Simply Me

Chapter Seven

The winter sun beat down onto Andi and CJ's young faces. The two walk along the sidewalk's path, arranging talk to one another.

"Sorry about earlier. You know, when we were eating breakfast." Andi said during the silence of their walk.

"It's ok. I understand." CJ answers, taking no offense to it. Looking up after he heard his name, CJ recognized a girl walking up to him and Andi.

"CJ? Is that you??" It was an old friend of CJ's. A really close friend. Andi watched as the girl hugged CJ, they stayed in the hug for awhile. Andi smiled at the two old-ish friends. Once she walked away, Andi asked:

"Is that your girlfriend?" Andi looked into CJ's eyes, they stopped walking, and curiously, Andi watched his face expression.

"Oh, umm... No. She's just an old friend I was close to."

Curious still, Andi asked, "you like her?"

"She's pretty and nice, but not the type I'm looking for." CJ smiled.

"What's your type?"

"Well... I've always wanted a girl whose kind, has a good personality, happy, smiles, humorous, accepts herself, someone who can cheer me up... But I think I've already found her, she just needs to work on her positive side a bit more." CJ smiles, all he wants is to be able to hold Andi in his arms and call her his. But he still didn't know if she liked him back or not. "What's your type, Andi?"

Thinking for a second, Andi perked up, smiles, and looked CJ in the eyes. "Fun, silly, makes me smile, makes me happy, who makes me laugh, someone who inspires me to keep moving forward, one who cares about others as much as himself and who'll stays up late to talk to me, no matter how tired they are." Andi was positive CJ liked her, but you never know. He might not. I mean, we all know she likes him too. "Whose this girl you like?" Andi asked.

"I'll tell you later, when the time is right." CJ winked at her, Andi smiled with confusion, not knowing why his 'wink' meant. "How 'bout you?"

"Hmm... I don't think I'm ready to confide, yet." Andi laughed quietly, and the two continued their walk downtown.

The dark grey, winter clouds rolled in, showing there was at least a 85% chance rain might fall. But, Andi and CJ didn't mind, that was one thing they had in common. Rain.

<<<>>>

"CJ? Andi? Is that you kiddos?" Mrs. Abrams, we'll call her Molly, calls from the kitchen as the front door closes.

"Yes, mum." CJ calls back, heading into the kitchen with Andi close behind his tail.

"I have some news for you, Andi." Molly says with a smile. "Your brother, Louis, found out about the house incident. He says he'll take you in."

A bright light lit up on Andi's face, she'd finally see Louis after a week of him being gone. But it disappeared when she noticed it would mean for her to leave CJ.

"Andi, the only thing is, is that you'll being moving to the United States. Is that ok with you to move away from England?"

Andi didn't know what to say. What if she hurt CJ's feelings? What if she hurt Louis' feelings?

"I-I..." After a moment of hesitation, Andi decided to risk it, "yes, it's ok with me." CJ stood, he didn't want Andi to move away. Especially to the United States, that's a whole ocean to cross, and like half the 50 states to pass. Just to get to Arizona, to live with her brother and his wife. CJ tried not the show the hurt expression, but he didn't want to be selfish either.

"I'm gonna go up to my room." CJ said, he'd let out his pain in there. Yes, Andi did it. She upset her own friend. The one she cared about, the one she didn't want to hurt. The one she loved. CJ calmly shut his door, and went to his bed, putting his face first into his pillow.

Andi quickly followed him up, giving an excuse to use the bathroom. Knocking silently on his door, Andi quietly opened it.

"CJ?"

He didn't want Andi to know he was hurt, even though she did. CJ didn't want Andi to see him cry and being upset. All this time, she's seen him happy, cheerful, and strong. But not a moment of weakness, besides when the bullies came up to him and Andi. Not wanting Andi to know, he ignored her.

"CJ, please don't be ma--"

"I'm not mad, ok? I'm just.. I don't know..." He muttered into his pillow, Andi walked over to his bed and sat. Her light weight not pushing down to much on the side of the bed.

"I didn't mean to make you mad. Ok really sor--"

CJ cur her off for the second time, "I just want to be left alone. Let me be." He said, his face still stuffed in the pillow.

"Friends would just leave. Best friends would stay and make sure the other is okay."

"You are leaving."

Thinking of what to say, Andi took her arm and gently shook CJ's shoulder. "Caleb, I didn't mean it like that." CJ laid still, quietly breathing, surprised that Andi used Caleb instead of CJ.

"I know, I know..."

Not knowing how to make her best friend happy, saying he was her first, she took the same hand she used to shake his shoulder and started rubbing his back.

"CJ, I'm sorry.." She stopped running his back as CJ finally sat up.

"It's ok.. I just don't have any friends, your like my only friend."

"What about the girl from earlier? Or your crush? I'm mean to talk to her, maybe she likes you back." The truth is, she does like him back and CJ has already spoke to her. Or is, right now, this very moment.

"I've been speaking to her for a while now. I actually I've been speaking to her since like two weeks ago. I don't think she likes me back. Well.. I don't know.."

"CJ, I bet she loves you. Your everything a girl could want." Andi has no clue the girl he loves is herself, and CJ has no clue Andi loves him back. But not knowing, the two friends just smile and secret love each other. Not even knowing the other one cares about him/her