Jade
The next afternoon after school ,i made it my life mission to stop by the Henderson's house and explain to James's dad that the whole bookshelf thing was my fault .I had spend days complaining to James about them to the point where he couldn't take it anymore .
I had mom bake one of her famous strawberry cakes and i also kept a small pocket size poetry book in my jeans's back pocket for ms.Audrey .She loves reading just as much as me.While my mom fangirls over actors on screen ,me and Ms .Audrey fangirl over our book boyfriends .She's been more into poetry books lately though.
Their house is just a few block away from ours .I spot their backyard behind their building and i remeber all the days i spent at their pool when i was little.
I ring the door bell ,after standing there for five minutes wondering if this was a good idea.I mean Mr.Zion looked very mad at me yesterday.What if he doesn't even want to see me ?
I also specifically picked this time to visit ,since i knew James had hockey practice.If he knew i was coming he would kill me.
The white door opens and im greeted with ms.Audrey's cheerful smile.Her honey brown hair falls at her shoulders and her bangs form a heart around her forhead.
"Jade !"-she gasps
"What a lovely suprise ,come in!"-she pulls me for a hug .I never understood how my mom loved James and how his mom loved me after what happened between us .They both didn't let that ruin their frienship and i kinda admire that.
"James is not here honey but you're welcome to wait for him "-she pulls out a blanket and puts it over me after i sit on her pastel pink couch.That's right .Pink.And i used to think my mom overdid it with the colours on our home.
"I also baked cookies and you will be the first person to taste them!"-she exlaims happily as she does a cute little run to the kitchen.
I smile .James's mom is sweet .The complete opposite of her son.
"Um my mom baked this for you "-i pull the small box from my bag.
"Well for all of you"-i specify.I am "dating "her son after all.
She finally sits down ,two hot choclates in hand ,and she places two plates of choclate chip cookies down the table.My favourites.
"Oh she shouldn't have !"
"Tell her i said thanks ,we will be devouring this after dinner"
"So tell me everything "-she begins
"How did you two lovebirds find your way torwards each other?"-she has the biggest smile on her face.
I can't ruin this for her.As much as i want to make up some kind of cute story i don't want to lie to her .So i go with the truth
"Well as you know me and James have been friends since forever "-she gives me a look.
"Well if you don't count middle school"-i add
"Everyone saw him as this famous hot hockey player that everyone wants to date ,but me ?"
"I just ..saw him as our regular James"-i explain.
"I saw him as the person who would annoy me and throw my books on the pool"-she winces.
I actually smile at the memory.
"But i also saw him as the one who would always know when something was wrong and the person who would do whatever he could to fix it "
"I saw the James who notices the little things and does small but very important things for you ,the James who would do everything to see his friends and family happy"
Tears prickle at ms .Audreys eyes.She sniffles and wipes her tears.
"I always saw him as mine ,whether that is as my best friend or as my boyfriend"
"So yeah the moment we figured all of this out ,how we really feel for each other under all that banter ,we decided to take action "
"He really likes you"-she confesses ,shocking me.My stomach flips.
"He talks about you all the time"-Damn.James must be really pushing this whole "dating" agenda ,wasn't he?
I try not to give a reaction ,since im already supposed to know this.
"You know ,i never knew why he did what he did but just know ,he's had a really hard life"-her eyes water again.
"I know that's not an excuse but that year was really hard for him ,things happened"
That's what James had said .Things happened .But what? What happened?
"He might kill me for telling you this ,but since you are together ,i don't think he'll mind"-her voice is thick with emotion .
I feel the anxiety crippiling all over me .
"Um when you guys gratuated middle school ,we first decided to inroll James into a boarding school ,to maybe help with his terrible actions"
"That was Zion's idea ,i didn't really like it but at the moment i thought it was for the best ,that maybe it would help him somehow"-she chucles through her tears.
I nod for her to continue .I imagine James at a boarding school ,breaking all the rules and befriending every person there.
"When we told him this news ,he had a total breakdown,he said he didn't want to leave cause he still had something to do here"
"That night i baked him these exact cookies and listened to him finally expressing his feelings"-she offers me a cookie and i decline.She tries again and this time i take it and shove a bite into my mouth .
"He told me that the reason he didn't want to leave was because he wanted to apologise to you"-i choke on my cookie .I drink some hot choclate to help down the cookie.I must be dreaming ,there's no way this is real.
"He told me that you had blocked him all over social media and that you changed your number"-i remeber the night i did that.Our class groupchat was talking about what they were going to wear ,where they planned to go celebrate after graduation and the realization that i was not invited anywhere while James gets to enjoy hanging around with his friends killed me .
He had texted me the night before graduation.
"Can we talk?please ."-the text had said .I was so angry that i didn't even think twice before blocking him and asking mom to change my number .
"And he also told me you didn't allow your mom to give me your new number"
"He insisted he went to the same high school as you so he could see you and somehow make up for everything he did"
I feel ill .My head hurts after gathering all of this information .I feel like im going to faint.Somehow the cookie i just ate is forcing it's way out of my mouth.
I hold a grip firm on the couchs's armset .
"Sweetie are you alright?"-ms.Audrey puts a hand on my forhead .
"Oh my god you're hot and you're sweating"-she feels up my cheeks and runs to the kitchen .
She brings a white ,wet cloth and places it on my forhead.
She instructs i lay down and i obey her.
This is to much.James has always felt bad ? I always thought he was proud of what he did.He sure acted like it .I have a milion thoughts running on my head but the worst one is -Did he do all of these nice things and act like this just because he wanted to clear his conscience? Or worse -Did he just feel sorry for me?
Speaking of the devil ,there walks James ,his hair sweaty and his white shirt rolling up showing just the right amount of skin ,his uniform and stick in hand .He's taking off his helmet when he spots me and freezes .
He blinks and rushes over to crouch on the floor close to the couch.
I can bearly look down at him.
Im gonna throw up .
He pulls my dampy hair out of my face and the concered look on his face makes me smile .But then that bad thought creeps into my mind again.My smile falls and i weakly point an accusing finger at him and say "We need to talk"
YOU ARE READING
Setting Ourselves Up
Romance"Fuck you, Springs" - he spats "In your dreams, Henderson" "How'd you know?" - he replies, with a smirk on his face. Jade Springs only had one goal in her life and that was to make it till 20. See,Jade wasn't really a very happy person. She was qu...
