Introduce Me

Chapter 1 • Josie

Chapter 1 • Josie  

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I threw my bag over my shoulder just as my afternoon class was dismissed. "Josie!" Someone called after me, but I had to hurry if I wanted to make it in time. "Josie! Please, wait!" I stopped in my tracks and turned around. I saw my friend Finn scrambling to gather his things and follow after me. "Yeah?" I asked. "Just give me a second," he said. I smiled and folded my arms across my chest. Finn has become one of my best friends at the university. He was amazingly kind when I got here a few days after the semester started; typical me, always late. Luckily he was in my classes so he quickly helped me catch up. That was September, now November was coming close to an end and he shockingly seemed to fill the space that Brooklyn had left behind. They're a lot alike too, so it made me miss her less. "I'm waiting," I teased Finn. He did his signature eye brow raise, "Are you testing me?" he asked as he fell into step beside me. "Maybe," I said, reaching into my bag and digging around for my phone. "You're mean," he said in a fake pouting voice. "Suck it up, butter cup," I said as I located my phone and took it out. Finn stayed quiet knowing I was calling Brooklyn, she was the only person I ever called on my cellphone, and otherwise, it was always texting. "Hey!" I said as she answered the phone. "Hey, you," she said in her normal cheery voice, "Where are you, I've been waiting on Skype for forever." "I know. I know," I said, "I was in class; I forgot to tell you it changed again. Oh and Finn is a huge distraction." "That's the guy you're always talking about eh?" she said. "I'm sorry," I said, "Should I stop?" "No, it's okay," she said, "I like it." "You mean you like him," I said with a smile as Finn perked up at the mention of someone liking him. "No!" she protested, but I could tell whenever I told her about him that she liked what she was hearing. "Don't worry, you'll meet him soon," I said. "You're hilarious," she said. I shrugged my shoulders unconsciously, "I try," I said. "HI Brooklyn!" Finn shouted in my ear. "Jesus Finn!" I shouted back. "Was that him?" she asked. I pursed my lips, "Yeah," I said, "Annoying eh?" "No, it's cute," she said. "Why do you always say 'eh'?" Finn asked in an obnoxiously loud voice. "Because I'm Canadian, Finn!" I said to him. "Be nice, Josie," Brooklyn said to me. I sighed, "I'm sorry, Finn." "It's okay, shorty," Finn said taking advantage of my height and resting his arm on my shoulder. "I have to go," Brooklyn said to me, "But hurry up!" "Okay, bye!" I said then hung up. "So what do you want?" I asked Finn. "I wanted to hang out," he said as we reached our dorm building. "Finn!" I said as we went inside, "You live down the hallway from me! Can't you just come over after I'm off of Skype with Brooklyn?" We got up to our floor and he walked me to my dorm, "But what if I want to meet her?" "You can't meet her like this!" I said, "You have to meet for the first time in person!" "But, when will that be?" he whined. "Soon!" I exclaimed then slipped into my dorm without another word. I dashed for my computer and logged onto Skype. "Hey there sexy," Brooklyn said as she answered the call. "Hey gorgeous," I said. I smiled seeing she was still her old self; her long blonde hair in a perfect pony tail hanging over her shoulder; her blue eyes makeup less as usual, unlike mine; her old high school hoodie on and that same old perfect smile plastered on her face. "You're looking good," I said. "Shut up," she said, "I look the same." "True!" I said. "So how have you been?" I asked. She shrugged her shoulders, "Good," she mumbled. "Boring?" I suggested. "Yeah," she agreed with a scrunch of her nose. "How about you, I mean besides that Finn guy totally flirting with you!" "Who? Me? Are you insane? He is so-o-o-o interested in you! He just asked me when he gets to meet you!" "Really?" she asked. She had that look of disbelief and shock. "Yes," I said flatly, she was always like this. She played dumb when I knew it was exactly what she wanted to hear. "But since I may have found you a guy, you got any for me?" I asked. "Possibly," she said, "There is this one guy..." Her voice trailed off. "Brook?" I said as she looked past the camera. "Someone's at my door, give me a sec," she said then tossed her laptop to the side. I saw half of her desk area and half of the door way. I watched as she walked to the door and opened it. The door swung open and she screamed in laughter. "Jack! No! How's not the time!" I only saw the body of a guy as he resister Brooklyn's pull to get him back in the hallway. "But I want to play!" He said in a mock child voice. "Jack!" Brooklyn screamed, pulling him backwards. "You have to get out!" "Why?!" He whined, still pulling. "I'm busy!" "Oh, are you on Skype?" He asked, relaxing. Brooklyn took this moment to pull him in front of the door and begin pushing him out. Due to the screen tilting forward I never saw his face. "Brooklyn!" Jack said, still resisting her. "Come back in twenty minutes okay?" "I shall be back!" Jack said in a overly deep voice. Brooklyn giggled and waited as he left then gently closed her door. "He's such a hassle," she said, walking back to her bed and her laptop. Soon I could see her face again, "Who was he?" I asked. "Oh, my friend Jack," she said. "Was he the possible guy you were talking about?" "Um, no...why?" She said, cocking her head to the side. "I didn't see his face, but he sounds sexy," I said. This made her laugh, "Yeah minus the whole maturity level of a kid thing," she said. "Oh, come on! He's probably super sophisticated when he needs to be," I said. Brooklyn pursed her lips then seemed to slip off into dreamland. "I bet Finn can be sophisticated," she mumbled. I tried not to laugh but it was hard. "Finn? Sophisticated?" I couldn't help it, I was nearly peeing my pants from laughter. "Honey, he's just like Jack!" She bit her lip as if debating wether or not it would be something she could get used to. "We're going to have to get together soon," she mumbled. "You just want to know what Finn looks like," I teased. "I want to see you too!" She exclaimed. I laughed, "Sure!" "Shut up," she said. "We'll get together soon," I said, realizing that I've been promising that a lot lately. I told Brooklyn I would introduce her to Finn soon. I told Finn he could meet Brooklyn soon. And now I've told Brooklyn we will get together soon. I just hope I could find the time in my packed schedule to plan this little meet and greet/reunion. Brooklyn snapped me out of a trance, "Jose," she said. "Yeah?" I replied, blinking back to focus. "I think I'm gonna go. Jack won't stay out much longer and I have an essay to write." "Oh," I said, disappointed that we couldn't talk longer. "I'm sorry," she said and I knew she truly meant it, Brooklyn never held lies behind her apologies. "It's okay," I said, "I have stuff to do anyways." The look she gave me told me she knew I was lying. But she had always been the smarter one, or should I say the more academically driven out of us, so she was always busy with homework. "Bye, lovely," she said to me. "Bye." I said, then we hung up the Skype call and silence filled my room. Sometimes I still feel like she's just across the street from me and not 187 miles away.