I know you did it

“You ready?” My best friend Bobby asked as we stood outside the school.

“I have to be.” I whispered.

“No you don’t Josie. You don’t have to go to school so soon. Your teachers will understand.” Stacey said.

I shook my head. “I have to go back sooner or later. Let’s go.”

Bobby and Stacey each took one of my hands and we walked into the school together.

I kept my head down afraid to make eye contact with anyone. My hair stayed in my face so no one could see me.

We made it to my locker with no one saying anything to me. Good. Maybe things will just go back to normal. I can come to school in peace and no one needs to interact with me. Well I was wrong about that.

“Josie?” I deep voice came beside me.

I turned only to see Liam standing there.

“What?” I said a little harsh. Liam and I don’t stand on good terms. Not since a few months ago when he tried to get in my pants all for a silly dare.

“I’m really sorry…about your mom.”

Well that’s the first one for millions to come today. Might as well get used to it.

“Uh huh. Thanks.” I said monotone.

Liam was stuck. He didn’t know what else to say. After all he hasn’t talked to me since the night he admitted to me the dare…

“Wait, wait…” I said between our lips. “What did you say?” I asked trying to pull away.

Liam wouldn’t stop kissing me so I got up off the grass in the park and sat up. He understood now and sat up.

“Explain what you just said.” I said.

Liam brushed hair out of my face and smiled. “It was just a stupid dare.” He explained.

“What? Were you going to get money if you slept with me or something?” I said harsher.

“Well…yeah, but it doesn’t matter anymore! I promise.”

“What? Are you going to tell me you have suddenly fallen for me like in those stupid movies? Please. Spare me.” I said getting up.

“Wait Josie.” Liam said getting up following me.

“Liam, go back to your friends. Tell them anything you want. Get some money I don’t really give a shit about you anymore.” I said storming off leaving him in the park.

“Well, you know I’m here if you need anything.” Liam said then walked back to his locker where his buddies were.

I sighed and Bobby rubbed my arm. “Everything’s going to be okay.” He said soothing me.

I nodded. “Alright, let’s go.”

My morning classes weren’t so bad. Only one teacher took me out in the hall to tell me how she knows how it feels and if I needed someone to talk to blah, blah, blah.

I was on my way to lunch when I noticed Drake leaning up against the wall. I went to his side then I heard him sniffling. He was…crying.

“Drake?” I whispered.

He looked up and saw me. “I’m sorry. This is the last thing you need to see.” he said using his sleeve to wipe his eyes.

“Drake, no. It’s okay. You’re allowed to cry.”

“It’s just so weird. I never imagined me getting so close to Rose. I truly thought of her as my mom.”

I understood why he thought that. His mom was never around for him. She left him when he and Landon were only a few months old. Of course Landon never confessed how he felt about his mom towards me. But Drake did. That was the night we made our truce…

I was walking to my room when Drakes annoying friend, Josh, grabbed my butt.

“Hey babe, wanna have my kids?” Josh said pushing me up against the wall.

I heard Drake snicker and come out of his room.

“Alright cool it Josh, virgins don’t like it when you talk about sex around them.” Drake said smirking at me.

“Ugh! Why must you be so immature!?” I yelled at Drake while slamming my door.

I had my head on in my pillow when I heard the door creek open.

“Get out.” I muffled in my pillow.

They didn’t say anything.

“I’m sorry.” Drake said.

I turned to see him standing over me.

“For what? Being a total jackass all the time. Well you’re not forgiven.” I said turned on my back looking at the ceiling.

“Please forgive me!?” Drake begged jumping on top of me.

“Get off!” I yelled while he grabbed my hands.

“Not until you forgive me.”

“I’m not forgiving you. now get off of me!”

Then he started tickling me. I couldn’t move from his hold.

“Alright! Alright! I forgive you!” I said tears coming down my face from laughing so hard.

“Now,” he came closer to where his nose was touch mine. “Was that so hard?”

I nodded and he smirked.

He tilted his head and leaned in more.

“Drake…” I cautioned. “What are you doing?”

“Waving my white flag.” He said then kissed me.
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“She thought of you as her son.” I said leaning on Drakes shoulder once we figured out our truce.

“I don’t understand why this happened to her. It’s not fair.” Drake said clutching his fists.

“Hey, you wanna go? Let’s get out of here.”

“Where should we go?”

“Let’s go to Dairy Queen.” I suggested.

That made him laugh. “You and your ice cream.” He said.

“Hey now, no dissing my ice cream. Ice cream makes everything better.” I got up and held out my hand. “Come on.”

We took my car and pulled into the parking lot. Once we got our ice cream we sat in one of the booths.

I took a bite of my mint-chocolate chip ice cream and sighed in delight.

“This just doesn’t seem right.” Drake suddenly said down his cup of ice cream.

“What? Does it not taste good?”

“No, I mean, Rose shouldn’t have died.”

“I know.” I whispered. “But it was an accident.”

“But what if it wasn’t. Tell me the story again. Every detail.”

“What? Are you going all Snapped on me?”

“Please.”

“Alright, well we were driving to the mall. She wanted me to turn the radio off because her head was hurting. Then she asked for her water. But she didn’t have any water. She kept rubbing her eyes. I just thought she was tired. She asked me to get her medicine, which I didn’t even notice she was taking any. But it was too late…she swerved into the other lane and…” I couldn’t finish.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to go on.”

“Do you really think her death was…planned?”

“I don’t know. I just think it’s ironic. Even you said how you didn’t know she was taking medicine.”

“You know, when we were waiting for an ambulance and she was trapped in her seat. I held her hand and she told me something.”

“Really? You never told me this.”

“Well, I never really thought of it. but now you got me curious.” I sat my finished ice cream down before I spoke. “She said, ‘it was him.’ Then she told me she loved me.”

We both stared at each other. I tried to find something in Drakes magnetic green eyes trying to figure out what he was thinking.

“I don’t think this was an accident.” He finally said.