Forever And A Half

48

Week 7:

"Do you want to stay?" Joe asked again. I groaned,

"Are you going to keep asking me that question," he nodded and I groaned again, "It feels like you've been asking forever and a half,"

"It's only been a day," he laughed, "You're over over exaggerating!" he added the extra 'over' for emphasis. We had been spending the day walking through town for a final tour before I left. I had decided to return to Brisbane. I didn't have a valid reason but it just felt like the best idea.

"Okay fine, I want to stay but I can't. I have to go home to mum. Whether she likes it or not, she needs me, even if Tracey is there," he nodded. We walked towards Gelatissimo. I ordered two scoops and so did Joe. We sat down with our ice cream,

"I have a gift for when we get home," I almost choked on my ice cream,

"It's not another offer is it? I'm still stressed after the last offer," he laughed lightly.

"No, no. I promise you'll like this one. It is a physical gift, one that you can hold in your hands," I nodded. We finished our ice cream and continued to wander around. He showed me his school, the one I could possibly be enrolled in. He basically brought me around to all the things and places he hadn't showed me in the previous seven weeks that I had been in Perth. It was fun and relaxing, it took my mind off the looming question that I would have to answer soon.

We entered the house and there was a box on the counter. Joe made me sit down beside it and he grabbed his camera to video it. He did a quick introduction and then pointed the camera to me. I pulled off the lid and peered inside. I pulled out a poster. It had a large heart in the centre with the words 'forever and a half' printed inside. Pictures had been arranged onto the poster with a glossy finish, they were all of Joe and I. I looked up at him in awe,

"I don't know what to say," I beamed at him, "I love it," I read the words over and over. I looked at each picture carefully. We really had gotten close over the holiday for there to be so many photos of us together.

"There you go guys, she's speechless," he turned off the camera.

"I just have one question. Through the holidays, there have been little references to the words forever and a half. They all seem to include either me or you. What does it mean?" he looked at me,

"Your mum never told you?" I shook my head. He sighed, "When we were little, you visited and we were the best of friends. Our mum's couldn't separate us, and if they did then we'd cry until we were back together. Then your mum had to leave so she could go back to Brisbane and our mum's would Skype each other so we could talk. The last time we Skyped each other before we lost connection I asked if we'd be friends forever and you said forever and a half," I nodded and smiled,

"That is so adorable. And everyone remembers that but me?" he nodded. I lay back, "Wow I've been so oblivious to this my whole life. I didn't even know that we'd met each other," he lay down with me as well.

"Oh well, you know now," I smiled. I closed my eyes and relaxed in the warmth from his body, "So, do you want to stay?"

"Joe!"