Hello, Again

Chapter 6

She felt her heart deflate like a balloon and rest at her feet. There it was - yet another motive for a boy to show any interest in her. It was like Wes all over again, only this time it hurt so much more because she'd thought he was different, and he'd been so kind and never teased her about being drunk at Beth's graduation party (and a couple times after) and he even liked Harry Potter and this was just disastrous -

"Amy?"

"Yeah, sure", she replied automatically, seething silently and wishing she'd had the heart to say No, viciously and with attitude, just to see that stupid smile slide of his face and -

"Amy's coming over to my place to study French this weekend."

Amelia turned to gape at Beth who'd vacated her cushion next to the coffee table and now stood, arms crossed against her chest, next to her and facing Jeremy, whose smile faltered.

"Just a couple hours will be alright", he said uncertainly, as Beth's mouth pressed in a fine line, and Amelia said resignedly, "Yeah, come over this Saturday."

Beth turned to look at her incredulously.

"It won't be a problem, you can revise the verbs without me", Amelia said, shrugging, bending down to pick up her bag off the floor, and turned to face him, "But be there on time, we've a tight schedule fixed up and God only knows how we'll pass French this time."

"Brill!" he said enthusiastically.

"And only two hours, she added firmly. And no forgetting textbooks or stationary", she let a small smile slip.

"Yes, ma'am", he replied courteously, a smile mirrored on his face. "Will five be okay? Your place? I'll walk you to Beth's house after."

"It's just three houses away", she deadpanned

His smile faltered, even as Beth nudged her inconspicuously in the ribs, "You should still drop by, Jeremy - I'll see you at seven then. Friday, and don't forget to bring back my CDs."

Jeremy nodded, his smile fractured, and turned to leave. Amelia began to follow him out when Beth gripped her by the wrist and hissed "Play nice!", but before Amelia could respond, she turned her back and retreated towards the coffee table, picking up her own books.

Bemused, Amelia shook off the warning and walked out of Beth's house.

Jeremy waited outside by the fence, his hands stuffed in his pockets and his face downcast, and as she drew closer he looked up.

"You don't have to do it - if it's too much of a pain."

"What are you - of, no, it's not much of a bother. I'm not really busy."

"You said you had a tight schedule."

"Well, me and Beth do, for the weekend - but I'm okay with Friday, really."

"Are you sure", he said, frowning.

"Yep, Friday's all yours". She said, attempting to give him a friendly smile, "Well, the evening at least. Besides, I haven't practiced matrices in weeks, will be good for me too, yeah?"

He smiled back tightly, and jerked his head back to Beth's house, "So you and Beth are really close, huh?"

"Best friends since we started Nursery."

"Woah, that's a long time!"

"But we made it", she raised her fist in the air in mock celebration. Despite his clear intentions, Amelia felt the familiar sensation creep back through her toes and up her spine, a heady mix of exhilaration and excitement and wonderment at this remarkable boy who stood before her, and the boy in question ruffled his hair, his fractured smile quite mended by now, and proceeded to ask a very important question.