Look Me in the Eyes, and Promise Me Friendship
JOE?
Aubrey looked through the tree house window towards Joe’s window. She knew he wouldn’t be home, but she always liked to check in case there was a miracle and he would be. To her surprise, a light was on in his bedroom. It turns out it was just his mother putting some clothes in his room, but then coincidentally her phone rang. She slowly pulled it out of her book bag and it took her a little while to be able to answer it.
“Hello,” she said slowly into the receiver. She waited a second and no one answered back. It was Joe’s number.
“Joe. Are you okay?” she panicked. She was a nervous wreck. She didn’t know what was going on and she didn’t know if Joe was hurt. It could have been possible that his phone called her on accident.
“Joe!” she screamed, now crying. A deep breathing was heard from the other line now, and she recognized the breathing as Joe’s. Suddenly she heard one of the Tree house steps creak and she automatically became frightened. It was the third step; it had always been like that.
“Joe, if you are playing a game with me right now; I quit and I officially hate you,” he was really scaring her. She didn’t know what to do; whether to hang up on Joe, or to see who’s coming up the steps. She couldn’t do anything at the moment because rapidly she became numb and frozen to where she was sitting. She heard someone sniff on the other line, almost like they were crying, and as she heard it familiar dark hair popped up. She cried even harder. This time, she wasn’t crying because she was scared, it was because everything was okay. She was fine and the person that was now in her tree house was simply her best friend.
“I hate you,” she stated, not really meaning it. At first Joe almost believed it, but after a second he pulled his best friend into a large meaningful hug. She squeezed him as hard as she could, so hard that he almost had to pull away, but he didn’t. He missed her, and it felt right to have her in his arms. She felt the same way and she didn’t want to let go.
They didn’t speak; it was completely silent. Only the blue jays and mockingbirds could be heard playing their loud, but soothing music from their nests. They continued to just hold one another as long as the moment could last.
Too many things were going on at once for them to even think straight. He was a wreck.
“What are you doing here?” Aubrey cried out to him. “How are you here?” he was supposed to be on tour, he couldn't back out now. He has worked too hard to get this far. He didn't answer. All he did was cry. He cried for Raelynn. He cried for Aubrey. And he cried for himself. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say. The only thing that felt right was to be there with Aubrey. She pulled him down with her and just sat with him against the wall. She had already stopped crying because she had to be strong for Joe. He was a mess. She kissed his cheek, and pulled his long hair out of his eyes. She tucked it behind his ear, and whispered to him.
“Everything is going to be okay,” she pressed her forehead against his and wiped the water away from his eyes.
He slowly laid down onto the unrolled sleeping bags, and pulled Aubrey down with him.
She kissed his other cheek, and then his forehead. She looked at his tear stricken face, and she was devastated. She hated that he was in the condition that he was in. She didn't like seeing him this way. She rubbed his back in a soothing way. He opened his eyes and looked into hers. His eyes were red and glossy, but sincere. They were screaming. They were screaming, “Thank you!”, and “I love you!” but Aubrey didn't see it. She saw her best friend in the whole world. A friend that was torn apart. Someone who she trusted, and loved with all of her heart. She didn't see it because she wanted to hear it. She was oblivious otherwise.
He stopped crying. “I missed you Aubrey,” were his first words. “I missed you like crazy,” Joe leaned closer to Aubrey and kissed near the corner of her lip, and the same place on the other side of her face. “Did you miss me?” he whispered, breathing heavily. Her heart was racing. His was running a marathon.
“You better believe it,” she whispered barely audible. She studied the features of his face as they became closer and closer. Slowly, their foreheads came together... She closed her eyes. And then their noses.. She was screaming inside. And then...
His phone started to ring. It broke the moment, and they both sighed. It just HAD to ring NOW.
It was now pitch black outside. 9:30 PM. It was Mrs. Jonas who called. He regretfully answered the phone, absolutely completely ruining the rest of the moment that was there.
“Hi mom? I'm next door... Ill be home in a little while,” he was still a little sniffly. He hung up.
He pulled away from Aubrey and sat up against the wall. His he pulled his knees up to his chest and he ran his fingers throughout his long messy hair. Aubrey sat up next to him and he then grabbed her hand. He linked his fingers with hers, and casually kissed the top of her hand.
Things were quiet for a while. Things were different. Things will BE different from that moment on.
“I should have listened to you Ree,” he admitted, “I should have realized that there was a reasonable explanation of why you didn't like her,” his words were soft spoken. “You saw what she was like when I was away,” Aubrey just listened. “And then the accident happens. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to say... think. Anything,” he paused for a while.
“And then there was you. We were going nuts not being able to see you. I was so worried about you every single day I was away.. I didn't know if you were okay.. if your dad was beating you or not. If you were even alive. If something happened, I wouldn't know,” he started to talk faster and faster.
Notice how he said 'we' were going nuts. 'He' was going nuts. The guys missed her, but not as much as Joe did.
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“Joe, you and Raelynn are like, complete opposites. She doesn't treat you right. You can do way better then her,” Kevin said, getting ready for the first show of their new tour.
“We have been dating for a couple of months now, and you are just NOW telling me this?” Joe asked, as he put the finishing touches on his hair.
“I think you and Aubrey would be PERRRFECTTT...” he cooed at Joe, really believing so. Joe defended the situation.
“We are best friends. We have been friends for a long time, and I don't want to ruin that,” What he really wanted to say was, I know. Nick walked into the room and joined in on the conversation.
“Joe, we ALL know that you like her. You have since you were little. She's amazing. If I were older, you know I would ask her out,”
“I do miss her though,” he collapsed down onto the couch, and held his head in his hands.
“Hello,” she said slowly into the receiver. She waited a second and no one answered back. It was Joe’s number.
“Joe. Are you okay?” she panicked. She was a nervous wreck. She didn’t know what was going on and she didn’t know if Joe was hurt. It could have been possible that his phone called her on accident.
“Joe!” she screamed, now crying. A deep breathing was heard from the other line now, and she recognized the breathing as Joe’s. Suddenly she heard one of the Tree house steps creak and she automatically became frightened. It was the third step; it had always been like that.
“Joe, if you are playing a game with me right now; I quit and I officially hate you,” he was really scaring her. She didn’t know what to do; whether to hang up on Joe, or to see who’s coming up the steps. She couldn’t do anything at the moment because rapidly she became numb and frozen to where she was sitting. She heard someone sniff on the other line, almost like they were crying, and as she heard it familiar dark hair popped up. She cried even harder. This time, she wasn’t crying because she was scared, it was because everything was okay. She was fine and the person that was now in her tree house was simply her best friend.
“I hate you,” she stated, not really meaning it. At first Joe almost believed it, but after a second he pulled his best friend into a large meaningful hug. She squeezed him as hard as she could, so hard that he almost had to pull away, but he didn’t. He missed her, and it felt right to have her in his arms. She felt the same way and she didn’t want to let go.
They didn’t speak; it was completely silent. Only the blue jays and mockingbirds could be heard playing their loud, but soothing music from their nests. They continued to just hold one another as long as the moment could last.
Too many things were going on at once for them to even think straight. He was a wreck.
“What are you doing here?” Aubrey cried out to him. “How are you here?” he was supposed to be on tour, he couldn't back out now. He has worked too hard to get this far. He didn't answer. All he did was cry. He cried for Raelynn. He cried for Aubrey. And he cried for himself. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say. The only thing that felt right was to be there with Aubrey. She pulled him down with her and just sat with him against the wall. She had already stopped crying because she had to be strong for Joe. He was a mess. She kissed his cheek, and pulled his long hair out of his eyes. She tucked it behind his ear, and whispered to him.
“Everything is going to be okay,” she pressed her forehead against his and wiped the water away from his eyes.
He slowly laid down onto the unrolled sleeping bags, and pulled Aubrey down with him.
She kissed his other cheek, and then his forehead. She looked at his tear stricken face, and she was devastated. She hated that he was in the condition that he was in. She didn't like seeing him this way. She rubbed his back in a soothing way. He opened his eyes and looked into hers. His eyes were red and glossy, but sincere. They were screaming. They were screaming, “Thank you!”, and “I love you!” but Aubrey didn't see it. She saw her best friend in the whole world. A friend that was torn apart. Someone who she trusted, and loved with all of her heart. She didn't see it because she wanted to hear it. She was oblivious otherwise.
He stopped crying. “I missed you Aubrey,” were his first words. “I missed you like crazy,” Joe leaned closer to Aubrey and kissed near the corner of her lip, and the same place on the other side of her face. “Did you miss me?” he whispered, breathing heavily. Her heart was racing. His was running a marathon.
“You better believe it,” she whispered barely audible. She studied the features of his face as they became closer and closer. Slowly, their foreheads came together... She closed her eyes. And then their noses.. She was screaming inside. And then...
His phone started to ring. It broke the moment, and they both sighed. It just HAD to ring NOW.
It was now pitch black outside. 9:30 PM. It was Mrs. Jonas who called. He regretfully answered the phone, absolutely completely ruining the rest of the moment that was there.
“Hi mom? I'm next door... Ill be home in a little while,” he was still a little sniffly. He hung up.
He pulled away from Aubrey and sat up against the wall. His he pulled his knees up to his chest and he ran his fingers throughout his long messy hair. Aubrey sat up next to him and he then grabbed her hand. He linked his fingers with hers, and casually kissed the top of her hand.
Things were quiet for a while. Things were different. Things will BE different from that moment on.
“I should have listened to you Ree,” he admitted, “I should have realized that there was a reasonable explanation of why you didn't like her,” his words were soft spoken. “You saw what she was like when I was away,” Aubrey just listened. “And then the accident happens. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to say... think. Anything,” he paused for a while.
“And then there was you. We were going nuts not being able to see you. I was so worried about you every single day I was away.. I didn't know if you were okay.. if your dad was beating you or not. If you were even alive. If something happened, I wouldn't know,” he started to talk faster and faster.
Notice how he said 'we' were going nuts. 'He' was going nuts. The guys missed her, but not as much as Joe did.
===================<|><|><|><|><|><|><|><|><|>========
“Joe, you and Raelynn are like, complete opposites. She doesn't treat you right. You can do way better then her,” Kevin said, getting ready for the first show of their new tour.
“We have been dating for a couple of months now, and you are just NOW telling me this?” Joe asked, as he put the finishing touches on his hair.
“I think you and Aubrey would be PERRRFECTTT...” he cooed at Joe, really believing so. Joe defended the situation.
“We are best friends. We have been friends for a long time, and I don't want to ruin that,” What he really wanted to say was, I know. Nick walked into the room and joined in on the conversation.
“Joe, we ALL know that you like her. You have since you were little. She's amazing. If I were older, you know I would ask her out,”
“I do miss her though,” he collapsed down onto the couch, and held his head in his hands.
♠ ♠ ♠
Here's another chapter! =]