Expectations

Chapter 35

Where is it? I think, eyes darting around the room.

For the past fifteen minutes I've been looking for my phone charger. I'm expecting a call from my mother any minute and my phone is completely dead.

Today, we're in Ohio and my mother insisted on seeing me, but in reality, I know she only wants to visit me so Katrina, her new fourteen year old step daughter, can see Alex. She's a big fan of his, and I know she made my mother call me so she can meet him.

Being the people pleaser I am, I agreed to let them come to the show tonight and meet Alex, with his permission of course. As much as I don't want that snobby brat to get her way, I want to show my mother that I'm successful without following in her footsteps and I'm happy with the job I have. I feel like I have to impress her, and hopefully she'll finally see that what I'm doing is a real job and I can make a living doing what I love.

Ready to pull my hair out, I try the one place I haven't looked yet, Alex's suitcase. Maybe I accidentally packed up my charger with all of his.

Unzipping the front pocket of his suitcase where I keep all of his chargers, I pull them out one by one, not finding mine. With a huff, I stubbornly reach back in the pocket, hoping somehow my charger will magically appear. While I don't find my charger, I feel a small piece of metal tucked away in the corner.

Grabbing the small object, I pull it out to see that it's the blue paper clip he stole from me the night we snuck out for ice cream, the one I threw at his window.

Why does he still have this? Is he keeping it or did he just so happen to accidentally throw it in here?

My heart warms at the thought of him intentionally keeping something so insignificant, and I realize I miss him. Even though we're not far apart, I miss hanging out with him all the time. But I know if I were to keep getting attached I'd only end up getting hurt more.

"Joslyn," Alex's voice calls from down the hall, footsteps getting closer. I quickly throw the paperclip and chargers back in his suitcase, standing up when he enters the room. "Missing something?" He smiles, my charger dangling from his fingers.

"You're a life saver!" I exclaim, taking the charger and running to the nearest outlet to plug my phone in. "Where did you find it?"

"It was laying on the floor near the back entrance. It must have fallen out of your bag." He shrugs. "Has your mom called yet?" he asks as my phone turns on.

I see that I have no missed calls and let out a sigh of relief. "Not yet."

Right as the words leave my mouth, the sound of my ringtone fills the air. I glance down to see my mother calling, my heartrate suddenly accelerating. Why am I so nervous?

"Are you going to answer that?" Alex asks as I stare at my phone.

"Yeah." I take in a deep breath and exhale. "Hello?" I finally answer the phone.