One Of The Girls

Chapter 1: Josh

​Let me just start this story by saying this: I'm typical.

To convince you, I'll list some examples of my normality. I am on my high school's basketball team, but I'm not particularly good at it. My favorite color is blue. I have never made honor roll, but I have never been called into the principal's office or gotten detention either. I'm half decent at singing, but never picked up guitar. I hate doing homework, and I never get enough sleep. My hair is brown. I am straight, male, and sit around the six foot tall range.

I'm nothing special, or out of the ordinary, or even interesting really. But she is. She is who this story is about, and she is extraordinary. Trust me, I would know. I have lived on 5114 Acre Street my entire life, and her window has been across from mine since day one. Her name is Beatrix, and she has been my best friend for 18 years.

You're about to hear a whole lot more about her (a whole book's worth), so I'll stop this monologue here—just understand that I have never deserved her.

It was after a party the night before school started our senior year that our story really begins. Let me paint you the picture: I am laying on my back on my bed, browsing on my phone, when I get a text from Thomas.

Thomas: Hey, where was B tonight?

​Me: idk

​Thomas: Oh come on, you know

Bee and I are together almost constantly, so it's not out of the ordinary for me to be questioned about her whereabouts (even by her parents), but that doesn't mean I know where she is every waking moment.

​This time, though, he's right. I do know where she was tonight. She stayed home watching a new show on Netflix. The rest of our friends and I went to a back-to-school party at my girlfriend's house. I got to see all my friends before school tomorrow except for her. I wish Bee had come, but she didn't, which was actually no surprise for two reasons. Number One: she hates my girlfriend. Number Two: for the last month of summer vacation, Bee has been entirely M.I.A. We have been texting, but I haven't seen her in person in what feels like forever.

​Me: No, actually, I don't know

​I lie to Drew because I don't want to give him the satisfaction.

​Drew:  Lies.
​
​Me: Nope.

​Drew: You guys are always together.
​
​Drew: I bet you're together right now.

​Me: Am not. Haven't seen B all day.
​
​​I turn and look out my window to see if she's in her room. Our houses are so close we could reach out and knock on each other's window panes if we wanted.

​Her blinds are closed, like they have been for a month. I half expect her to open them and wave like she used to, but she doesn't. So, I wait for the signal that she gives me every night. When it comes I breathe a sigh of relief: she flickers her off and on twice, and then the light from her window is gone. I stretch my arm out and do the same with the lamp on my bedside table. We've been saying goodnight like this since fourth grade. After that, I roll over and get some sleep.