How I Missed You.

Isabella

Things were looking up, I had my best friend back after nine years of separation, Mitchie was too busy with Josh to worry about what I was doing to embarrass her, and I had a new buddy to walk to school with. Jamie was a really nice guy and he made me laugh. It was Tuesday morning and we were walking to school the long way. I had brought out two cookies and we were happily munching on them as we talked about school.

“What do you think this assembly’s about?” I asked him.

“I dunno; it could be anything. Maybe someone’s been caught selling drugs to minors.”

“Yeah, that’ll be the day when my mother enrolls me in a different school fifty miles from here.”

“Eh, it won’t be much of a loss.”

“Hey,” I acted offended and punched him in the arm.

“Where’s that music coming from?” he asked as Holiday by Boys like Girls started playing.

“My pocket,” I laughed, pulling out my phone.

“You listen to Boys like Girls?” I nodded, flipping off the cover and holding the phone up to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me.”

“James?” I asked surprised.

“Yeah. Are you still coming over today?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” I asked curiously.

“No reason, just be prepared for a surprise.”

“What kind of surprise? What aren’t you telling me?”

“Nothing,” he laughed. Listen I gotta go, so I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay,” I said, hanging up then turning to Jamie, “That was weird.”

“Who’s James?”

“Oh right I didn’t tell you,” I sighed and proceeded to tell him about James and then moving away and then dinner on Friday.

“So this guy is your real best friend?” He said.

“Well yeah, but don’t tell Mitchie that. She doesn’t know about James, no one does. After I moved it just became too hard to talk about him.”

“I get it, don’t worry.”

“Thanks Jamie,” I gave him a hug. “Aside from James I think you’re the only person that really gets me.”

“I can do better than that,” he smiled, “I can get you too school on time.”

“Huh?” I looked down at my watch, it was five to nine.

“Time to run?” he asked.

“Oh yeah,” I laughed, grabbing his hand.

Five minutes later we arrived at school, puffing and out of breath.

“What happened to you two?” Mitchie asked as we collapsed onto the grass.

“We took the long way,” I explained between breaths.

“Well the bell already went so you better go get your stuff.”

Grudgingly we stood up and went over to the lockers and grabbed our stuff for History, it was the only class all five of us shared. Mitchie skipped ahead while Josh carried both his and her books. I dragged my feet while Jamie kept muttering “we’re almost there.”

When we reached the classroom everyone was already in, including the teacher. After a dirty glare from the teacher we collapsed into five chairs at the back of the room. I spent most of the class looking out the window and wondering what James had meant by “be prepared for a surprise.” By the time class was over I was dying to see James and didn’t even listen when we were assigned our homework for the week.

~~~~~

“I’ll see you guys later!” I called to Mitchie, Josh, Jamie and Shane after school.

“Yeah, bye.”

“Have fun today,” Jamie smiled.

I practically ran home not wanting to miss my ride to James’s house. “Mum! I’m home,” I puffed closing the front door.

“Get your stuff ready quick, I’m leaving now.”

I sighed trudging my way up the stairs to my room, grabbing my homework and shoving it into a bag. I also grabbed my iPod and a ‘chuppa chup’ for the road.

James

“How long ‘till they get here?” Jacob asked.

“Well it takes over two hours to get to my house by car,” I told him, sighing. He had bugging my for the past hour and I really wished Isabella would get here soon.

“Oh right.”

I had never actually been alone with Jacob, whenever we’d hang it was always with the other guys and one of them was always doing something stupid that we always had something to talk about. Jacob dived into his school bag and pulled out his phone.

“Want something to eat?” I asked him.

“Yeah sure, thanks man.”

I put down my Math’s book and headed over to the kitchen where my mum was making dinner. “How’s it going in there?” she asked as I came in.

“I don’t think it could go any worse. I just hope they get here soon. I’m pretty sure Jacob’s motive for coming today was just to see Bell.”

“I’m sure that’s not the only reason, he’s your friend isn’t he?”

“Yeah I guess,” I said searching in the cupboard for a bag of Doritos and dip.

“The dip’s in the fridge, dear.”

“Right, thanks mum,” I said, pulling it out and heading back into the lounge room. I almost dropped the bag when I heard the bell rang. I heard a large bang come from the living room and Jacob emerged looking very disheveled. He looked at me as if daring me to question him.

I dumped the food in his hand and went to get the door.

“Hello James,” Julie greeted me.

“Hi Julie, Is.”

“Hey James,” Isabella smiled following her mother through the door.

“Mum’s in the kitchen,” I told Julie and she began making her way down hall. “Come, we’re in the lounge room.”

“We?” Isabella questioned, but I just smiled.

“Hey,” Jacob jumped up from his spot on the floor, the Doritos were already open and half the dip was gone.

“Jacob!” Isabella gasped, I was so glad she remembered his name.

“He’s falling behind on homework to,” I explained.

“Oh,” and she looked at me as if saying “so this is what you meant.”

I nodded and she dumped her bag next to my books. I decided to get right into it, or else things would get awkward. “Math’s first?”

The others nodded; it looked as if Jacob would be willing to do anything Isabella wanted. We opened our books and began working on some Algebra problems. I got stuck so many times there was hardly a moments silence.

After ten minutes of working Jacob started conversation. “So Isabella, we didn’t really get much of a chance to talk on Saturday. How did you and James meet?”

“Oh,” she seemed startled at Jacob’s forwardness, “Well I’ve know James my whole life. But when we were seven I moved away. On Friday our parents organized this dinner and we meet up again.”

“Right,” Jacob nodded then looked at me his eyes wondering why I hadn’t told him this. “So I was thinking that we should all get together sometime and see a movie. You know all six of us and maybe your friends too.”

If I could have done it without being looked at like a mental patient I would’ve slap myself on the head.

“Oh, um,” with a look of confusion on her face, “I guess so, if James agrees.” She turned to me and I nodded quickly, unsure of what would happen to me if I didn’t agree.

“Look at the time,” Jacob announced not even looking at the clock, “I’ve got to go, I’ll talk to you guys later.” He winked at Isabella and in less than a minute he had packed up his stuff and was out the door, taking the Doritos with him.

“Ummm?”

“Don’t asked?” I sighed. It really was happening this time; Jacob was chasing a girl, and not just any girl, my best friend! I had to stop this, it would never end well.