all the what could've been

CHAPTER IV

I sat on a bench in the campus courtyard, and told Jenny about it. A few minutes later, my phone buzzed with her response.

Jenny: "Sure! Be there in five"

True to her word, Jenny appeared shortly after, her bright smile making her easy to spot. She waved as she approached, and I waved back, happy to have a distraction.

"Hey, Cali! Thanks for inviting me," she said, taking a seat beside me.

"No problem. I figured it would be nice to get to know each other better," I replied, returning her smile. "So, how are you liking the school so far?" I asked, genuinely curious about her impressions.

"It's great! Everyone's been really welcoming, and the classes are interesting. It's a lot different from my old school, but in a good way," Jenny said, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"I'm glad to hear that. It's always tough being the new kid. Trust me, I know," I said, thinking back to my early days with Lucas.

"Yeah, it can be. But so far, so good," Jenny nodded. "By the way, that guy who was with you earlier, is he your boyfriend?" Her question caught me off guard, and I felt my cheeks heat up.

"Oh, Lucas? No, he's just my best friend," I said quickly, hoping she didn't notice my blush.

"Really? You two seemed pretty close," she observed, tilting her head slightly.

"We are. We've been best friends since we were fourteen. He's like family to me," I explained, trying to keep my tone casual.

"I see. Well, he seems like a great guy." Jenny smiled knowingly.

"He is," I agreed, unable to hide the affection in my voice. "So, tell me more about you. Where did you move from?"

We spent the next hour talking about Jenny's life, her move to Los Angeles, and her interests. She was easy to talk to, and I found myself enjoying her company more and more. It was refreshing to have someone new to share things with.

As we wrapped up our conversation, my phone buzzed with a message from Lucas.

Lucas: "Sorry for leaving so suddenly. Everything's okay now. Want to meet up later?"

I smiled at his message, relieved that things seemed to be fine.

Me: "Sure, let me know when and where."

I replied

"Lucas?" Jenny glanced at my phone and smiled.

"Yeah, he just wanted to let me know everything's fine now," I said, trying to downplay the fluttering in my stomach.

"You really care about him, don't you?" Jenny asked, her tone gentle. I looked at her, surprised by the directness of her question.

"Yeah, I do. He's been there for me through everything." She nodded thoughtfully.

"Sometimes, the people who are always there for us are the ones we take for granted. Just something to think about." Her words lingered in my mind long after we said our goodbyes.

As I made my way back to my house, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was right. I thought about all the moments with Lucas, the laughter, the support, the unspoken bond between us.

"What if there was more to it than just friendship?"

Back in my room, I sat on my bed, the necklace Lucas gave me cool against my skin. Jenny's words echoed in my head.