Forever is More then Just a Word

She walked out of her two-story suburbia home, slamming the front door behind her in rage. She stopped only momentarily on the front porch and looked around at all of the other homes that looked identical to her own, a scowl forming on her face until she spotted a boy sitting on a curb directly across the road from her. Her face softened as she jumped off the porch that was only three stairs high off of the ground, and quickly made her way to the end of her driveway.

She looked down at her beat-up converse and took a deep breath before she walked across the street and placed herself down on the curb on the boy's left side. "Hey Jimmy," she greeted. The both of them kept their gazes fixed on the perfect textured road.

"Hey Tori," he replied back in a solemn tone and not his usual hyper-active voice. He didn't bother raising his head, he just kept staring at the asphalt beneath his feet, his head hung low with his hair falling into his face.

"What's wrong?" Tori asked, concern laced in her voice. Jimmy had been her best-friend since she moved here four years ago. They met in their freshmen year and both succeeded in getting kicked out of school together, and then reemerging into a new and different school together right after. You could always count on them to cause hell and to make sure everyone was entertained.

"My mom told me some real shitty news," he mumbled, picking up a stray stone and began to play with it, tossing it back and forth between his large and calloused hands.

"Is everything okay with her?" the first thought that flooded Tori's mind was that something was terribly wrong with Jimmy's mother, a woman who held more significance to her then her own flesh and blood, her cold-hearted mother.

Jimmy nodded his head slowly, "she told me that she had a conversation with your mom yesterday..." He trailed off, leaving an eerie silence hanging in the air between them. When Tori didn't speak up Jimmy took it upon himself to continue with what he was saying. "She told me that your mom mentioned that you guys were moving."

Tori's whole body stiffened. That was the whole reason why she had recently stormed out of her house. Everything on the outside was perfect, every bit of grass the same, perfect length and perfect shade of green, every tree and bush trimmed to perfection, but inside was a different story. Everyone who knew Tori well knew that her family was anything but what they appeared to be. They were built around lies, deception. They were just all actors, and damn good at it too.

"Glad to know she found it necessary to tell everyone else before she told me," Tori mumbled. She slumped forward so her upper body was against her legs, the side of her face resting on her knees as she wrapped her arms around her lower legs.

Jimmy raised his head and turned to the left, raising an eyebrow as he studied his friend. A look of pure anger washed over his face, "she didn't tell you until now?"

Tori shook her head, letting out a sad sigh as she hugged herself closer, trying to mend the void that she felt overtaking her body.

"WHAT!?" Jimmy bellowed, jumping up to stand at his full height, which was over 6 feet, at least a head taller then Tori herself. She had never felt so small next to him, and it wasn't just because she was sitting. The anger fuming off of her best-friend made him seem so much larger, and intimidating.

His anger dissolved the moment he saw a small flash of fear fly past Tori's face. He didn't know if it was because of his sudden outburst, or for the news that was just thrown on her out of nowhere, but he felt incredibly terrible. He sat back down next to her in one swift movement, even with his tall and lanky figure. He had her wrapped up in his left arm and secured into his side in seconds.

"Did she tell you when?"

Tori shook her head, but when she felt Jimmy's body stiffen she raised her gaze and met Jimmy's angry eyes. Sorrow hid behind the anger which caused Tori's heart to squeeze together. "You know..." she stated. Jimmy looked away momentarily and then turned back to her and nodded slowly. "When?" she asked.

He sighed, "Friday."

It was Tori's turn to jump up in anger. "But it's Wednesday!" she screamed, not caring that she caused the attention of her nosey neighbors to now focus on her and Jimmy.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"Fuck her!" Tori yelled once again, an octave lower this time. She threw up a hand and placed it on her forehead as she began to pace back and forth in front of Jimmy. She kept shaking her head and mumbling to herself until she stopped abruptly and turned to stare at him, "I'm not going."

"What?" Jimmy raised his head and stared at her, shielding the sun from his view with his left hand.

"I said I'm not going, fuck her, I'm 18."

"What are you going to do Tori? Where are you going to go?"

"I don't know, but not with her."

"I'm going with you," Jimmy replied, and then stood up and took a step towards Tori.

"What?" a bewildered look found its way to her face.

"Wherever you go, I'm going with you. We made a promise to each other four years ago, remember? We'll always be there for each other, no matter what, no matter where. I'll be there for you forever."

Tori nodded her head, "I remember." She bit her lip and then raised her head. "Forever is more than just a word Jimmy," she met his eyes and kept his gaze.

"I know, I mean what I said." He reached out his arms and pulled her into his chest.

"You know that I'm going to keep you to that, right?" she smiled.

Jimmy nodded and smiled, and then placed his forehead against hers. He had been waiting for this day since he met her. All Jimmy had ever wanted to do was jump in a car with Tori and go wherever the road led them and finally their time had arrived.

Tori bit her lip and stood up on her tip-toes, she quickly pecked Jimmy's lips and then felt her cheeks flush a deep red as she stood back and watched his expression.

"What was that for?" Jimmy asked, as he smiled.

She shrugged her shoulders and smiled in return, "I don't know. It just felt right."

He let out a light laugh and wrapped his arms around her tightly. Tori wrapped her arms around Jimmy's torso and pulled herself closer to him. She felt Jimmy shift and pull away a little causing her to open her eyes and look up to him only to feel his lips touch hers. Her eyes fluttered close and she smiled as Jimmy pulled her close to his chest again.

When he pulled away Tori smiled, "what was that for?"

A dopey smile found its way to Jimmy's face and he shrugged, "it just felt right."

Tori gasped and pulled back hitting his chest lightly before they both found themselves laughing in sync. Jimmy seized her hand and linked their fingers together, "where do you want to go first?"

They slowly began walking towards Jimmy's house, slowly swinging their arms back and forth between them, "I don't know, as long as we're away from here and on the road, I don't care. I could do it forever as long as you're with me."

"Forever is more than just a word," Jimmy responded, but he knew that as long as Tori was with him, he could drive around the world forever too.