-- fine line
i'd rather learn from one bird how to sing
than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance.
"JOSSLYN, SWEETHEART" Winona Simons shouted from her front door, her arms spread wide open for a hug. "How's my favourite niece doing?"
"I'm good, auntie." Josslyn replied, hugging her aunt back. "These are the friends I was telling you about. I hope it's not too much trouble. We'll only be here a day or two anyway"
"Oh, no, it's all good! The more the merrier! Please, come in" Winona said, motioning them all into her Miami home. "The bedrooms are upstairs, at the end of the hallway, you get a bathroom each!"
The four thanked her, walking up the stairs to find their designated rooms. Josslyn always loved coming to visit her weird aunt every summer. From what she's learnt, Winona was a lot like her when she was a teenager, always running away and getting involved with people she shouldn't be getting involved with. Frequently, Winona's mother would scold her unmarried, zero-kids lifestyle, but Winona was never bothered. She liked the quietness of her home. Plus, husbands are just a waste of space.
"This house always smells the same" Josslyn mumbled to herself, sitting down at the windowseat as Esmerelda threw herself onto the bed. "Spiced apple and cinnamon"
"How do you know that?" Esmerelda laughed, sitting up and resting her weight on her elbows to look at Josslyn.
"My mom used to use those air fresheners." Josslyn replied, standing up and stretching her legs. "If we leave here tomorrow night, we can get back home for the last week of summer."
"What? No! I love it here, lets stay!" Esmerelda whined, sitting bolt upright, her eyes following Josslyn across the room.
"We cant, Es" Josslyn rolled her eyes and sat on the end of the bed. "It takes two days to drive from Miami to Seattle, so we'll be home in about three days, equalling one week until we leave for college. We all still need to pack, book our flights and accommodation, settle in and explore college before it starts. Not to mention the fact you still need to go to New Jersey to see your sisters"
"The boys and I don't need to book flights" Esmerelda said, twiddling her thumbs together. "You're the only one moving. All the way to Massachusetts. That's a shitty state, you know"
"But that's where Harvard is, and if I wanna be a lawyer, that's where I gotta go" Josslyn replied, standing up and walking towards the en suite bathroom. "I'm gonna freshen up"
"I DONT THINK WE'VE THOUGHT THE WHOLE GOING HOME THING OVER VERY WELL" Leo brought up. It was currently three in the morning, and the four had found themselves sat in a random skate park wrapped in layers of coats, cans of random sodas they found in the store in their laps. "We literally ran away, our parents will lose their shit when we get back"
"Nah, my parents are cool" Vinnie swatted his hand through the air, carelessly. "I called them the first night we spent on the road, told them all about the plan. They were chill"
"I don't believe you" Josslyn smirked, taking a sip of her drink. "You're parents used to go ape shit if you returned five seconds after curfew"
"Well, compared to some of the stuff Reggie's done, I'm a pretty tame kid" Vinnie laughed, scrunching his can up and throwing it into the pile they had made in the centre of the circle. "What about your parents, J?"
"Oh, I'll get the same lecture I always do. It's not even from my dad, it's my stepmom that's the problem. Stupid bitch" She replied, looking over at Esmerelda. "How 'bout you?"
"I'm telling you now, they probably haven't even realised that I've been gone for six weeks" She chuckled. The three looked at her in disbelief. "I'm deadass, it's like I'm invisible to them. With a house that big, it's hard to even find your way from one end of the corridor to the other. You need a trail of breadcrumbs or something. Leo?"
"Oh, mom is going to lose her fucking mind" He shook his head, letting out a breathy laugh. "I'm weeping thinking about it. If she knew I was in goddam Miami right now she would literally faint. She doesn't even like me taking the trash out. I can kiss my nineteenth birthday bash goodbye"
The four laughed before a comfortable silence took over them. Josslyn lied down on her back against the side of the concrete skate bowl to look at the stars. She could see her breath in the air as the stars danced in front of her.
She felt Vinnie lean back next to her, his gorgeous honey-pot eyes admiring the sky just like she. Josslyn rested her hand down at her side, Vinnie mirroring her actions. Almost as if two magnets coming together, his hand slowly slid towards hers until it rested on top of hers. Josslyn's breath hitched as she linked her hands through his.
This. This is bliss. This is all she'd ever wanted, ever since she was 14. To sit under the stars with her four best friends, holding hands with who she was sure was the love of her life, completely and utterly at peace with herself.
"Hey guys" Esmerelda whispered from beside her. "Do you remember what Emily said, about us being friends next lifetime?"
"How could we forget?" Leo replied, looking over to admire his girlfriend. She looked so perfect lying there, the moonlight shining down on her face. At that moment he swore he'd never been more in love.
"Can we remake that promise?" She closed her eyes, linking her hand with Josslyn on her left and Leo on her right. "Just us four this time"
"Absolutely" Vinnie whispered back, squeezing Josslyn's hand to start a chain until you couldn't tell who was holding who's hand.
"If we're not friends this lifetime, we will be the next" Esmerelda smiled, looking over at Leo's peaceful figure. He was already looking at her, a small smile etched onto his face. 'I love you' she mouthed to him, his smile only growing wider as he took in the sight in front of her.
"J" Vinnie whispered, loud enough for only her to hear. She turned her head to look at him, their noses almost touching from the closeness of the situation.
"Yeah?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper. It could've been the noise of the passing breeze for all Vinnie knew.
"Nothing" Vinnie smiled, his eyes flicking from hers to her lips. "Just wanted to look at you"
Josslyn playfully rolled her eyes and looked back up to the sky, the stars only getting brighter and brighter as the time passed.
You've got my devotion.
We'll be a fine line.
THREE UPDATES YALL I AM ON A ROLL
i need to slow down since after this chapter
theres only oo8 and oo9 left before
this book is over :(((
ANYWAY i've had an idea for a sequel
but i'm still considering
lmk if thats something u guys'll be into