It was wonderful having Kelly near, even if it was for a while it still felt fantastic.
“So are you going to tell me what I missed or not! “ Kelly whined as we rode to school in my battered car, I couldn't give her the opportunity of riding in style but at least I could save her from spending an early morning bus fare, but I had wished I had taken that back when I still had the chance considering the fact that the car broke down few seconds later, with a purring sound and a gush of black smoke.
“At least one thing clear” Kelly smirked.
“And what's that?” I raised a brow.
“Battered car... Remained battered car” we got down from the car trying to figure out what to do next.
“But seriously when are you going to get rid of this junk?”
“The day I find a new junk to replace it” I faked a charming smile and placed my hand on the bumper of the car. “Now help me push”
Kelly let out a mocking laughter, for a moment she thought I was joking but it didn't take her long to realize I wasn't.
“You can't be kidding me” she frowned.
“Well am not”
“There's no way I'm doing that, it's not my fault the car lost its manners” she whined, stumping her foot childishly on the ground.
“And it won't be the only one losing manners if you don't push” I threatened, and I was sure Kelly got the picture clear, it was obvious she didn't want her hair any shorter than it already was cause few minutes later she was already even pushing more than I.
“Seriously you're going to pay me for this” she groaned. “If I had known this was what was awaiting me I would have just remained far away like I had been”
“Yeah yeah” I mocked. I missed her yes, but I had almost forgotten this side of Kelly — the annoying girly side, anyone who saw us both would think that Kelly was the responsible and matured one but it was quite the opposite.
“This wasn't how I planned my return to school... Pushing a burned cake.” Kelly whined.
“... Neither did I”.
***
“You really should get rid of that monster truck” Naomi smirked at her and Ashley passed us by with their pink pimply ride and parked in the school's parking lot. Undergoing hours of agony we finally got the cake parked too.
“Never... Never in my life am I doing that again” Kelly warned and fell exhausted on the ground. That made two of us.
I sighed and broke down beside her.
“Water ladies?” two bottle of water appeared in front of us and then when we looked up to see the angel, it was a rather unexpected fellow... Well at least to me, considering how giddy Kelly had jumped on him he wasn't entirely unexpected.
And yup there he was, blonde groomed hair, cornflower coloured eyes, and that casual athletic figure. Yes we had Jeremy James once more in our lives. Unlike I, Kelly did actually have an active romantic life.
“So he arrives again” I growled at Jeremy, helping myself on my feet.
“Calm down tiger” he chuckled.
“Says the guy who disappeared into thine air... I know Kelly was the only thing linking us but com'on Jeremy you could do better than that, so what if Kelly wasn't around, am still her friend...”
And yup if actually allowed, I could have blabbed like that for hours, I guess that's another terrifying trait I unfortunately possessed.
“I'm sorry Paige” he smiled, his hands still wrapped around Kelly's waist and her arms still undying wrapped on his neck.
“Save it” I shot, “And looks like you guys still have a lot of catching up to do, so I guess I'll be on my merry way, Kelly I'm sure you can find me when you remember my existence”
I turned around and stormed off.
“What's got her so cranked up” I heard Jeremy mutter but I had chosen to ignore and continued my walk into the school building.
“Well someone's in a bad mood today” Ella popped in front of me. I actually felt so relieved to see her I had almost forgotten that I wasn't alone anymore and I still had her. I grabbed her and gave her a big hug before not saying a word. “Guess it's a awful mood” she stared confused.
“Just shut up and hug back” I ordered with a smile. And unlike Kelly she actually complied without complaint — well it's not like I told her to push a car or something.
“All better now?” She asked as we released the grip. “All better” I smiled
“Seems like Kelly's back” she said casually as we walked to class.
“You know Kelly?” I asked rather shocked.
“Just because you never noticed me doesn't mean I never noticed u... It's hard not to notice a girl that Brandon's crazy about” she muttered under her breath.
“What did you say?” I questioned, too shocked to believe what I had heard.
“Nothing” she answered innocently and began walking faster than I.
“Hey calm down” I screamed and tried to catch up with her.
***
The flies had been buzzing in my ears for hours, it was hard not to count time passing by during chemistry class, and it was even harder trying to fall asleep, so I guess listening to flies make music seemed more like a better option.
“And for our next practical” he spoke out, scanning a piece of paper with his nerdy black framed glasses. “Can my two lab attendants stand up”
Immediately Casper and Riley were on their feet, I felt too intimidated to get up, I knew Riley would never give up the post, that was if Casper had even tried to strip it from her, but I guess I had judged too fast.
“Not you Riley” I heard Casper say. In a flash the attention of the whole class was now focused on him.
“I don't understand” Riley shook her head and truly she didn't and for a moment neither did I.
“Paige is my assistant now not you.”
“How did that... I don't understand… -but”
“That's enough Riley” the chemistry teacher dismissed her.
“Are you coming or not Paige” Casper whispered, gaining my attention once more for a moment I had been too bewildered that I had almost lost my consciousness. I couldn't tell why I was truly shocked, as I rushed out to catch up with Casper and the chemistry teacher, maybe because I had always believed that Casper had always had a soft side for Riley there had always been her and then just me...
Now today watching him dismiss her, watching his plain and bitter expression towards her didn't completely give me the thousands of butterflies in my tummy like I had expected but then it made me wonder, wonder if there was actually hope, hope for me and Casper but then there was Brandon...
***
After school once again I stopped at the hospital to see Brandon, I had left Kelly and Ella together after a heartfelt introduction, if anyone was going to show Ella the true adventures of life it was going to be Kelly, now I had another reason to be glad of her return.
I knocked gently on room 207 and like expected Brandon was the one who opened the door for me but this time Mrs Cage was actually awake, now more than ever I had been more glad that I had brought a fruit basket along.
“Mom this is Paige, she's a friend from school” Brandon introduced me like it was our first encounter but it wasn't, we had bumped into each other countless times and also more frequently at his house, it wasn't the first time Brandon and I had been lab partners one time when he had fallen asleep we even baked an apple pie together.
She had always been a nice woman, a true beauty in adversity if only Mr Brandon was still alive then maybe Brandon wouldn't have grown as crocked as he did, well maybe he wasn't too crocked as I exaggerated.
“Have a sit dear” Mrs cage gestured me.
“I brought fruit” I smiled brightly and flashed the fruit basket in front of her, at least I had earned a warm smile.
“I hope my Brandon isn't missing much, I've been begging him to run to school but his as stubborn as a mule — says he won't go home unless I'm coming with him”
Even if she did complain it was obvious she liked the attention.
Who wouldn't want their son to show them love and affection?
“Your son ma'am is truly one of a kind” I pinched his cheek as revenge for last time.
And we giggled away, at least until the nurse came in to give her another dose of her medication and soon she was fast asleep.
“Shall we?” Brandon opened the door and lead me out the door into a cute corner by the window, I would have told him I wanted to go home but then the rain just had to pour down and unfortunately it left me stranded and in a compromising position with Brandon.
“Your mom is really a nice lady” I smiled.
“Yeah she is” he answered absentmindedly, his eyes were focused on the raindrop through the window.
“You always seem lost whenever we try to have a serious talk”
“When was the last time you played in the rain?” he asked ignoring my comment.
“I don't know, 4 or 5” I answered, still really trying to think it out, I didn't want to bring up Ella and the orphanage that was her choice to tell the people she felt deserved to know.
“Well com'on then” he pulled me excitedly down the stairs and out the door.
“You've got to be kidding me” I screamed. Trying to beat the sound of the rain with my voice.
“Well am not!” he smiled deviously and pushed me into the rain.
“Com'on Brandon we could get sick” I panicked.
“We're already in a hospital, what worst could happen” he smiled and wrapped his arms around me, surprisingly they felt warm and protective and before I knew it I didn't know how it happened but I found myself playing even harder than Brandon, but for a second I could sense a cloud of sadness around Brandon, like there was something bothering him, something he didn't know how to handle, I just wished he could tell me, that he could let me in but why would he, why would he connect to the girl who seems to be head over heels for his best friend, why would he connect with someone he believed one day he would lose me in a flash, even as friends sometimes it seemed hard... Impossible, am sometimes not sure I even know what I want anymore, I had spent years on Casper and I felt I was sure of him but then Brandon would wrap him protective, warm hands around me again and it would seem like I had been wasting all my years on the wrong prince.
But one thing I was sure was even in the little sadness I could actually see was how happy Brandon truly was, I suddenly found myself feeling guilty of all the years I had misunderstood him, he was nothing like who I thought he was, he was actually something much more beautiful.
A/N: and here's to another chapter 👏 👏 😂... Well am really trying to get this book out, to get it noticed and I would really love it if you adorable readers could help me out to, I'd be entirely grateful. ☺