Priceless

~~~

Later that day Erin and I lied on my bed, having a series-marathon of F.R.I.E.N.D.S, a show that aired until 2004. It was one of our favourites, aside from How I Met Your Mother. We were in Season 7 when there was suddenly a knock on my door. Simultaneously, the door opened and in came my mom.

“Hey mom,” I said, sitting up. Erin paused the DVD.

“Hi Ms. Campbell,” Erin greeted, and Mom smiled at her.

“Hi, Erin. You girls are having another sleepover, huh?” We just nodded. “Alright, have fun. But Bailey, sweetheart, can I talk to you outside for a second?”

“Sure, Mom.” I got up from my bed and followed her outside, and we stood right outside my room beside the closed door, facing each other. “So what’s up?” I asked her, shoving my hands into my jeans’ pockets.

“Do you remember the Framptons?” she asked. I thought for a while, and then nodded. Their family was a friend of ours—Melissa Frampton was the lady of the household, and she was one of Mom’s favourite fashion-friend. “Well, I’m going to start a business with them next month, and they’ll be here next weekend to talk to me about it.”

“Okay, that’s nice,” I said, nodding.

“They’re bringing Logan along—remember him? Their son? He’s coming with them and I want you to tour him in the city while he’s here,” she said.

I was surprised for a second. Logan was their only son, and he and I were childhood friends. Of course Erin also knew him, but they weren’t exactly close. “Logan? Of course! Sure, I’ll hang out with him,” I said excitedly.

“Alright,” she said with a hint of a smile. “Well, goodnight sweetheart.”

And then Mom did something she hadn’t done to me in a long time: she bent down, kissed me on the forehead, and then walked away, leaving me there surprised and hopeful.

Maybe she and I would have a better relationship soon.

~~~

The week came fast and next thing I knew, it was Saturday. Mom was meeting The Framptons in a bit and leaving me to hang out with Logan—that, and the boys were flying home, finally. I’d already told Mom that I’d be spending the night at Erin’s, because her parents were going on a little trip. But it was actually Erin and I who were going on a little trip—we were spending the night with the boys at Jess’.

I got myself ready, and after that just sat on my bed waiting for Mom to come up and tell me they were here. I started imagining what Logan looked like now—last time we had seen each other was...well, I was only 10 then, and it had been one year since we last talked on the phone. He had moved out of his parents’ house then to soul-search.

He was a really good friend, although kind of immature and impish. But I figured he had changed now, after his soul-search in a different continent.

A few minutes later, someone knocked on my door. I already knew it was Mom, so I got up and opened it. But to my surprise it was a boy with brown hair, hazel eyes, and a sinister smile. He was tall and fair-skinned, and he had one hand shoved into the pocket of his jeans.

“Bailey Elizabeth,” he greeted, grinning at me widely, “you look very, very stunning today. Shall we go?”

For a second I raised my eyebrows, then realization came upon me. “Logan?” I exclaimed. “Wow, you look different!” I exclaimed and welcomed him with a hug.

“Figured you would say that. It’s been 8 years after all,” he said with a shrug. “So, let’s go?”

“Yeah! We have a lot of catching up to do,” I said as I got out of my room, then we walked downstairs and all the way out of the house.

“You bet!” He then motioned for me to get into the car which I assumed was his dad’s, “And oh, I’m driving. I don’t trust your driving skills. If there are any.”

I rolled my eyes as he snickered a bit. Then I got in and strapped up. Soon, he got in, too, and started driving. “So, what’s up with you? How did that European-tour work out for you?”

“Went well, actually. Spain is now my favourite country in the whole world. Seriously.” He then proceeded to tell me about his amazing experience, and I listened for the next minutes, utterly envious, wishing I could do it as well someday.

After about thirty minutes, we stopped at a coffee shop and got off the car, and he then asked me something that caught me off guard.

“How ‘bout you, Bails? How’re you? You got a boyfriend now?”

I thought of Stephen. I thought of how his eyes twinkled every time he was with me. I thought of how he made me feel every time we were together. I truly loved him but for some reason, this was what I told Logan:

“No,” I said. “I don’t have one.”