Dear Jason

Chapter 1

*Five months earlier*

"We made it!" Katie exclaimed. I slammed my locker shut and turned to see my best friend grinning from ear to ear.

"I know! I cannot believe this year is over!" It seemed like just yesterday I was walking into this school as a sophomore for the first time. And in just a couple more minutes I would be walking out as a practically-junior.

Without responding, Katie just grabbed my arm and we walked toward the entrance together, weaving our way through the dozens of kids signing yearbooks and giving farewell hugs.

As we passed Alyssa and her popular selfie-taking entourage, I rolled my eyes at Katie and she laughed. Leave it to the popular girls, who dressed like they were going to a dinner party rather than high school, to spend the last minutes of sophomore year taking selfies.

Katie and I walked past them hurriedly and out the front doors of Westwood High into the dazzling summer sunshine headed towards our bus. This was it. Free at last. I, Lola Green, was officially on summer vacation. My mind instantly flooded with visions of Kate and me tanning by the pool, walking through the mall, and clinking together smoothie glasses on the beach while hot guys watched from afar.

"Lola did you even hear me?" Katie's voice instantly snapped me out of my daydream.

"Sorry, what?" I asked.

"It's your turn to supply entertainment tonight. I've got the snacks covered." she responded.

She was talking about our annual end of the year sleepover, which was at her house this year. Every year, we would alternate who's house it was at and who brought what.

As we got on the bus and sat in our usual two seater in the middle, we signed yearbooks, made plans to hang out with people we'd likely not speak to again until next year, and planned the extravagant sleepover even further. Katie and I do not mess around when it comes to sleepovers.

"One, two, three!" Katie screamed, racing across the street ahead of me. I laughed and began sprinting to catch up with her. By the time I was across the street she was waiting for me at the door of Scoops, our favorite local ice cream shop.

"You're buying," she said with a smug smile on her face. "and you know my usual."

I laughed and just walked to the counter while Katie sat down in our favorite booth, the one in the far right corner next to the big window.

When I walked over with my strawberry vanilla and her mint chocolate chip sundae, she was rummaging through our bag from the CVS trip we took prior to our ice cream stop.

I placed the sundae in front of her and she forgot about the bag and took a big spoonful. Scoops has the best ice cream and Katie really could not live without it.

I took a big dip out of my sundae, looked at Katie, and said, "Best moment of the day, go."

Since Katie and I had different classes, we had to know absolutely everything about each others'.

She looked up from her sundae and scrunched her eyebrows, deep in thought. "Hmm..I don't know! You go first!"

Smiling, I told her all about science class.

"For the last couple minutes of class, Jason was hugging everyone and when he hugged me he grabbed my butt." I laughed out.

For a second, Katie didn't say anything. I instantly remembered her history with Jason and became worried I made her mad.

Last winter, I met Jason. I told Katie all about him and we referred to him as Jason from Science. It turned out Katie had him in her Spanish class and they started talking a lot and we all became pretty good friends. Then Katie and Jason dated for a little while until Jason just stopped talking to her, abruptly ending everything and crushing Katie.

We haven't talked to him since January, and even though I know she's over him, I feel like I'm the worst friend to bring him up now.

"Lucky!" she exclaims.

I look at her in confusion, then in relief she wasn't mad.

"What? How is that lucky? It's perverted and disgusting, if anything." I respond.

"Lola, he's gorgeous! Oh my god, you don't even know what I would do for Jason to grab MY butt."

I explode in laughter at her response. I know she's exaggerating and joking around, yet she still means it.

Katie joins in laughing with me before saying, "Joe giving me his number."

"What?"

She laughs again and says, "The best moment of the day? Definitely when Joe gave me his number."

"Oh my god!" I squeal. "Katie, that's awesome!"

Katie and Joe had been flirting since spring break, and even though she wouldn't admit it, I knew she liked him deep down.

She shrugs it off as though it's not a big deal. I just laugh at her again and take another big scoop of my now melting ice cream and hold my cup up while she quickly does the same.

"To the best summer yet," I propose a toast.

"To the best summer yet." she repeats with a smile as we clink our cups together.

~*~*~*

A/N: So the first chapter is done! Please let me know what you think in the comments! I have so many ideas for this story and I'm so excited to share it :)