The Best Is Yet to Come

You Me At Six. You Me At Six. You Me At Six.

Hmmm… it was interesting. The boys took to it like a duck to water but I wasn’t so sure.

“You Me At Six?” I repeated one cold December afternoon as we left the Chemistry room, finally free to talk, and to our next class. I had Art and Josh had Music.

“Yes,” he sighed in an exasperated voice. “We’re keeping it Jase, no matter what you think.”

“No, I like it,” I lied through my teeth but forced the convincing smile. He bought it. “How’d you pick up on that phrase? Why’d it strike you?”

Josh just simply shrugged and pushed the door open to walk out into the pouring rain. I paused and glared at the sky. I hated December it was way too cold and the weather was always miserable. An umbrella was on my fucking Christmas list. I clutched my art book and lifted it over my head as stepped out into the pouring rain. It amazed me how boys were unaffected by the freezing cold droplets of rain. Josh just stepped out as if there’d been no change in environment. It was raining so hard that he was drenched in minutes as we passed along the Science block.

“I’m not sure. It was just so… different. I want to try something different and I want us try something new. We’re gonna have to make some heads turn.” He slowed slightly and frowned at his own words. He bounced back within seconds. “Anyway, maybe I just have a more artistic brain than you.” He ruffled my hair under my held-aloft Art book that was shielding little of me from the rain.

I glanced pointedly at the book clutched in my hand and raised my eyebrows. He stopped to grin teasingly at me.

“Yeah sure,” I snorted, sarcasm rich in my tone.

“I’m the better sort of artistic then,” he countered and ruffled his wet hair, forcing me to smile. He blinked rain from his eyes.

“Well shift that artistic arse of yours off to music.” I braved the rain and kicked his arse accepting the cover up compliment with a grin. “I want you to pass.”

He laughed and casually strolled off to Music. Finally alone, standing in the rain and late for class I started to run towards the Art department. Trying to shield my hair from the rain I couldn’t see much in front of me. So I collided with someone larger than me in seconds. Whoever it was caught my arm before I could stagger and no doubt end up on the floor. My book slipped from my fingers and skidded across the now wet floor. I groaned loudly and looked up at the stranger so I could signal them to let go of me. I was taken off guard, it was Alex. Alex from Max’s college. Alex from the party. Alex that had taken care of me when I’d broken down in public.

He smiled his gorgeous smile at me under his large hood that was protecting him from the rain. That’s right, it was raining and I was getting very wet. I stood there like an idiot with my mouth hanging open.

“Ahh, Jasey. I was wondering how long it would be before we came across each other again,” he whispered in a husky voice. Again, I just stood there like a moron speechless. He finally let go of my arm and moved to pick up my art book. He saved it for me and handed it back.

“You’ll have to show me sometime,” he said, his eyes on the large black book. “I think I’ve seen some of your work on the walls. Very impressive.”

I finally unthawed and smiled back with a blush.

“Thanks,” I muttered and stared up into his hood, he was much taller than me. Water drenched my face, no doubt causing my make up to run, and soaked the rest of me. My hair was now dripping along with my jumper.

“You better get inside, where you heading?” Alex said as he pulled me towards the nearest building.

“Umm, Art. Why’re you here?” He went to Max’s college. We stepped inside the dry DT block.

“I gotta collect something from DT and a reference. Do you have an umbrella?”

“Nope,” I huffed and stared back out into the rain. It was then that I started to shiver, quite violently too. I hated getting wet. I ran my hands through my soaking hair trying to fix it as much as possible. It was a failure; it would be curly by the end of the day. If I hadn’t of sneezed he wouldn’t have offered.

“You should take my hoody, you’re soaked,” he said seriously as he tugged at the bottom of his large and comfy looking grey hoody.

“No!” I protested. “I couldn’t, seriously. You’d be wet then.”

“I’m a man,” he said with a laugh. “I can suck it up.”

He shrugged off his bag and lifted the hoody over his head, the friction of the action tugged up his t-shirt underneath revealing his toned stomach and low hanging loose belt. My mouth dropped open again and my heart hammered. I closed it quickly as the hoody came over his head and he handed it me. I stared at it long and hard for a moment or two. Alex looked at me with such sincerity along with such a heartbreakingly stunning smile I couldn’t say no to him. I took off my saturated jumper and pulled on his warm hoody. It was a bit big for me, but big cosy hoodies are the best, and Alex’s smelled of a very attractive aftershave.

“Thanks,” I muttered consciously and pulled my bag back on. “Hang on, wait. When am I gonna give this back to you?”

“I have no doubt I’ll see you. Or give it back to Max.” He flashed another smile at me before he stepped back out into the rain. My heart slammed against my chest and I suddenly felt very warm. I clutched the hoody around me, pulled up the hood, grabbed my Art book and headed to Art.

I felt very subconscious stepping into the half full class wearing another boy’s hoody when it came to Maths after Art. Katie shot me a questioning glance from her corner but I ignored it. Josh frowned very confused at my new acquired piece of clothing.

“That’s a boy’s hoody,” he commented.

“Yepp,” I said quickly. I knew what was coming.

“And that’s not your hoody, you weren’t wearing that this morning” he added dully.

“Well done Josh, how observant you are,” I muttered and dumped my bag on the table.

“Well who’s is it?” he asked inquisitively. I really, really didn’t want to answer after Josh’s obviously dislike to Alex, but there was no way around it.

“It’s Alex’s,” I answered honestly, keeping my voice light and casual.

He stared at my blankly for a few seconds, his forehead creased in confusion as he backtracked through his memory.

“Who the fuck is-” Then he realised. Josh’s eyes had a habit of revealing his feelings instantly; the emotion seemed to flash across his eyes. A number of different emotions crossed his face – anger and irritation dominating. He didn’t say anything as he struggled to find the right words to say. He seemed to think better of the insult and pursed his lips. He sank back down into his seat and said nothing. I yanked the hoody over my head and put it on the chair behind me.

I watched Josh carefully for the rest of the lesson. He didn’t seem up to be talking to me but I didn’t want to push him in the mood he was in. I didn’t want any arguments.

“When’re you gonna give it back?” he finally asked at the end of the lesson. I draped it over my arm, partly because Josh’s reaction made me feel uncomfortably wearing it and partly because it had stopped raining.

I just shrugged.

“I’ll give it to Max or something. Hey, I wonder if he knows Matt and Chris as well.”

Josh grimaced at the prospect and we left the Maths room when Katie joined us. Her face screamed a million questions but I ignored them, I wasn’t going to talk about this in front of Josh.

***

My eyes lingered on the half empty McDonalds cup as it rotated slowly in my two hands. Katie slurped hers noisily next to me. When she stopped abruptly, I finally looked up. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. A gang of boys passed opposite us, actually they more or less strutted past knocking each other and laughing. One side of Katie’s lips tugged up into approving smile. I shook my head and took a sip of my milkshake.

“You gonna spill or what?” she asked and tore her gaze away.

“Nothing to spill.” The hoody in my bag suddenly felt like a tone of bricks as I lied.

“Oh come on.” She knew me too well.

“Nothing really happened. He just saved my from cracking my head on the floor, saved my half ruined art book and let me borrow his hoody because I was soaking.

“He likes you,” she said in a sing song voice and bit her lip with a meaningful girly smile. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear the words or not. I hadn’t seen the boy in half a year and the last time I’d been pining badly after another boy. So it couldn’t be right could it?

“I’ll give it to Max later and he can give it back for me.”

“Oh you want to see him again.” She told me what I already knew. Katie uncrossed her legs to lean forward and look at me properly. I stared down at my milkshake again kicking my feet against the tiled wall we were sat on in the shopping centre. I didn’t deny or agree with her statement. Katie was a girl; my silence was good as confession to her.

Did I want to see him again? It’d be nice to know people outside my friendship group. Alex was a very attractive sixth former.

I sighed and rested my chin on my hand.

“Tell Max to invite him out or something, or get him to give Alex your number. Ohh! I’ll ask him now!” She pulled out her phone and was half way through the text before I knocked her hand down.

“Don’t you dare.” I wanted it. I wanted him to have my number. What the hell was I doing?

“Go for it Jase,” Katie encouraged with a gentle smile. “Boys like that don’t come around too often.”

“Katie I’ve seen him twice!”

“Then get out with him!” She rolled her eyes and pocketed her phone.

“Okay, I will.” They were the words I wanted to say. There was only one person I was worried about – Josh.

***

Unable to find an excuse to hang out with my friends and mingle with college folk at the same time, I just gave Max the hoody. He assured me he would return it but he pulled me away from the rest of the guys as we left his house. The rest of the guys, Katie absent, carried on down the street in the direction of the train station.

“What Max?” I asked as he shut the front door after putting the hoody inside. His gaze was as questioning as Katie’s had been. He just smiled at me and shook his head.

“He’s been asking after you.” Max walked down his garden path and after the guys. I quickly caught him and pulled him back slightly so we were further away and defiantly out of ear shot.

“What?” I hissed. Why had I not been informed sooner?

“Alex,” he said in a smug voice. I rolled my eyes. Well duhh…

“Yes Max and what’d he say?” I pressed on more eagerly. At that moment Josh turned around to see where the two of us had gotten to. He spun around on the spot, walked backwards to keep up with his friends before stopping them.

“Shift it!” Matt yelled at us from further down the street. My head snapped around to glower at him for interrupting the conversation. Matt’s face fell slightly. I narrowed my eyes and folded my arms as we re-joined them.

Matt snuck up behind me and gently ribbed me in my sides. I let out a surprised yell and recoiled against his body automatically so he could whisper in my ear in a gentle voice. “I’m sorry Jasey.”

I pulled away from him but didn’t let go of his hands. I couldn’t help but smile. He winked and wrapped an arm around my neck to crush me against him again jokingly as we carried on down the street. We both laughed and I ribbed him back.

“Enough with the flirting ladies,” Max called over his shoulder.

“Yeah we don’t want Jasey to look like a slag,” Josh said and I stopped dead. Matt’s arm around my neck jerked my head forward slightly until he stopped too. I dropped his arm.

“What?” I asked sharply. Josh had only just realised that everyone else had stopped too and turned to look around innocently.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked again, anger boiling through me.

“Nothing,” he shrugged. “It was a joke. You’re out with a load of boys.”

Lies. There was more meaning in his words. Wasn’t there?

“Yeah and you’re all my best mates. Half the town knows that,” I snapped. I nodded and held his hands up high.

“Alright! I’m sorry,” he said and turned back around. Matt gently tugged at my arm with a ‘just leave it’ expression. Chris shook his head as if to say ‘just ignore him’ and smile weakly. Joe shrugged with an apologetic look and turned back to carry on walking. I sighed and ground my teeth together letting the comment wash over me. I was going to enjoy the night out with my friends. Chris and Matt had become really good friends of mine. I absolutely adored them and the six of us were closer than ever.

We found entertainment in the nearest town centre one train journey away. We avoided the pubs on my personal request - I wasn’t up for any fights or to be jeered at by drunken idiots. We went to the cinema, and got kicked out. We hung around some of the closed shops, and got moved on my police. We ended up sitting in Burger King at half ten drinking the remains of milkshakes and sodas.

We had a laugh though and that all that matters when you’re young. Max had kept us entertained with frequent jokes and remarks keeping the mood high. We did typical teenage things, making the most of the quiet and lifeless night by filling it with noise and mayhem. We had to make the most of the childish things and what we had before we could go out and get legally smashed. That was going to make evenings interesting. As for now – open late fast food chains were our equivalent as clubs.

We got the train back and wandered home. I said goodbye to Matt, Chris and Joe who lived the opposite direction and was left alone with Max and Josh.

Josh hadn’t been right with me all evening and I was very thankful for Max’s energetic presence. Even in the freezing December air he managed to lighten the mood. I shivered violently beaming at him as he bounced down the street.

“Cold?” he asked after several moments. Josh and Max were in thick hoodies and wearing comfy trainers, I was wearing a cardigan and flimsy dolly shoes – bad idea on my behalf.

“No.” My teeth chattered and another shiver convulsed my body. Josh’s hoody was off before Max could offer. He held it out to me wearing a neutral expression. He shook it when I didn’t take it.

“Come on,” he insisted and looked at me meaningfully. I glanced over him - he was only wearing a thin t-shirt. Guilt spread through my veins and my face grew hot. I felt like I was radiating heat. Max looked between us awkwardly, the tension of the situation hung in the air so thickly it felt like it was closing in on me. Josh’s expression softened and I saw the goosebumps rise on his arms.

“Please,” he said in a softer voice but the ending of the word cracked as the cold hit him. I took it and pulled it over my head. It was really comfy.

“Thank you,” I whispered as we carried on down the road.

“Don’t mention it. Don’t make a collection mind.” I expected his words to be cold and bitter as the night air but they were playful and teasing.

I smiled at him and rolled my eyes. I smacked his arm with a fist balled up inside the hoody he laughed and the tension vanished.

We said our goodbyes to Max as we passed his house; he winked at me before we left. What? I shook my head and carried on with Josh.

“How long have we known each other?” Josh asked randomly as we walked out of the street. His hands were buried deep in his pockets to keep them warm and his shoulders were hunched so he wouldn’t shiver as bad.

“Ummm.” I lifted my chin out of the neck of the hoody guiltily and paused. “Since we were kids. You threw paint over me in primary in year… 4?”

He laughed which was broken by a shiver.

“At least it was pink,” he said through chattering teeth.

“It was in my hair!” I shouted with a laugh at the memory. It had taken me several washes to get my hair back to its normal colour. He shrugged in his hunched position and just smiled. Josh suddenly sucked in a sharp ragged breath and slowed down slightly, his eyes shut tight.

“Josh you’re gonna keel over and die in a moment.” I suddenly felt a wave of remorse when. I pulled him to a halt and pulled his body to mine. I wrapped my arms tightly around him moulding my body perfectly to his. Josh was exactly the right size for me, but I wasn’t focusing on that as I ran my hands up and down his bare arms. His trembles were so strong they passed through me.

“Come on,” I breathed against his neck several moments later after he’d stopped shaking so violently. Josh turned his head to press his freezing cheek against the side of my head. I didn’t recoil but it pressed further concern. I took his hand and pulled him down the street at a light jog. We reached my house in minutes. I scrambled for my keys and let us both into the welcoming warmth. I pulled off the hoody as we passed through the door and threw it at him.

“Put it on!” I ordered and ran into the kitchen to switch the kettle on. I was going to shove something hot down his throat if he liked it or not. He joined me in the kitchen his chin buried in the neckline of the hoody. I handed him a steaming mug of tea, watching him carefully as he took it with shaking numb fingers.

“Thank you for lending me the hoody,” I said as I watched him sip the tea gratefully. “Don’t ever be so stupid again.”

He glanced up at me outraged.

“You would have been freezing otherwise!”

“Yeah and? Why am I so special?” I folded my arms, keen to know the actual answer.

“Because you’re a girl!” he said exasperatedly. That was his argument?

“Yeah and?” I said again. He hesitated and looked back down at his cup of tea angrily.

“I was trying to be nice,” he said quietly, the angriness in his voice was so cute it made me smile.

“Yeah well, I don’t want to see you freeze to death.” I sat down next to him and sipped my own tea. The hot liquid ran down my throat, the warmth spread out all over my body from what felt like my heart.

“And you think I want you to either?” he looked at me sincerely. My stomach tingled and warmed – but it had nothing to do with the tea.

“Fine, next time we’ll die together,” I concluded with half a smile. The corner of his mouth tugged and my smile completed. “Thank you,” I said again and squeezed his knee as his hands were busy clutching the steaming mug.

He nodded and closed his eyes. I glanced at the clock - it was quarter past eleven.

“You’re not walking home,” I commented and tore my eyes away from the clock. I listened for sounds around the house to tell me my parents were awake, or at least me sister, but I heard nothing.

“I’ll be fine,” he muttered and finished his tea. He set it on the counter and stood up.

“No way,” I got to my feet and actually stood between him and the door. “Even I was cold wearing just that hoody and it’s too dark and you’re alone. No!”

Josh just rolled his eyes with a sigh and pushed past me with surprising strength. I followed him down my corridor outraged and tugged on his arm.

“Josh, please!”

“I’ll be fine!” he said again and turned to face me, I bumped into him. He caught me when I knocked against him in surprise. “Honestly. Look, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“At least take my hoody,” I pleaded and yanked my own hoody off the coat hanger; I threw a scarf at him too. He stared at my hoody in his hands and smiled ever so slightly. Josh looked up at me when I spoke again.

“Or you’re not leaving this house,” I said pointedly. He laughed at that. “Josh just do it please!”

He lifted his own hoody over his head, shrugged on my grey zip up one then pulled his blue one back over his head. I took a step towards him and the scarf out of his hand. I wrapped it around his neck and looked up at him. There was something in the look he gave me but I couldn’t place it.

“You’ve got to look after your voice if you’re going to be singing,” I said trying to lighten the bizarre mood between us.

“Good night.” Josh uncertainly pulled me into a tight hug before leaving my house. I was forced to shut the door because it was so cold, I couldn’t watch him walk away down the street alone and, I realised painfully, with a piece of me. I pressed my head against the door. What was happening to me? What was happening to our friendship?

I groaned and sunk to the floor. My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a text from Max with a number - of course I knew who’s number it was is. There was a message underneath it.

‘Do u wnt me 2 send him urs?’ I grimaced at the text language. I stared at the text for several long moments before sending my reply.

‘Yes.’

***

“Bloody hell,” I whispered as I glanced over the sheets of musical notes that were cluttered over the piano. The end of the room that was dedicated to music was a mess. There were piles upon piles of sheets everywhere, a number of pens were dotted around the room on the windowsill and some even on the floor. There were several guitar picks underneath the piano stool. Josh’s guitar was lying on the floor.

Josh had come to open the door for me so had been in the middle of composing. I picked up all of the neater noted piano sheets that were obviously Elissa’s.

“Busy?” I asked as I stacked the paper together. I flicked through the sheets when they were in a pile – the stuff looked impressive.

“Kinda,” he responded and frowned at a piece of paper. He crumbled it up and threw it over his shoulder in the direction of the bin. I picked up his guitar from the floor by the neck and strummed it. The sound that it produced sent a soothing shiver through me. I smiled satisfied and held it out to Josh.

“Play something for me,” I asked.

“Ha, no.” He dropped to the floor to pick up the guitar picks.

“Pweaaaaase.” I jutted out my bottom lip and fluttered my eyelashes at him. He hesitated but composed himself.

“No I haven’t got anything.”

“Urgg! Well… teach me something then.” I sat down on the stool and strummed the strings. The sound produced was horrible and lacked any normal sound used in music. He dropped the picks into his pocket and sank to his knees.

“Place your fingers here.” He lifted my left hand up the neck and positioned my fingers in place. I gently strummed again and a more pleasing sound came out. I smiled as the note filled the room. Josh laughed at my amusement.

“Budge up,” he said and I scooted over. “You’re not positioning your fingers right.”

“You put them there!”

He ignored me and wrapped and arm around my back, he closed his fingers around my own and positioned them correctly. He nose brushed my hair when he turned his head to look at my other hand. I shuddered as it tickled me. He lifted my hand gently from the guitar and strummed more softly than I had. It sounded so much better when he played. I watched his hand still smiling.

“Do that rhythm,” he ordered quietly and we switched hand positioned. I pressed my fingers gently up and down the strings mimicking him. Josh’s nose brushed my hair again and his breath tingled my neck as he passed. Josh leaned forward and his hand pressed against the strings at the top, he moved it up and down forming different notes. A beautiful harmony soon vibrated off the guitar. I smiled again and my headed gently nodded to the rhythm.

We were sat so close together Josh jumped when my phone vibrated against him and the music stopped. I untangled myself from him and the guitar to get up. I pulled out my phone and read the text.

It was Alex.

‘Thanks for returning my hoody. Can I see you tonight? x’

My heart leapt into my mouth and I pocketed the phone straight away. I wasn’t going to do this in front of Josh.

“Who is it?” he asked as he put the guitar back in its usual place.

“My mum,” I lied. He accepted it and turned back to face me.

That’s when Max rang Josh; we’d been invited to another get together but at Matt’s house this time. My heart thudded as I realised who would have been invited.

It took me three hours to get ready, Katie came over around three and we spent the time adding layers of make up, curling and straightening hair and trying to decide what to wear. I littered my bed with clothes that I’d tried on until I settled for a simple blue dress that wasn’t too dressy and wasn’t too casual. I snatched up my black cardigan and bag and we left for Matt’s in my mum’s car.

“Oh my God,” Katie whispered in my ear as we put our coats away. “He’s here and he’s brought a load of college guys with him. Yay.”

I rolled at her typical feminine attitude towards guys.

“Katie, keep your cool,” I added with a laugh and straightened up. I ran my hands over my outfit and took a deep breath. I was walking into the lions den unsure of what I actually wanted. Josh was in the living room, Alex in the kitchen. But where should I go?