The day I found you annoying

Chapter 13: Shoulders

Two years and nine months later

High school.

The most terrifying place in the world.

I had been having nightmares for the past two weeks. I really didn't want to come but my cousin dragged me in his car. One thing I was grateful for, was that he was leaving this month to college, that way we wouldn't find each other in the hallways.

The other thing I was grateful for was that I would finally be with Justin in the same school. Last year was so boring without him. Even though I had a few more friends now, I missed him everyday. Just how much I had missed him this summer.

He had gone to France with his sister and her family for two and a half months and I could say I had spent my days counting the seconds to see him again.

I was closing my locker when Cassidy let out a gasp beside me.

"Is that...?" Jane asked in surprise.

I turned my head around where some people were looking towards the entrance of the building.

"Justin!" Cassidy yelled, the green eyed boy turning his head towards us.

No way.

My eyes were deceiving me. He had sent me a few pictures of him over the summer and he didn't look like that.

Justin was tall.

Taller than he was before. He was at least a head taller than me now. He looked tanned, his hair blonder and longer. His curls in full display. Since the day that Kaden and his friends had beaten him up and had decided to shave his curls, he hadn't grown his hair back. Somehow because of the tan, his eyes looked greener, too.

Puberty had hit him. Hard. And he still wasn't that tall, it was just... he was really short before. He even looked stronger. His shoulders and back wider.

"Hey." He gave me a little smile, gripping one of the strands of his backpack hard.

Was that really his voice?

"Oh my god, Justin, you look-" Cassidy began. "Hot!"

"What she means," Jane said, gripping her shoulders and smiling, "is that summer did you good, Belinsky. Now we need to get to class."

They left me standing there, my lips gaping like a fish. He frowned confused. "Did she really...?" He shook his head, then looked at me again. "Hey, Colette."

I couldn't stop looking at him. His face, that tan, those freckles, his eyes. His chest. Where did my best friend go?

"Mhm, okay. I was looking forward to seeing you and you're acting all awkward, you're making me feel weird." He ran a hand through his curls, the muscles in his arm clenching.

"I-I'm sorry. Hi." I shook my head and took a step forward, encircling my arms around his shoulders. This body didn't belong to him. It couldn't be physically possible. I relaxed into the hug, his smell setting my feet on the ground. "Hi!" I smiled when I pulled back. "God, you look so... different." I checked him out one more time.

"I know. My mom's already been all over me with this. And everyone seems to have noticed, too, so..." That voice. He really sounded like a grownup. "I would very much appreciate if we didn't address this subject anymore." He said, looking around.

There he was. The annoying boy I knew so well.

"Yes, sir." I smiled, hitting his stomach. Hello? I almost break my hand. "So! What have you been up to? You need to tell me everything!"

"I talked to you almost everyday." He chuckled.

"So what? I'm sure there are lots of things you still haven't told me!"