Bryce Loski's POV:
"Almost there!" My father smiled cheerily, whistling a tune as he drove. "So son, how does it feel to be back in your hometown."
I shrugged carelessly. I had bigger things to think about than small talk with my dad.
He stiffened slightly, obviously disappointed with my answer.
He looked through the rear view mirror and let himself smile again.
"Shelly, I hope our humble abode is to your taste. We're all ecstatic for your arrival." He said.
Of course, we knew our 'abode' wasn't humble, but Shelly's big mansion was certainly more luxurious than our family home.
I wouldn't be suprised if my family were more excited to see Shelly than to see me. My father and I's big disagreement in early winter had subsided but the tension between us seemed to linger. I hoped at least my mother would be pleased to see him.
"I'm sure I'll love it Mr Loski." She gleamed back.
My father nodded, tapping his finger on his steering wheel.
"It's ashame your parents couldn't be here to see your arrival from college, although your father's work seems very time-consuming."
I looked into the rear-view mirror now, looking at Shelly. Her eyes had widened ever so slightly into a panicked stare. She cleared her throat and said dismissively. "Yeah he's on a business trip currently. Out of country. Won't see him for a while I suppose."
My dad didn't pick up on the slight edge to her voice. "Ah, I see. So what is it your father does?"
She swallowed nervously, and I looked around for something to steer the conversation to.
"Oh look, we're nearly there!" I exclaimed. Truthfully enough, my house was now in sight.
The plan had worked and Shelly and my father conversed, and I blotted them out of my mind, ignoring their conversation.
Instead I turned my head to see not my house, but the house opposite.
Juli Baker's.
I was devastated when her letters to me stopped abruptly, and my family informed me she wasn't interested anymore and stopped bothering to read the letters I wrote for her.
Even so, I persisted, not failing to write a letter weekly to Juli, even when it it came to a certain point that I knew she wouldn't have been reading any of them.
I envisioned her now, probably shut up in her room, maybe writing letters to somebody new. Or maybe she's out, hanging with a new crowd.
I looked down and I'd unknowingly formed a tight fist in anger.
I was being ridiculous.
Did I really expect her to keep interest when I was miles and miles away? I didn't blame her.
Suddenly I was sat in the car parked in my driveway. I was truly home. I got out and immediately hugged my mother but then turned round to continue my gaze at Juli's house.
But then I saw her. There she was. Sitting under the sycamore tree, staring at me. We were staring at each other.
She'd changed so much, yet, not at all. She was still my Juli, through and through.
She was clutching an open book, but her focus was not on it. She was leaning on the sycamore trunk, her hair messily pinned back, with flyaways tumbling out effortlessly. The freckles scattered over her face were doubly prominent from being under the sun. Her shirt and skirt seemed mature and grown-up, especially in comparison to what blocked my sight next.
Shelly got out of the car, obscuring my view.
"Whatever are you looking at Bryce?" And she turned to see her.
She looked back at me and scoffed. "No way. Is that Juli Baker? She's your neighbour?"
I didn't answer, hardly paying attention to her, so I didn't have time to process what she'd said in the moment.
But then my father must've caught me staring at her and marched me inside. Probably for good. I doubt she wanted to see me anyway.
Once inside, Shelly came to my side again. I anticipated this was going to be a regular occurrence.
"Fancy having Juli as your neighbour." She said loftily. "I remember the times where she'd cling to your side, God you were always too kind to pretend to be her friend."
She raised her hand to brush away the curls dangling on my face and I pushed it, slightly more forcefully then I'd intended.
"For Christ's sakes shut up Shelly." I said aggressively.
She gasped, shocked and dumbfounded. At that moment my parents came in with our luggage and I took that opportunity to take it off my dads hands and slip away to my bedroom.
There I flung myself onto my bed and looked around. It was just as I'd left it. My boyish attitude showing in the decor.
I thrust my suitcase open and started to tidy away my belongings. When it came to the small things such as stationary I brung them to my desk and sat down, pulling open the first drawer.
Staring back at me was the face of Juli Baker. 8th Grade Juli Baker to be specific, printed in black and white sitting on a tree branch.
I felt a pang of guilt remembering her protest, and how I ignorantly refused to take part in it. But now that I think about it, maybe it was for good.
Juli had lost, what she later described to me, her dearest friend. But without out that I would have never planted that sycamore tree in her garden, establishing a friendship from then on.
But where had that led me now? That friendship we formed also formed a kind of homesick inside me for Juli Baker. One which was obviously, and painfully unreciprocated.
I bit my lip anxiously, pulling out the newspaper to hold it in my hands, my eyes stinging with- tears?
God, I was such a loser, such a coward. Crying over a friendship that had been just that. A friendship, nothing more, and sometimes, less.
"Bryce there you are!" Shelly said, flinging the door open.
I blinked, staring at her.
"What do you want Shelly?"
She winced, making me feel guilty. "I'm sorry I was just- If i said something wrong back there I'm sorry."
I stood up, pitying her. "It's okay Shelly. I'm sorry, just have a lot on my mind, that's all"
For some reason Shelly took this as an opening to come closer and wrap me in a hug. I didn't budge, honestly enjoying the affection.
When I found Shelly was attending the same college as me I was more than displeased, but when I stopped hearing from Juli, it must have been anger that brung me to return her small talk, until eventually we were somewhat of friends.
Although I had some inkling that she wanted to be more than that, never saying but always acting as if we were a couple. Although I started being friendly with her to get back at Juli, it turns out Shelly's not so bad a companion.
Now she turned to look at my room, her arm still around my waist.
"So where am I sleeping? On the floor? I'm not sure I'll fit on your small bed with you."She asked.
Before I could protest, my mother appeared in the doorway, clutching sheets and pillows, thankfully, she came to my defence.
"I would think not. That's much inappropriate, Shelly you'll be sleeping in Ly- in the spare room." She put on a smile.
My father had tried to tell me that Lynetta had committed a terrible sin and they had no choice but to kick her out. The nature of this so called 'sin', they wouldn't tell me, mother not even baring to mention the subject herself at all.
At first I asked if maybe she'd fallen pregnant, to that, my father scoffed replying 'don't think she could've if she wanted to'. My first thought was drug use, but I didn't persist any further. The conversation seemed to hurt my mother a lot.
My parents seemed truly ashamed of her, but I don't think there was anything she could have done to deserve to be disowned. Of course she always had gotten on my nerves, but she was my sister after all, and I wished I had some way to speak to her.
Then I remembered, Juli's brothers' Matt and Mark. I wondered if they still lived there or if they might've moved out by now. But to have a chance of finding out where my sister was, it was worth a shot.
I decided then and there. I'd go, first thing tomorrow.