The New Boy

Chapter 36: Old Love Stories

"Oh." I say quietly.

Brooke and Nicole smile in front of me, waiting for a better reaction.

"Oh?" That's it Brooke asks.

Chase laughs and smiles, his voice is full of joy and hope.

"I mean oh!" I say fake exicdetly.

I just heard the news that Chase is staying in Missouri for the rest of the summer. He's going to stay at Dave's house with me, my mom said it was apparently.

Brooke's smile falters, but Nicole's grows.

"I'm also staying!" She states.

"Wow. I'm excited." I say forcing a smile on my face. I feel like I'm being burned on a stake, but I have to act like I'm enjoying it.

It's not like I don't want to spend summer with Chase, just not in Missouri. I want to get away from here, to forget again, to forget what Daniel's smile looks like. I want to forget how his eyes go from light brown when he's happy, to dark brown when he's sad. Lastly I want to forget how he kisses me, and how he holds me like I'm his, and only his.

"Jenna, we're going to have so much fun." Chase says smiling brightly.

"We are." I say smiling genuinely at how cute Chase looks. He looks so bright, his blue eyes shine brighter than usual.

"Jenna, here I'll help you get your stuff packed up from your mom's house."

"Okay." I say willing to get out of the situation.

Once we're out in the car Brooke starts talking.

"You don't want him here." Brooke says pulling out of her driveway. She had driven me here so I could say hi to her mom, but I found Chase inside instead.

"I wouldn't put it like that." I say fiddling with my fingers.

"Then how would you put it?"

"I have so many memories of Daniel and I here, of us falling in love. I don't want to be thinking of Daniel when I'm falling in love with Chase."

"I get where you're coming from, but you and Daniel are over, just don't think of him."

"If it was that simple." I chuckled dryly.

"It can be, just convince yourself." Brooke says speeding through the packed roads.

"I can't convince myself." I say hopelessly.

"You did it with Nick."

Nick was my freshman boyfriend, who I supposedly "loved". I had to convince myself he was no good, and he cheated on me because he didn't care. Eventually I really didn't care.

"You may have a point."

"Don't I always?" Brooke asks flipping her hair.

"You're more cocky than Chase." I mumble.

"That's maybe why we dated. Opposites usually do attract, but we were so similar it was hard to stay away."

"How'd you guys meet?" I ask resting my head against the window.

"A book club." Brooke says seriously.

I look at her for any signs of jokiness, but she is completely serious.

"You're kidding right?" I ask.

"Nope, well we went for our friends, but we left in the middle of it to makeout with each other."

"Explain!" I say turning towards her excidetly.

"Okay." Brooke says keeping her eyes on the road.