If We Were Perfect (herophine)

Chapter One: Anything That You Want

SIX MONTHS PRIOR- MAY

Hero

My fingers glide across Josephine's soft skin with ease. She was quiet, calm, as I tighten my grip around her waist, making sure that she wouldn't fall into the pool. Our backs stuck to the rubber pool float underneath us and we stare up at the stars in silence. The only sound that fills the night is the sound of crickets chirping around us. She turns her head and looks into my eyes. A soft smile fills her lips and her hand strokes my cheek. I hear one of our phones vibrate from the chair next to the pool, but neither of us move to go and grab it.

"Hero, go see if it was my Mom? If so I should probably head home." She tells me. I sigh, then roll off the float, plunging legs first into the cool water. The water didn't feel pleasant, specially since the Spring night air was cold as it hit my skin, making me even colder than I was before I close my eyes and push myself against the water, then stop a few seconds later when I make it to the ladder.

My hands are the first part of my body to come in contact with ice cold ladder, then my bare feet. I don't take my time like I did earlier when it was 80 degrees and sunny, showing off my body to my amazing girlfriend, but the air was too cold, so I don't hesitate at getting out.

"Is it my Mom?" She asks as I pick up both of our phones, "No, it's mine actually."

"Why is she calling you if she's upstairs?" Josephine ask with a soft chuckle, then jumps off the float and joins me by the pool side.

"She wants me to come inside, you can probably stay a little longer if it's okay with your Mom." I suggest and she shrugs, wrapping her neon blue towel around her body.

"I might stay a little longer, but my flight to Chicago leaves at 6:00 A.M." She replies. I wanted her to stay longer. Get dressed in comfortable clothes and watch a movie, but she had a point. Her flight left in less than twelve hours and it's not like she could sleep on the flight. She can't close her eyes for too long in the car or she gets sick to her stomach.

"Long enough for a movie?" I ask with a teasing smile and she shakes her head.

"Maybe an episode of a show?" She says and puts her hand out for me to take, I take it in mine, then lead her to the sliding glass doors.

"How about an episode of The Office?" I ask, shutting and locking the door.

"I was thinking more along the line of Friends or Bob Ross, but if not, it's okay. I won't be mad." She tells me, grabbing her dry clothes off my bed, then leaving the room to go to the guest bathroom down the hall.

I shut my bedroom door and lock it, pulling down my swim trunks as soon as the lock clicks. The warm air overcomes my naked body. I head over to my dresser and grab my boxers out, pulling them on so I wasn't standing bare naked in my bedroom. I grab my running shorts from my jog this morning and pull them on over my boxers.

After putting my shirt on, I head out to the hallway and knock on the door to the bathroom, seeing if she was almost done.

"Hero? Is it you?" She ask. I reply with a subtle yeah and she cracks open the door. Her blonde hair covers part of her face as she peaks out at me, embarrassed.

"Jo, what happened? Is everything okay?"

"Um, no, not really. Is your sister home?" She ask, and I knew exactly what was wrong as soon as she asked that. Thank god for Hadley being home, because if she wasn't, then we'd have a major problem. Hadley was my twin sister, who always loves to tell people that she's the older one because she was born twenty minutes before me. I met Josephine through her actually. Third Grade, and Hadley asked our Mom if a friend could come over. Mom said it was okay as long as it was okay with the friends parents, turned out Mom had already known the friend's Mom. They were co-workers, the two of them working for the same grade. Then, it all changed when Mom got promoted to Superintendent and Josephine's Mom became Principle for the High School. Now, all three of us are contently being watched by either mine and Hadley's Mom or Josephine's. It makes High School extra difficult if half the kids in your grade think that you're passing only because your Mom runs the district.

"I think so, I can check, just don't move." I reply and she nods, then shuts the door. I go upstairs as quickly as I can, taking them two steps at a time, and push open my sisters door, her head shoots up from being glued to her laptop screen.

"What do you want asshole?"

"Come with me, she can explain it without being awkward."

She rolls her eyes, then slams the lip to her laptop shut. I lead her down to the guest bathroom and knock on the door once more.

"Hadley?" Josephine ask.

Hadley replies and slowly opens the door, then slams it shut behind her, locking the two girls in the room. I head out to the living room and head into the smaller living room, the one were Mom usually leaves the TV off and sits in silence to grade papers or read a book, and turn on the smaller TV.

I lay down on the couch, sprawling out and letting my feet hang off the edge of the loveseat. My grip on the remote is tight as I scroll through the channels while also waiting for Josephine and Hadley to get out of the bathroom.

A few minutes later, the two girls exit, but Josephine is still wearing her bathing suit. I sit up and look toward her.

"You're not staying?" I ask, I know the question seems a little rude, but I was still a little hurt.

"No, my clothes are ruined and its late. Can you take me home though?"

I nod, "Yeah, give me a minute to grab my shoes and keys."

Hadley hugs Josephine and I hear Jo thank her as I push by to go to my bedroom. I open the doors and hit the light switch. The dark blue walls seem lighter against the bright light. I grab my running shoes from the corner of the room, then my keys as I exit the room.

Josephine is waiting for me by the door, her hands clutching her towel tightly around her shot frame. Josephine was fit, she definitely knew how to stay in shape. Sometimes, we would do our runs together and compete to see who could get back home first. She usually won because she'd save her energy till the very end while I wasted mine when we started. She's been to After-school weight room with me a few times too, though not as often as our runs.

I pull open the passenger door for her, then head to the other side of my Civic. She buckles her seat belt, keeping the towel wrapped around my body. I sit down, the leather seat was cold behind my back and under my thighs.

"Is it too cold? Do you need me to turn on the heat?" I ask as I turn the key to start the engine. She nods, rubbing her legs with her hands, attempting to keep warm.

"I can't believe we graduate in a two weeks from today." She whispers. I look over to her momentarily and nod in agreement. Graduation seemed so scary to me. I was going to lose the girl I loved. She was going to Chicago for University because that's where her entire family was. Aunts, Uncles, Grandma's and Grandpa's. I wasn't sure where I was going. I sent out my first application when baseball season started. I would do anything for Josephine, she is my entire world and I will support her through anything and everything she wanted to do.

Annnnndddd that's chapter one! I hope you enjoyed it. Chapter two will be out as soon as I finish!