I ran after him, rushing down the halls. He was several feet in front of me, but I noticed he had started to slow down. I could feel my body protesting each movement. My lungs felt like they had been dipped in wild fire. The muscles in my legs felt a lot like Jell-o, and it was all I could do to keep from falling over. A small drop of sweat escaped my brow and spilled leisurely down my forehead. Just when I had all about given up, I saw him stop. At the very end of the hallway, he'd faltered. He was leaning against the wall, hand on his chest, quickly trying to catch his breath. Even from where I stood, he looked too far away. My eyes played tricks on me; making the hallway shift around me. But I refused to give up. He was so close. Against my body's protests, I charged ahead-- adding even more speed t the legs that threatened to give out. Nothing mattered if I didn't catch him.

For once in a very long time, I was in luck. I reached him before he'd regained his composure and I refused to let him get away. Placing my hands on my knees, I could barely stand up. My lungs were disintegrating. I had almost started hyperventilating in pursuit of him; but I'd caught him.

He seemed to recognize his position, because even though I was in no state to continue the chase, he didn't take advantage and run.

"Why are you chasing me?" He finally asked after taking several moments to watch me.

"Why?" I asked back demandingly. "Because you were running away."

"You didn't have to chase me."

"You didn't have to run." I retorted. Despite the situation, a small smile danced across my lips. He had always found my stubbornness entertaining. I glared at him, having finally regained the ability to breathe and stand upright. "Why were you running?" I asked again.

"Why were you chasing?"

"Jack," I said firmly. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him; defying him to avoid the topic again. In response, he sighed heavily and slipped against the wall.

"I don't wanna face you."

"Why not?" I demanded, my voice sounding a lot more harsh than I'd intended. He flinched slightly in reaction-- as if he had been slapped across the face. His eyes meeting the ground, he refused to look at me.

"Can we just forget about this?" He asked pitifully, hoping it was just that simple.

"No."

He finally looked at me; his chocolate brown eyes meeting mine. "Why not?" He challenged.

"Because I wanna know the truth."

"Being...?"

"You tell me."

He stared. After a beat, he asked, "Tell you what?" I rolled my eyes and sighed in disgust. It was never going to work. We were both masters at hiding how we felt and avoiding conversations about our emotions. Beating around the bush would get us nowhere.

So I decided to cut to the chase.

"How long have you loved me?"

He froze. My heart skipped a beat as I watched him. He had no great poker face when it came to masking surprises. He quickly attempted to recover, but he knew I'd seen his slip. Sighing heavily, he pushed against the wall with his hands to stand erect. Locking eyes with me, we both stood in a shroud of silence. When he finally replied, his voice was quiet.

"I don't remember." He responded.

It was a romantic move like response. I almost felt as if I was on set of a feature film. Only there were no blaring lights; no decorative decor; no artificial noises coming from off-camera; everything was real.

Jack took a step closer to me. I tried to react, but my sneakers were hot glue gunned to the floor. I couldn't move a single muscle; all I could do was stare at him, vulnerable to his every motion. He eventually made a move. Reaching out his hand, he ruffled my hair. A small smile tugged at the edge of his lips, but I could tell it was forced. He looked more heartbroken than anything. Without another word, he stepped around me and continued back the way I'd chased him. Only this time, he wasn't running.

After he had moved a few feet, I regained control of my motor skills. Spinning around quickly, I called after him from down the hall. "What if I love you, too?" I demanded. He faltered in his step, but he didn't turn to face me. Blinking back tears to keep my vision clear, I pressed on. "What then?"

Finally he turned. He replayed the same lost, forced smile. Pain reflected off his eyes as he watched me. "Then I would have to kill you." He replied softly. He turned again and continued walking.

I knew then that this was definitely no movie set. The girl doesn't always get the guy; the movie doesn't always end on a kiss; and love doesn't always conquer all.