together. He had been her best friend for years. Actually since they were five. Things between them had always been simple, they were just friends, nothing more. She couldn't even think of him in any other way. Well until recently. Looking at the pictures of them together made her think of what it would be like if they were a couple.
They had been through everything together. Whenever something happened to her, he was right there. He was her rock. Her first crush in third grade. His name was Alex. She was totally "in love" with him and he stuck gum in her hair on purpose and laughed at her in front of the whole class. At recess, she ran to Justin's side, hysterically crying.
"What happened? What's wrong?" he asked.
"Alex stuck a big wad of Bubble Yum in my hair! And then he pointed at me and told the whole class that I had gum in my hair! It was awful!� she wailed.
"Do you want me to go beat him up?" he asked her, hugging her close.
"No." she sniffled "I'll be okay. It was so bad though Juju. I hate school." she said crying into his shoulder.
There was the time they tried to learn how to French Kiss. They had seen it in a movie and thought that they should learn how before the time came and they didn�t know what to do.
�No, you�re doing it wrong!� Sa�iyda yelled, smacking Justin in his head.
�What do you mean, I�m doing it wrong! That�s how they did it in the movie!� he yelled back.
�You gotta hold your head like this� she said, tilting her head to the side.
�And what if I don�t?� Justin asked, trying to make her angry.
�You�ll bump noses, dorkus.� she said, sticking her tongue out at him.
�Shut up. You don�t know what you�re talking about.� he said getting angry.
�Yes I do! I�ve seen my cousin do it like a million times!� she shrieked.
�So then if you think you know so much Ms. Smarty Pants, show me.� he dared.
�Fine then.� she said, pulling his face toward hers and kissing him. They both looked stunned for a second then...
�Man, you don�t know what you�re doing! That was bad!� Justin said, pushing her away.
Sa�iyda laughed when she thought about that moment. Things between them were always light. She then started to remember how things had been lately in comparison.
Whenever she talked to him on the phone, she didn�t know what to say to him. Finding things to talk about had never been a problem for them before, and she couldn�t figure out why things had changed so suddenly.
�Hello?� she asked when her phone rang.
�Hey Sai! It�s Juju, what up girl?� he asked.
�Hi! Uh, not much, ho-how about you?� she asked, suddenly not remembering how to talk.
�Not much. I haven�t talked to you in a while, so I figured that I�d call.� he explained.
�Well, thanks for calling.� she said, hesitating to say much else.
Ten minutes later, Justin asked. �Sai, is there something wrong? You�re never this quiet.� he joked.
�I�m fine Ju. It�s just been a long day. School is so tough.� she said, trying to change the subject.
�Are you sure that�s all? Because I could swear that something else is wrong.� He said.
�No really, I�m fine. I�m just tired.� she swore.
He didn�t say anything but gave the phone a look that would say he didn�t believe her.
�Justin, stop giving me that look. I swear on my dead dog Binky that I�m not lying.� she said.
�What look? I�m not giving you any type of look. I don�t know what you�re talking about. And don�t swear on Binky. He was the coolest dog ever.� Justin said.
�No kidding. He was my dog. I think I would know that. And yes, you do give a look, so don�t even try to play stupid...unless you weren�t playing.� she said in her usual tone.
�You�re back! But seriously though, what�s been up with you lately? You don�t act the same as you usually do.� he said.
�I don�t know what you�re talking about. It�s probably just the stress I�ve been through lately.� she said. She knew that she couldn�t tell him the truth that she was in love with him.
She had realized that she was in love with him only about a month prior to their conversation. Things were fine before then, but that�s when she realized that he was a total hottie. Not that she hadn�t heard it from everyone she knew. That�s just when she finally realized that they were all right. She had been mindlessly flipping through a copy of Teen People and came to this breathtaking picture of him. She couldn�t help but think that he had definitely been working out. He was buff! At first she found it a bit odd that she was starting to get all hot and bothered over a picture of her best friend (who was like her brother) but she just chalked it up to the fact that she needed to get laid something awful. But that wasn�t the last time she had those thoughts. She would be sitting in class daydreaming thoughts about her and Justin doing some pretty un-brother and sister like things. After that she had no choice but to come to the realization that she was feeling something more than platonic friendship love. He was perfect for her and it only took her most of her life to realize it.
One day after school, Sa�iyda had some of her friends over to hang out in her dorm room. They started looking through her photo album from when she was in high school. It was not too long after *Nsync came to the United States. It was actually from the album release party. They were standing together and he had his arm around her waist, hugging her close. She was smiling brightly for the camera.
She fondly remembered one of them asking her if he was her boyfriend.
�Nope, that�s my best friend.� she replied.
�You�re kidding! I could have sworn that he was your boyfriend!� her friend exclaimed.
�No, we�re just friends. I mean, why would you say that he looked like my boyfriend?� she questioned nervously.
�I dunno, you just seem so happy together that I assumed that he was your boyfriend.� she said.
�You guys look so perfect together. Have you ever dated?� her other friend asked.
�No. He�s my best friend. He has been since I was five.� Sa�iyda replied.
�Wow, since you were five. That�s deep. But you guys are so perfect together. You should consider dating him.� her friend commented.
�Thanks, I�ll keep that in mind.� Sa�iyda said.
And now she was considering it. It was perfect timing, he didn�t have a girlfriend and she knew he wasn�t dating anyone. But she was too scared to ask him.
Justin couldn�t help what wonder what she was doing. What she was wearing, if she had her hair up in that messy ponytail like she usually did. He put away the picture he had of her in his wallet. He loved her so much and was too afraid to tell her how he really felt. What if she didn�t feel the same way? He wouldn�t be able to deal with that. If only she realized how perfect they were for each other.
The timing was perfect. He didn�t have a girlfriend and the press had finally stopped linking him to every girl he was seen talking to. Inside, his heart was telling him to ask her to be his girlfriend. But his sense got the best of him and constantly told him not to ask her because she didn�t think of him like that and he would only end up heartbroken. But he needed her and it took him too long to figure it out.
To Sa�iyda, it all started to make sense. Of course! He had been her best friend since she was five. He was the only person who knew her better than she knew herself. Isn�t that what she had always looked for in a boyfriend? He was the best boyfriend for her.
It all made sense to him. Everyone told him that they should be together. Heck, even his mother thought that they should date. She was always pointing out all the stuff they had in common. The fact that they had been friends for so long was helpful. And isn�t she everything he looked for in a girlfriend?
The timing was perfect to him. This was the time; she could feel it in her gut.
�Just tell him.� she told herself.
�Just tell her.� he told himself.
�Uh Sai, I�ve been thinking....� Justin said.
�What�s up Ju?� she asked.
�Have you ever considered dating?� he asked.
�If you haven�t noticed Ju, I�ve been dating since I was twelve.� she said.
�No, what I meant to say was. Have you ever considered us dating?� He asked.
�Us dating? I guess maybe once or twice but never really seriously...why do you ask?� she questioned.
�Because I�ve been thinking about it a lot lately.� he replied.
�Okay. And what conclusion have you come to?� she asked.
�Sa�iyda, will you be my girlfriend?� Justin asked.
She was stunned. �Of course I will!� she cried.
�That�s great! I�m so glad that you said yes. I was so scared that you would say no!� he exclaimed.
�And I was too scared to tell you because I thought that you wouldn�t like me back!� she said.
�Man, I�m so glad that this worked out!� Justin said.
�Yeah, me too.� Sa�iyda said happily.
*Angela Via - Picture Perfect
Back To Sa'iyda's Archive