Thirteen Summers

forty-five

THIRTEEN SUMMERS

How did crushes develop?

What was it that the human mind latched onto, deciding that this person was the one they wanted?

Was it the way their hazel eyes glistened in the sunlight? Sparkled in the light of the moon?

The way a single dimple appeared in their left cheek when they smiled, or the tiny freckles that adorned their nose?

Or was it the longing for closeness, a need to fulfill the aching in one's heart?

Josie didn't know, she didn't even know if she really had a crush or if this was just the product of overthinking.

It had been on her mind the last two days since Madison asked her if she was interested in any boys at school.

When she thought about her peers at school, a few were dating that she knew of but Josie didn't really know them, she didn't really know anyone like that to ask them advice about crushes.

And who was to say dating was her end goal? She just wanted to know what one does when this type of thing happens.

Sure she's had crushes before, tiny ones that were usually short-lived but as the day went on, she'd started to realise that whatever this was, this feeling had been there for longer than the past weekend.

Herds of kids emerged from the large, archaic school building, Josie was one of them.

She headed to the car, head down, lost in her own thoughts. In this state, she didn't pay much attention to her surroundings, bumping into a random upperclassman on her way.

"Sorry." Josie apologised, absentmindedly.

One would expect that to be the end of that encounter but this particular upperclassman liked to make things hard for people, as he stepped to the side as she did.

Josie didn't look up at him, clutching the handle of her backpack, she attempted to leave again but once again he got in her way,

The upperclassman looked down at her, a scowl on his face as he leaned his face down to hers. "What's your problem? You don't watch where you're going?"

"Sorry." Josie repeated, nervously. Her body stiffened, her palms began to sweat a little.

"I don't think you are." He lowered his voice.

Josie shifted on her feet, uncomfortably. Before she could think of what to say, someone else did.

"She said she's fucking sorry." Kai harshly butt in, approaching the two. "Actually she's not sorry, she takes that back."

He'd been leaning on the car, not too far away when he noticed the exchange and he didn't waste any time stepping in.

The guy's face dropped a bit, he tried to act nonchalant. "Kai, we were just joking around, man."

Kai kept his narrowed eyes on him, taking a drag from his cigarette as he then asked. "You know this girl?"

"Yeah...she's my sister, man."

Kai looked around in disbelief, laughing. "Well, that's fucking strange because I didn't know I had another brother, an ugly one at that."

The guy was lost for words. "Uh..."

"Uh, uh." Kai exaggerated, mocking him. "You dumb fuck."

In any other situation, Josie would've laughed but her nerves were shot and she didn't want to be there any longer.

"What's going on?" Nick asked as he arrived at the scene, he looked between Kai and the other guy.

Nick instinctively wrapped an arm around Josie, resting his chin on her head. "Hey, Jojo."