British Joey

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Do I have to go to school?" I plead to Olivia. I have a fat cast over my left leg and I look pale and horrible. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, you do!" she said for the fifth time this morning. 

I sighed. She wasn't my mum but she was sure acting like it. If only...

"But my stomach feels so bad all of a sudden. I feel like I'm going to throw u-" 

"Joey honey," she laid a gentle hand on my shoulder. "There's no need to make excuses,"

"But it isn't an excuse!" I lied. 

"I'm Elliot's mother. Remember that," and with that, she took her purse off the hook and walked away, clicking and clacking all the way to the front door. Her shoes, I mean.

"Argh!" I stomped my foot that didn't have the cast on the hard granite floor and headed back to my room. 

I slipped on a pair of skinny jeans and a blue cozy jumper. It was January and extremely cold. I shivered as I stepped outside, but then my phone buzzed in my front pocket and I stepped back inside to take the call.

I really wanted to talk with Elliot but I didn't want to be the one to call him because it'll seem like I'm trying too hard and I really want him to call me, but he isn't, Wow. I am really girly today.

But...it wasn't him. It was Thomas.

"Hey Thomas! What's up?" I stuck my hands in my jean pockets. They felt so cold I swear they was going to fall off. 

"I know you're probably on your way to school but I just wanted to ask you something," he sounded nervous.

"Sure. What?" I was getting a tiny bit impatient. IF I had to attend school, I didn't want to  be late.

"Would you like to go out with me this Friday?" he said straight out. I nearly fell over from this directness.

"Wh-what?" man I was pathetic. But for some reason, it felt as if I was cheating on Elliot even though there's nothing going on between us. Or nothing that I knew of.

"Would. You. Like-" he repeated once again. But this time, slower.

"Yeah sure. But just as friends?" I said hopefully. I like Thomas, I really did. He was so nice and he wasn't bad looking either. But I just saw him as a friend. And not in that way... But the moment those words left my lips. I felt as guilty as hell. "I really like you it's just..."

"I understand. As friends?" he didn't sound as mad as I thought he would sound but he was definitely not happy.

"As friends," I confirmed before hanging up. So I got a "date" this Friday... 

-----

"You what?" I gasped as I slapped a hand over my mouth.

"Charlie didn't go to the trip and well, our relationship progressed," Grace looked fondly at Charlie and placed a hand on his chest.

"B-but," I looked from her to him to her multiple times before continuing, "wow! That's great, I guess! I just didn't think you guys would you know, get together," I smiled, sort of.

"Yeah, me neither. Hey Charlie," she smiled at him.

"Mhmm," he looked at her with so much emotion I looked away. 

"I hated you before you know that?" she giggled.

"This is not helping our relationship!" he pretended to sound hurt and pulled away, but I could see his hand was still placed gently on the small of her back.