The One That Got Away (On-hold and Under Editing)

❤ Nine - Green bike ❤

❤ Chapter Nine - Green bike ❤

"Do I know you?" the guy asked. I didn't reply; I just ran to him and gave him a panda-bear hug, almost choking him. When I pulled away, I slapped him.

"Ow!" he rubbed his cheek.

"Where have you been?!" I demanded. He looked at me with a bewildered expression.

"Who are you?!"

I scoffed. "Oh come on, Pogz. Don't tell me you don't recognize your best friend!"

Now you might be wondering, 'What the fudge just happened?! Who is this dude?!' Well let me explain something to you; the dude that I just slapped? Yeah, his name is Hari Lim. He was my best friend back in Kansas, besides Blake.

And yes, his name is Hari. Not Harry, Hari.

"Piper?" he finally choked.

"Duh!" I exclaimed. He stood there, gaping at me. And then he grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me.

"Piperrrr!" he exclaimed. I laughed.

"How've you been, pogz?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "Oh gosh, Piper! I've missed you!"

I couldn't help but laugh again. "You think I haven't missed you, too?"

Suddenly, I remembered where I was heading to and why I was out on the streets in the first place.

"Wait, could you hold on a second?" I held my finger up at Hari.

I took out my phone and saw that Katie had texted me saying she wasn't at home. So I texted her back, saying "No probz, I just realized I'm gonna be busy, anyways. TTYL :)".

Slipping my phone back in my back pocket. I interlaced my left arm with Hari's right arm. "You up for coffee, old friend?" I asked as we walked down the sidewalk.

"Sure, drinks on me."

❤❤❤

Hari and I ended up sitting across from each other in the local cafe called "Ben's Coffee and Tea House".

I had ordered a simple hot chocolate drink while Hari had ordered something that I couldn't even pronounce. I sipped my drink, looking out the window. It was a little chilly outside, but the sun was still out.

"So how've you been, Piper?" Hari finally spoke. I looked at him and couldn't help a smile. He had grown so much already. The last time I saw him was when I was ten. Hari, Blake and I used to be best buddies, but then he moved to the city when we were ten and I had never known the reason why.

The last time I saw Hari, he looked like Russell from that movie "up". In other words, he was a chubby kid. Now, he was kind of muscular but still lanky. His black hair was cut short and he still had a childish look to his face. I had met Hari when I was probably about eight, and he and Blake were pretty close.

No, Piper. Stop thinking about Blake Gordon.

Or Blake Goldman!

Just... stop associating yourself with people named Blake!

"Piper, you there?" Hari snapped his fingers in front of my face.

"Oh, wh-what?"

"I asked you about how you've been," he reminded me.

I blinked. "O-oh, yeah. Um... things are okay, I guess. School isn't too hard, there aren't too many bullies-"

"But no boyfriend?"