Chapter 12: Flash (Blake's POV)
We were almost at the door when we heard something to our left, near the corner of the room. That's also where the staircase leading upstairs was. We've been coming here since we were kids but I've never been ballsy enough to go upstairs and check it out.
"Blake," she whispered, tugging me to the door.
I don't know what was going through my head, but I wasn't moving. I was looking towards the stairs, pretty much waiting for someone to jump out at us.
"Blake." She tugged a little harder.
When I saw a guy heading to the staircase, both of us shit ourselves. There was a guy, from the looks of it he was squatting in here, so he's likely to be homeless. He looked terrifying. "Hey!" he yelled, running toward us.
"Blake, are you waiting for fucking Christmas?! Run!" she screamed, pulling the door open and pulling me forward as she ran. At that moment, we- and I can say this from both of our sides, we saw our lives flash before our eyes. Literally, flash by. It was horrifying.
We both ran full speed, going as fast as our legs could carry us, not stopping until we entered our neighborhood. She let go of my hand and halted on the sidewalk, bending down and holding onto her knees to steady herself while she panted like she was having an asthma attack. It's not just her, I probably look like that too.
"Are you stupid?!" She shoved me upon catching her breath. "Oh, my god. That was so scary. We could have died!" she yelled, running her hand through her hair.
"I don't think he actually could have killed both of us but-"
"Blake!" She pushed me again. I stumbled back, my hand on my chest while I let out a breath. She shook her head at me and then turned around, starting to walk home.
"Okay, come on. It wasn't that bad," I said, jogging to catch up to her.
"Wasn't that bad? Are you kidding me? Did we just experience the same thing? Blake, that was the scariest moment of my life. What the hell happened to you? This scary guy was literally charging at us and you were just rooted to one spot!" she exclaimed.
"I don't know, I think I zoned out or something," I mumbled.
"Zoned out?" She barked out a sarcastic laugh. "You were going to get us killed."
"Geez, sorry." She rolled her eyes at me and we continued walking in silence. About two minutes later, she started laughing softly to herself.
"What?" I asked, not really sure if I wanted to know.
"That was so scary, but it was funny though," she shrugged, looking down at the pavement as we walked.
"You're insane, Hope," I chuckled, putting my hands in the pockets of my jacket, looking up while shaking my head, smiling helplessly.
"Shut up," she laughed, nudging my elbow with hers.
"That was horrifying," I laughed. "I saw my life flash before my eyes."
"Me too," she laughed along with me. "What if we go there again and he's still there?" she asked.
"I don't know, maybe we'll take some food for him so he lets us come around," I shrugged.
She smacked my arm, "That's not funny."
"I'm not kidding. Seriously, we should give the guy some food or something. I feel bad," I replied.
"Do you wanna go back tonight? I'll bring dinner for the guy," she said.
"Are you serious?"
"Dead serious," she nodded.
This is so dangerous. "Do you have a taser?" I asked.
She rolled her eyes, "Worst comes to worst, we'll run. Okay? Come over at eight o'clock. We'll go then!" she called out from her porch.
What the hell did I just get myself into?
I continued walking to my house and went inside, seeing Kimberley lying on the couch with her head dangling off upside down from one end. She saw me and sat up immediately. "Where were you?"
"With..." I paused for dramatic effect, looking at her. Her eyebrows shot up in curiosity. "A friend," I shrugged, grabbing the leftovers from last night's dinner from the fridge.
She rolled her eyes, "With which friend?"
"I was with Hope, Jesus," I chuckled, heating up some food for myself.
"You've been with Hope the whole day? You left in the morning, Blake," she said, looking at me in disbelief.
"I was with her, I swear. You can ask her." I put my hands up, mocking surrender.
"Whoa," she sang, smiling. "You like her again, don't you?" she asked, walking up to me.
"No," I said, taking my food out of the microwave once it beeped. "We're still waiting on that to happen."
"So it's going to happen?"
"Yes," I sighed, grabbing a fork.
"And are you gonna act on it?" she asked, going on her toes.
I pretended to think. "Hmm..." She raised her brows at me. "Nope."
"What? Why the hell not?" she asked, her voice going all whiney.
"Because, and I don't know how you keep forgetting this, she's dating Jonah!"
"So?"
"So, he's my friend. I'm not going to do that to him."
"If he was your friend, he'd be happy you found the one."
"If I was his friend, which I am, I wouldn't steal his girl."
"She wants to be stolen, can't you fucking tell?" I shot her a glare. "Sorry, can't you freaking tell?" she groaned.
"She wants to be stolen?" I scoffed. "She wants to give her and Jonah a real shot, Kimberley. I'm not going to mess this up for them."
She sighed, sitting on the counter while I stood there and ate. "Okay," she nodded slowly. "How about this. Let her and Jonah be together. Let them give it a real shot or whatever," she rolled her eyes. "But if she comes to you, you'll tell her you like her too?"
She's never coming to me.
"Yeah, okay. Whatever," I shrugged.
"That's fair," she nodded in agreement. "I just don't understand how you guys never dated before she left. I was what- thirteen? And even I knew you guys were into each other," she said, hopping off the counter and grabbing a fork, sharing the pasta with me.
"She left before I could ask her out, remember?" I looked down at her.
"Yeah, but her dad came and gave you her new phone number, remember?" she said mockingly. "I know you still have it," she chuckled.
"I never called her and that was my decision. I'd do it again, okay?" I huffed.
"Why didn't you call her?" she questioned.
"Because she needed a break, Kimberley. Her mom had just died," I said, leaving the now-empty bowl in the sink.
"Yeah, but who's to say she needed a break from you?" I looked at her in confusion. "Maybe she just needed a break from reality," she shrugged.
"She needed to be alone," I retorted.
"I agree," she nodded. "She needed to be alone. Alone with you."
"What?" I questioned.
She rolled her eyes, getting into a detailed explanation. "Blake, she went through some rough shit, okay? But you were the one person she's been holding onto for her whole life. Maybe even if she was leaving town, maybe just talking to you over the phone would have been enough support for her. Don't you think that would have been better in comparison to all the boyfriends she made there?"
I listened to her, my eyes narrowing in thought.
"Sure, she probably dated guys, probably became friends with some of them, probably kissed some of them, probably made out with-"
"Do you have a point?"
She laughed, "My point is, none of them could have beat your relationship with her. Cause you've known her your whole life, brother. And honestly, she was probably looking to replace you when she got there. She was probably looking for you in other guys."
"Why do you know all this? You're fourteen."
"Cause I'm a girl and I watch romantic movies and read romantic books, obviously," she said before going up to her room. She always does this. Kimberley always does exactly this. She talks sense and logically, at least I think what she just said was logical. Whatever, either way, it made sense to me. But then after that, she just walks away and goes into her room and leaves me hanging.
Like, hello? If you're telling me all this stuff and you're telling me what I should have done and what's going to happen, and how I feel, which she somehow knows better than I do. At least tell me what to do next.
I groaned, shaking my head and going up to my room. This is what she does. She talks sense then leaves me hanging.
She's getting into my head.
She's got me thinking it's okay to steal Hope from Jonah.
Even though she never said that. I'm still thinking about it.
But it's wrong! It's so, so, so wrong and I will not do it. I will not, I will not, I will not do that to him.
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Chapter 12
finish the lyric CHRISTMAS ADDITION
I should be playin' in the winter snow...
hint: Justin Bieber
ya'll better know this. this song is my Christmas jam
next chapter: flipped