Things To Say Before I Go

Chapter 31: Jess

"To my mom, dad, my sister Amanda, and my sister from another mister, Jess.  I couldn't have done this without you". 

This was the italicized dedication page in the front of the first ever copy of Kelsey's book. The copies were not ready for stores yet, but the publisher had just sent the first copy to Kelsey and she had run into the office, blowing off every one else that tried to talk to her until she made it to me and practically threw it to me. 

I looked up into Kelsey's beaming face. "This is amazing, Kels," I said. "You really didn't have to put me on there." 

Her mouth dropped and she punched my arm. "Don't be a bitch. Of course I did. Now let's go rub it in Nancy's face!" 

"Yeah, I'll be right there," I said, letting her run off. I grabbed my notebook out of my desk drawer and wrote 'I have never been more proud of you, Kelsey'. 

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I spent lunch by myself as Kelsey did her rounds of showing everyone in the office her new book. I sat at my desk this time, staring out the window in silence because there was this pervy guy named Justin who, now that Nate was in Arizona, felt it was the right time to hit on me. 

He asked if I liked horror movies, which I did. He said he only liked them when he had someone to cuddle with. I told him to go live with his mother if he wanted to cuddle. And despite the fact that I was doing everything in my power to be a total bitch to him, he still kept coming back for more. So, when I didn't have Kelsey by my side, defending me from pervy Justin, I decided to stay away from the break room which for the office, is the equivalent of a watering hole in the wild: everyone gathers there. 

So, very much like high school, I stayed to myself and looked out the window as I ate my chicken salad sandwich. I looked over to Nate's old window. Part of me hoped I'd see some sign of his, taped to the window, just waiting for me to read it. Instead, his spot was empty still. I sighed as I shifted my glance to the street below. 

The constant flow of people and car traffic was still moving. Looking at it from this bird's eye view, I could see what people wouldn't like about the seemingly constant claustrophobic feeling of moving throughout the city in this way. But in my mind, I found so many redeeming qualities about the city that somewhere along the way, I decided I could look past my dislike of majority of the human race and coexist in the Big Apple. Nonetheless, I missed Nate. 

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I stopped and grabbed the bundle of mail tucked in the box to the left of my front door. I didn't expect anything but junk mail and bills, which are my favorite presents ever (note the sarcasm). I brought the small bundle into the kitchen where i put my bag down on the counter and slowly sifted through the envelopes. Bill, bill, junk mail, bill, junk mail, bill, thank you note. I opened the small white envelope that so obviously came from my sister. 

I opened up the ornate card which read, 

'Dear Jess, 

Thank you so much for coming and singing at our wedding. It meant the world to us that you could come and your performance was amazing. Call us when you get this! We have something exciting to tell you! 

Thanks again and much love, Ali and Thomas'. 

It seemed strange to me that my sister would want me to call her. I mean, we hardly ever called each other anyway. But, knowing that the only other thing for me to do was to open the bills sitting in front of me, I grabbed my phone out of my bag and dialed my sister. It rang twice before she answered. 

"Jess? Oh my gosh, you're going to be so excited." I rolled my eyes but smiled. I was slightly intrigued by what she was so giddy about. 

"Okay, what did you need to tell me?"