Conquering Distance

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I knock on the cream colored door and wait. Slowly, it opens and the overwhelming smell of cookie dough enters my nostrils. "Selena!", Taylor beams," c'mon in!"

Stepping through the doorframe, I'm greeted by a small grey cat. Meredith.

"How's Mere doing?" She meows at me and rubs her head along my shin. I reach my hands out and she jumps into my arms. I stand up to find Taylor placing a cookie sheet into the oven. Sitting at the island, I wait for her to finish washing her hands. In this time Meredith has taken the opportunity to jump onto the counter and play with a bell. This calms me, Taylor's home. "So, what's wrong?", she asks me. Automatically, like an older sister.

"Mom has been pressing me about getting out more and Justin. It's quite annoying.... I had lunch with Josh today.", I tell her.

She blows her bangs out of her face. I take in her figure, tall, skinny, and pale. Somehow she always seems tense though. Right now, with her fingers spread against the granite counter top, she looks even more uneasy than usual.

"Maybe Mandy is right? Get over Justin. That may just help you get out more. I know you don't like going places...you never have. And Josh?", she pauses for a few seconds, "what's going on with him?... Like..YOU and him?" Did she really just suggest that something is going on between Josh and I? "Hey, you've liked him FOREVER. I think we all know that. He's just too blind to see that. However," the oven starts beeping and she pulls out the cookies, "I'm not."

I roll my eyes at her and say, "there's nothing going on with him and...I so you can stop suggesting that. We're just friends thats all we will ever be."

"Good God, Selena! What goddamned mental problem do you have? You BOTH like each other. Know that.", she pokes my forehead, "then you wouldn't be single and dating douches."

_____________

After leaving Taylor's in the morning, Josh texts me.

J: I have an extra plane ticket to Hawaii. You wanna come?

Pushing open the front door the smell of a fire place invalids my noise. "Mom!" I go to her room where her and Brian are laying in bed still. "Remember how I said Josh was going to Hawaii? He asked me to come along and I said I had to ask you." Her eyes practically pop out of her head when I ask. That usually means no. I start to lower my head when she speaks.

"Oh my god! She's actually getting outta the house!", she yells and squeals at my step

dad.

I text Josh and tell him to count me in only 2 two weeks and six days to go.