like lightning: jack harries

twenty

LAURA

Frustration was rolling out of me, streaming out of the booth and out of the doors and into the street. Red, hot, steaming, jealous, frustration. What was wrong with me? What was wrong with him? Dorky, unbelievably sweet, stupid Jack turned into a douchebag over night-- who did this to him? Amber? Teen angst?

All of a sudden I had a plate of pancakes in front of me and I scarf them down, filling up my body with more coffee than I needed after. Peter sits calmly in front of me, beginning his last careful incision on his omelet.

"I don't know about you, but Jack seemed pretty alright to me." Peter chirps, taking his last bite.

"At least he realized your existence." I grumble, casting a glance at the booth in the far corner where Jack and Amber sat deeply in conversation, Amber consisting laughing and smiling sweetly and Jack continuing his narrative with his stupid new douchebag persona. Amber's eyes are wide, electric blue oceans that seemed to hang on every word that leave Jacks lips. And every motion she does-- drinking orange juice, pushing her blonde hair behind her ears, doing that stupid flirty shoulder push-- looks so ....pretty. I bet the air she breathes is pretty. I didn't understand it.

Suddenly Ambers eyes meet mine and I look back at Peter in a flash, my hands still seeming to be shaking even worse after being caught in the act of Spying on With Jealousy.

"Anyway, we should just pay and, um.... get out of here." I mutter.

**

*

After we drive home we walk into a kitchen that is torn apart-- predictably-- with my mother standing in the eye of the storm with the hurricane of pots and pans surrounding her. Cardboard boxes lined the floor, filled with years worth of old china and rusty silverware. My grandma stands by her, murmuring about this or that as my mother moved kitchenware from cupboard to box like a machine.

"Uh, mom," I say.

"Oh, hey kids-- we're just sorting through some kitchen stuff-- anyway, Laura, there's something in your room for you." My mom smiles her dorky mom smile, her eyes directing towards upstairs.

"Ok." It was probably a toaster.

I go upstairs, slowly, checking my phone half way. As I walk down the creaky hallway I hear humming coming from my bedroom, my pace quickening and my door flying open to expose no other person but my best friend.

"What the hell?!" I exclaim.

"LOOOOLLAAAA!" Ana replies, attacking me with a barrel roll of a hug.

"Ana... Ana, get off, seriously I .. ouch --" Ana lifts her head of crazy wild curls off my chest and lets me stand up but keeps her arms tightly wrapped around me.

"It's so good to see youuuuuuuu." She sings, twirling me in circles dancing around my tiny room, her hair bouncing uncontrollably all over.

"Ohmygosh, how are like- how you even here?" I breath, holding her down to a stand still.

"Well, the Parents are staying at The Dorchester while I'm here-- super fancy hotel, ohmygod, it's actually obnoxious. Way too white, too. But anyway, we just dropped Raphael off in Madrid to meet up with his family and we thought we'd stop by in London for a couple of days to see my dearest, dearest, Lola." She sighed, petting my head.

Ana's family was rich. Her mom was the CEO of this one jewelry company and her dad was a large scale building contractor-- ensuring enough money for a humungous, insanely incredible house, summers full of travel, and the fluidity of high fashion within their children (Today Ana wore tight, denim skinny jeans with a black leather jacket on top, with brown, heeled ankle boots. The whole outfit probably costed above $350-- and this was what she called 'casual summer wear').

She grins and flops down on my squeaky bed, pulling me down with her to lean against the headboard.

"So." Ana began, her massive head of curls bouncing in my face. "Apart from your bedroom looking like an old folks home, the rest of house is ....charming."

"Charming in having everything squeak and being 50 years outdated, that is."

"I like it." She says, popping her bubble gum in my face. "It's vintage."

"Thanks."

"Anyway, I need to take you to this new mall they opened in Manhattan the other week-- I mean, once you get back and all-- but, like, it has everything. Seriously Lola, who knew you could fit a Prada, Chanel, and Escada all in one floor? And I know you hate when I buy you things, but I found the cutest sweater that'll go perfect with those silly leather pants I bought you last year ....."

Ana's words were soon drawn out as eyes lingered over to Jacks bedroom through the windows I forgot to cover with curtains and my stomach knotted all over again at the thought of him. But OK-- I'm over it. I really, really didn't care if Jack has totally become a new person in the week and a half that I haven't seen him and has decided to blatantly ignore me. Like, people get ignored all the time. And I have other friends. I have Peter. And Grandma. And Ben, I suppose.

Suddenly Ana squeezes my arm and I was shook back into consciousness.

"Laura, wait -Laura, ohmygod, who's that?" She whispers, her eyes widening.

I followed her eyes to no other than Jack, who had just entered his bedroom that ironically wasn't concealed by curtains. A silent alarm goes off telling me to Close your curtains! Close your curtains! Close your curtains! before he sees us but I somehow ignore it and squeeze Ana's hand instead.

"Uh, that's just ..." I said, my thoughts suddenly clouded by the idea of Amber possibly  following him in. (But she doesn't) He picks up a book from off of his messy bedside table (could it be Juniper Anne?) and begins to walk out. Just as I try to read the words on the cover his eyes met mine and we both freeze.

His unreadable eyes float on Ana and I, my eyes between his stupid face and the book I had given him just 2 weeks ago.

"Um, Laura," Ana says.

My eyes snap from his before I can yell HELLO I EXIST while my hands fumble with the curtains, closing them as quickly as I can while all I can think about is how thankful am I thank my shirt is on this time.

"What'd you do that for?" Ana still whispers, attempting to reopen the curtains but failing when I hold down her arms.

"We're not spying on Jack, Ana." I say, taking 2 breaths to regain my consciousness.

"What, your hot neighbor Jack you didn't tell me about?" She grins and wiggles her eyebrows.

"Yes, exactly."

"Well?" She says, her eyes huge. "What about him?"

"What do you mean?"

She stares me down.

"Well, he's ... nice, I guess."

"Oh, for Gods sake..." Ana rolls her eyes. "I need the real meat, here."

I sigh and tell her about Jack.

"Ohmygosh, he sounds so much prefect." Ana gushes.

"Why , that he babysat my brother for a week?" I hop off the bed. "You haven't even met him."

"Whatever." She follows me off the bed. "I can just tell that he'd be perfect for you. I can smell it."

I stop walking out of my room and tornado around to face her. "Ana, why can't I just be friends with someone without you suggesting that I should be in love with them?"

She puts her hands on her hips and looks at me like I'm stupid. "Because you're totally blushing right now, Lola."

I touch my cheeks, which were burning. What?