Excellent Words

Chapter 15 RYDER

I came to the conclusion that I wasn't going to tell Jas about what happened 1 night ago. I look out the window of our sunroom. The light is pouring in like waves crashing on the beach. I feel lonely one because my parents aren't here and two because I'm not holding Jasmine.
My parents decided to leave me here alone and left for Italy. They thought they needed a break from work and me, even though we don't see each other besides 10 minutes before they go to bed. They will be gone for a week supposedly but I think more.
I call up an old friend of Jas's and mine. She was with us and the only other one who accepted Jas. She moved away from our school a few years ago, but luckily lives on the outskirts of town, so Jas and I still see her often.
"Hey," Madeline says picking up.
"Hi," I say rather gloomy.
"What happened?"
"I haven't seen Jasmine for over a week now."
"What do you mean? I thought you guys were dating?"
"We were are am. Ugh I don't even know. She ran away."
"Again," she interrupts with annoyance in her voice.
"Yes she's been very stressed lately. But I have sent her a couple texts 1 ½ weeks ago. She hasn't answered any."
"Oh," Madeline's voice dropped and cracked, "Do you think if I texted her she will respond?"
"Maybe let's try that, please keep me posted."
"Don't worry I will and you better to," she sounds as though she's going to cry.
The line goes dead. I want to go running looking for her and never stop until I find her,but I know that I could never find Her. Let her go, my mind tries to force into me.

I get a call a few hours later from Madeline saying she never responded. I want to scream in agony, but I force myself not to loose my cool. Shut up! My brain tells me. I want to shut up and never wake up.
Shit! Shit shit shit! I scream in my brain. I grab my phone and do the only thing I can think of doing.
"Please pick up," I say into my phone.
"Hello." Says the sound of Samantha's voice.
"I don't think Jasmine is ever coming back and I figured I need to move on."
"Oh I know where this is going," says her pleased voice, "you want to get back together."
"Yes, well no but I decided since you told everyone we were dating, and Jas isn't coming back."
"How do you know she isn't," she says interrupting me.
"She hasn't answered my texts calls or anyone's, plus no one knows where she is."
"Oh I'm sorry," Sam says going quiet and actually sounding sad.
"Yah, but if anyone knew Jas better than I then they would know she would want the best for me. Which is to move on," I say dreading the last part since we just started dating.
"Look. I'm not forcing you into this if you want I'll even say it was a joke and I cropped that," she says sounding resentful for her actions.
"No, Jas would want me to move on. So I will."
"If you are sure your ok with it then fine."
"I am. So when should I pick you up?"
"Wait you mean like on a date?" She asks excitedly.
"Exactly what I mean."
"Uh how about 3. That would give me enough time to get ready."
"K sounds good, but let's not do like we did last time lets take it slow."
"Slow is good. Slow is good."
And like that she hangs up. I have half an hour to get ready and its a 10 minute drive to her house. I decide on khaki shorts and a polo shirt. It may be only 50 degrees, which is warm weather to people from Nebraska.
I hop in my car and start the engine. I notice the CD I made for Jas. I put it in and start playing it. Immediately "don't" by Ed Sheeran starts playing.
I arrive. Her house has no lights on but her living room where she was waiting.
"Ready to go?" I simply ask her.
"Yes, where are we going anyway?" She says as we walk to my car.
I open the passenger side for her and answer, "Somewhere I only took another girl, the most special girl in my life," I dread the last part.
"Oh. So Jasmine has been there before."
"Yes the road to everything."
She gives me a befuddling look. I start the car and drive off into the dark. "Best Song Ever" is panting now.
"And we danced all night!" Samantha sings, "to the best song ever."
I zone out and let her sing with her horrid voice nothing compared to Jas.
"Where are we?" A timid Samantha says.
"The creek."
"Uh well obviously, but why are we at a creek?"
"This is where Jas and I first hung out and we used to always."
"Oh," she replies sounding taken aback.
"Yep, this is where everything began for us and hopefully us two."
"Oh so that's why you took me here, you could've just said that silly!"
"But the surprise would've been ruined."
"That's very true,"Sam says looking into the distant.
"Yes, so how about we sit down," I say to her with a small nod towards the bank.
"Sounds good to me."
We sit by the side Jas and I usually sit by. I look over at her hiding spot hoping to see her, but she's not there. Samantha sees me looking and says, "Ryder what are you looking at?"
"Nothing it's just a spot Jas and I used to sit."
"But there's only bushes and trees, no place to sit over there."
"Come here," I say grabbing her wrists and pulling her up.
We walk to the hidden opening in the bushes. Her face reads an expression of confusion. I get on my knees and move the bushes while motioning for her to come in. She lets out a small gasp and crawls in.
"Wow,this is amazing! Did you or Jasmine find it?"
"Jasmine, I am way too big to find this hideout."
"Oh makes sense. Ok tell me, do you still like her?"
"Yes,but I was hoping you could help me get over her," I say hopefully.
"I will,but first, do you have a piece of paper?"
"Uh,ya, and a pen. Why?"
"Write her a note telling her this: Jas, I want you to come home,please. I have been trying to get over you and now I have a girlfriend. I love you and want the best for you. I made horrible mistakes, that I can't forgive myself for. I love you and goodbye.
Ryder <3
i finish writing what she wants me to say. I honestly see where she's going with this and think it's brilliant.
"If you know her well I will turn around and you will place it where she knows to go," Sam says matter of factly.
"She will,she definitely will," I reply hopefully trying to believe my own words.
"Good then hide it and lets go."
"OK turn around."
After she turned around and I made sure she wasn't looking, I hid the slip of paper in the only spot Jas and I would know. We call it the dead hook, because no one ever knows what we are doing and we can talk about meeting there in public. It's a little crook in the farthest from the opening, bush.
"Done?" Samantha asks.
"Yes," I say as I stand up from the spot and crawl out after her.
"Lets go and get something to eat," Sam says.
"Sounds good. Where do you want to go?"
"How about Domino's?"
"Sounds great actually, I'm starving," I reply with a growl of my stomach.
We go to the best pizzeria in the whole community of pizza places. I order us a salad, small cheese pizza, and drinks. I don't even ask her what she wants but she seems fine with it. I hop back in the car and drive to my house.
We sit down at the modern bar with metal bar stools. I grab us forks and straws then begin to eat. We've only made small talk since the White Creek.
"Hey, I'm sorry about that night and I just want to ask u if I can post a pic of us and say that we are fully together?" Samantha states hopefully looking with her light brown eyes digging into my soul.
"Um," I say through a mouth of pizza then swallowing my food I answer her, "yah but please nothing like last time."
"Oh no I deleted that one, I realized it was to much."
"Yah..."
"So where are we going to take it?"
"How about in the sun room?"
"Oh great!"
We finish in silence then walk to my white and I mean white the walls, wood floor though but white furniture, sun room. She sets up her phone against a tall cabinet then sets it for 10 seconds. We get in a pose where my hand is holding her shoulder. Her warm body is pressed against mine facing sideways.
"Let's check it," Sam says.
"Sounds good I probably look like a kid," I joke.
"I bet you do," she smile.
The picture turns out pretty cute. Samantha looks like a model in her slim jeans, cream white v-neck shirt, gray scarf, and her hair in a high ponytail. I look like a kid in my khakis and red polo shirt. My neat brown hair is fixed up like the usual.
I hate to admit it but I think this is the cutest picture I've ever taken with someone, even Jas. I push Jasmine to the back of my head and tell Sam to post it. Her caption reads: officially dating U can call us an item!! And she tagged me in it. I quickly reach for my phone and like if claiming I was the first like when I was 5th. People are constantly on the phones and what not therefore making it hard to get first like.
"Well, do you like us together or you and Jasmine more?"
"Well at first I thought Jas more, but after a while you've grown on me," I add with a half smile.
"Good because I do to," she says back with a huge girly grin.