Vanished

Chapter 4

"Well, breakfast was good."

We just finished eating breakfast and are now sitting in Josh's room. His dad is currently at work while his mom is doing laundry.

"Yeah it was." Josh replies. "You want to have that conversation now?" He says a little cautiously.

I sigh, "I guess."

He waits for me to continue, looking at me expectantly.

"Okay, where to start?" I let out a puff of air, "I guess I should start with the fact that I've never felt like I belonged in my environment. Everyone around me acted like material things were more important than real human connections and that just wasn't me. It seemed like the people I called my friends were trying to one up me in everything I did. Whether that be through buying something more expensive or having better clothes, everyone was trying to be the best. I came to a point in my life where I was sick of it."

Josh looks at me with his full attention, yet I could tell he wasn't understanding fully.

"My mother is a life and business coach and I've never met my dad, as you know, so I don't know what he does but I know he makes a ton of money. Basically Josh, my family is really well off in the money department if you know what I mean."

Before responding, Josh pauses for a second to ask his next question.

"Okay, well how well off are we talking B?"

I answer slowly.

"Well, my house has an indoor pool and 6 bedrooms..."

"WHAT?!" Josh screams loudly, almost jumping in his seat at the surprising answer.

"Jeez Josh chill. See, this is why I didn't want to tell you."

"Why? Because you knew I would be surprised as fuck that my best friend is rich?!" He says looking at me with wide eyes.

"No, because I didn't want this to change how you feel about me. So many people have used me just for my money and I didn't want this to change our friendship. You would be surprised how many people I thought were real friends ended up using me." I reply sadly.

Josh calms down from the shot and looks at me regretfully.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it seem like I was excited that you were rich. I was just surprised. You should know by now that this, or anything else for that matter. would never change our friendship. You have been with me through the hardest times and you having more money than I thought doesn't change how I feel." He smiles at me and brings me in for a quick hug

I smile in return "Wow, no need to get all mushy Josh."

He pushed me with his shoulder and chuckles

"Whatever, billionaire Bailee. Haha see what I did there." And there's that cheesy smile again.

"I'm not even a billionaire Josh. And that was corny." I try hard not to laugh at his dumb rhyme but of course I fail.

He smiles in victory "It got you to laugh though."

"Yeah, whatever." I say while getting off the bed and beginning to put my coat on.

"Hey, where are you going? I was just joking."

Josh says, worried that he might have offended me.

"Well, you did say you wanted to see my house, today didn't you?"

And that's all it takes to have Josh up off the bed and out the door in under a minute.

In the car

We are in my car on the way to my house. Josh is in the passenger seat singing to the new Sam Smith song when he suddenly turns sown the volume.

"Hey, B?"

"Yeah Josh?"

"I just thought of something. If you are so rich, then why do you work at the café? Also, why do you go to public school? Plus, why are you driving this old car?" He asks in a quick succession as if he just relied all those things were uncommon for someone in my position.

"Because I wanted to have a normal life." I answer simply.

He looks at me confused.

"Well rich people live normally in their own way. It depends on the perspective. If they were raised rich, and that's all they know, then that's their normal."

Hm... I never thought of it like that.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. What I mean when I say normal is normal for me. I told you that even though I was raised in that environment, I never felt like myself and that's why I enrolled in public school an everything else. Basically, to just be happy."

Josh looks at me thoughtfully.

"Dang, that's really sweet B. I'm glad you put yourself first because if you hadn't of, we wouldn't have met."

I smile at him and start to pull into my driveway.

"We're hear Josh."

He stops looking at me a suddenly looks out the windshield to see the "small mansion" that was my house (as my friends use to call it, apparently not being big enough to them.

"HOLY SHIT! Your house has pillars?!" Josh exclaims while simultaneously getting out of the car to get a better look.

I laugh "Yeah Josh, it does."