Longing

Chapter 5

After physically dragging Maya to her room for the second time this week, Hope tossed her bag to the floor next to her desk and threw herself onto her bed. After rummaging through her backpack, Maya joins her, sitting cross legged with a notepad on her lap.

Hope sits up, leaning her back against the headboard. "So Josie and I talked again today. Like more than usual again. We have Chemistry together." Maya raises an eyebrow. "The class, Chemistry. Get your head out of your ass, Maya." Hope chuckles, rolling her eyes fondly.

"Well that brings me to this," Maya says, flaunting the notepad that had been resting in her lap, "I wanna get you started on your road to capturing happiness- or Josie's heart."

"You know how insane those party fliers look?" Hope huffs, still in mild shock that her name is posted around the school in more papers than she can count.

"Ethan and I might've gone a bit over board..." Maya responds sheepishly. "Anyway,-" she flips open her notebook, "-Step one, when you talk-"

"Oh, let me guess. Quit stuttering? I'll get right on that." Hope interrupts with a grumble.

"Actually, I've done some research." Hope gives her a horrified look, not liking what the work 'research' implies. Maya rolls her eyes, "Stop looking at me like that, just let me talk. So, Josie is most definitely the type to find being unable to form a sentence adorable, endearing, and... cute or whatever."

"So you want me to talk even less?" Hope asks, not really know where this is going.

"No. You need to work on your body language. Hope, if you give that girl one more fake smile, she's going to think you've secretly been resenting her all these years." Maya closes notebook and tosses it back to the side. "God Hope. Don't even get me started on that 'deer caught in the headlights' look you get whenever-"

"Okay! I get it." Hope takes a deep breathe, "We sit by each other in class now. What should my 'body language' be like in that scenario?" she asks, making air quotes with her fingers when she says 'body language'.

"Just don't over think it. Face her when you're having a conversation, hold eye contact- but not for too long! And you could always try this magically thing called smiling." Maya responds, finishing with jazz hands and a bright smile.

Hope groans. "Is it too late to back out of this?"

"Indeed."

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Hope enters the kitchen after spending an hour jogging on one of the trails in the woods. She figured it'd be best to dip out of the school after her last period of the day to avoid any party related questions. She feels the ache in her calves as she rises to the tip of her toes attempting to reach the last medium sized bowl in cupboard. Throughout her struggle, she fails to hear the approaching footsteps.

Hope's stomach is completely pushed into the counter, her left palm putting force on said counter, while her right arm stretches as high as it can go. Though utterly focused, when she feels a body pressed lightly against her and a hand easily reach above her own, she freezes.

The hand grasps the bowl that had just been out of Hope's reach, lowers it, and dangles it in front of her face. Hope cautiously takes it with both hands, "Thank you?" The warm body behind her retreats slightly.

"Seemed like you could use some assistance." A voice says, prompting Hope to turn around. She knows that voice.

When she turns, she's met with a freshly showered Josie. Dressed in a pale pink T-Shirt and pajama bottoms with panda faces printed on them. Damp dark hair thrown into a quick bun, leaving stray hair framing her face. Hope wonders why she's ready for bed this early on a Friday.

"Oh. Hi." Hope greats, praying her face isn't the color of a tomato.

Josie smiles then narrows her eyes slightly, "You know... I never took you as a party girl." She leans against the island across from Hope.

Here we go.

"Oh yeah. Uh- it's just to make new friends, I guess." Hope shrugs at the end, aiming for nonchalance. Josie hums. "Will you be there?" Hope asks after a pause, biting her bottom lip the second the words escape her mouth.

Josie caresses her chin in thought, starring off in the distance, "Hmmm... I'll have to check my schedule." Though when Hope's face drops, she's quick to correct, "I'm kidding, Hope. I'll be there." She chuckles, shaking her head a bit. Hope feels stupid but can't help when she huffs out a quick laugh. Josie walks to the fridge and grabs a bottle of water. On her way toward the exit of the kitchen she halts, "I'll see you Monday?"

Hope smiles, "See you Monday." As Hope returns to the task at hand, opening the fridge, grabbing the strawberries, yogurt, and granola, she's interrupted once more.

Hope is just about to cut the stem out of a strawberry when, "Oh, Hope. One more thing; Is your friend Ethan single?"

Hope cuts her finger. "Fuck!" Within seconds, Josie is by her side evaluating the damage.

"Jesus! Are you okay?" She grabs Hope's wrist and drags her toward the sink where she forcefully shoves the bleeding digit under running water. Hope hisses and yanks her hand back, only to be rewarded with a stern 'now!' look. She surrenders with a frown. "How did this even happen? You were cutting strawberries." She murmurs, focused fully on the task at hand.

"I don't know." Hope mumbles, feeling more than embarrassed. She watches as Josie rids the blood from her finger, mesmerized by her effortless beauty. She then remembers what the brunette had said that caused this debacle. "I have to go." Hope doesn't wait for a reply. She wants to go brood in her room for the rest of her life. This time when she removes her hand from Josie's gentle grasp, she doesn't wait around for whatever face Josie might be making at her.

Hope almost makes it out before Josie calls out, "I can take you to the nurse?" It makes Hope's heart flutter.

She turns with a tight lipped smile, "Thank you, Josie. I'm fine, though." Hope leaves without another glance, failing to notice Josie's deep sigh.

When Hope gets back to her room, she scarfs down her stash of granola bars. After sufficiently quenching her hunger, she decides to take another early slumber. She changes out of her jogging attire into a grey crew neck and some pajama shorts. She fills a glass with water after brushing her teeth and takes a couple melatonin. Curling up under her blanket, she switches her lamp off and drifts off to sleep.

In the morning, she wakes up naturally. She checks the time once her eyes adjust to sun; It's noon. Hope rolls out of bed with a groan, beginning her morning ritual.

Once showered and dressed, Hope makes her way to the dining hall. She makes a beeline to Ethan, who is accompanied by Maya, and plops in the seat across from him.

"How nice of you to join us, Hammy." Ethan says, fry in his mouth, playful grin on his face.

"We're done with the whole Josie thing. Okay?" Hope replies instantly.

"What? What're- Why?" Ethan stutters, frown and furrowed eyebrows in place. Maya simply raises an eyebrow questioningly, resting her chin in her palm. She had expected second thoughts, or third thoughts, or forth.

Hope makes direct eye contact with Ethan and purses her lips. After a pause, she signs, "I think Josie has a thing for you, Ethan."