The Significance of Orange Juice

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

I rested my head on my knees, watching the two figures in front of me. From a distance, they were the epitome of young love, wrapped so tightly around each other that it was hard to tell where one began and the other ended. His arms clutched her closer to his body as if she would fade away at any minute.

I closed my eyes to block the sight. A few days ago that would have been proof of the love between my best friend and her boyfriend. Now all I could see was the tension in Olivia’s stance, the desperate, hungry way that they made out. Instead of their love for one another, all I could see was their doubts.

How could I have missed it?

I looked up at the sound of footsteps approaching the bench I was sat at and smiled wanly as I took the coffee that Jay was holding out towards me. The bench creaked as he sat down next to me and took a sip of his own coffee.

I watched as Alex and Olivia joined the queue for the ice cream van, still unable to stop thinking of Olivia’s words. Jay’s gaze burned into the side of my head and I took a deliberate sip of coffee, pretending that I didn’t notice his attention. Of course, Jay never was one to give in so easily.

“If you think much harder, your brain will probably explode.” Jay wrapped his arm around my shoulder and tucked me into his side. The heat seeped into my frozen muscles but I stiffened with surprise.

 “Could you be any more immature?” I muttered as I shoved his arm away from me. Jay smirked and nodded instantaneously. Great, I thought grumpily, my own personal Peter Pan…

I returned my attention to the couple in front of me as Jay chatted animatedly beside me. My thoughts churned as I tried to think of a solution that would make everyone happy but nothing came to mind; someone was going to get hurt.

Eventually Jay must have realised that he’d lost my attention – not that he’d really had it in the first place – because he leaned forwards and flicked me on the forehead.

“Flipping heck, Jay, that hurt!” I moaned as I rubbed my sore head, “Couldn’t you have got my attention without resorting to violence?”

Jay laughed, loudly enough to startle the few pigeons pecking at the ground by our feet. “Firstly, I’ve been trying to get your attention for several minutes. And secondly, you are hardly a pacifist yourself, princess. I lost how many times you’d threatened me with bodily harm after I reached double figures.”

I scowled, scuffing my feet on the floor as I swung my legs. “Don’t call me princess.” Even as the words left my lips, I knew it was futile and the mischievous glint in Jay’s eyes did nothing to dissuade this notion.

The dark haired boy shuffled along the bench until he was pressed up against my side, lowering his head so that his mouth was alongside my ear. “And what do you plan to do about it?” he murmured.

I gulped nervously as the warm breath fanned across my neck. All of my worries about Olivia and Alex faded away as the dark haired boy in front of me became the entire focus of my attention. “I’ll whack you on the head with that stick?” I inclined my head to a reasonably sized stick that lay on the floor within arm’s reach, but the questioning tone to my words ruined the effect of my threat.

Jay pushed himself up off the bench and picked up the stick I’d pointed to, weighing it in his hands thoughtfully. My stomach twisted uncomfortably at Jay’s sudden departure and my forehead furrowed in confusion. Why was it that Jay’s presence affected me so much? And why did my stomach clench when he left so suddenly? Could it be that I…