Heartbeat

Fourteen

Here's Fourteen... Enjoy. S, xx

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EMMA

Why wouldn’t anyone love Jordan for who he really is?

I mean, I know I don’t love him, but that didn’t mean someone else wouldn’t. There’s someone out there for everyone, even the ones that think they don’t deserve it. I blink to rid my eyes of the tears that sting me, and when I turn to follow Jordan’s gaze I see that Jess is lined up ready for her first race. She looks up to the stand and waves at Jordan, and without missing a heartbeat, he waves back.

The way he is with Jess and the way he is with me is so different to the Jordan he can be with his friends that I almost don’t recognize him. Why couldn’t he have always been like he is now, maybe then…

I shake my head, forcing the thoughts from my mind, not wanting to entertain them. Instead, I get back to the topic at hand.

“Do you get good grades?” I find myself asking the next question from the questionnaire.

“Surprisingly, yes,” he smiles. “Except for French and Calculus. I suck at Français, and Calculus goes over my head, but I do pretty well in every other class.”

He stands up and begins to shout Jess’s name at the top of his voice. Jess has taken the lead in the 100m butterfly and is beating her nearest rival by half a length. When she touches the wall first I hear Jordan give a loud whoop as Jess turns to wave at us in the stands. I give her a big smile and I clap enthusiastically as she drags herself out of the pool for a congratulatory hug from her coach.

“Jordan?” I ask quietly. “Who is the one person you’d trust with your life?”

“Jessie,” he answers without taking his eyes off his sister, the pride evident for everyone to see. “She’s the only one who gets me. Oh God, please don’t tell Adam I said that. He was the first friend I’d ever made here and if he finds out I trust a thirteen year old girl more than him, I don’t think I’d live to see tomorrow.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” I laugh. “Isn’t your birthday tomorrow?”

Jordan nods. “Yeah. Eighteen. There’s a party at Adam’s tonight if you want to come. Holly will be there with Sam, and Zoe’s going to be there too. And Logan.”

I catch the coldness in his voice as he utters Logan’s name, but since I’ve already explained my relationship with Logan, I don’t feel like I have to justify myself again. Logan and I were friends only.

“Adam’s your best friend right?” I turn the conversation back onto Jordan and his life. “I mean you and Sam are friends, but Adam is the best friend.”

Jordan laughs as he tells me that, while Adam is his best friend, Sam knows more about him because he was mature enough to understand him. Sam didn’t care for much of what Adam did and often made Jordan see sense when Adam had another hare-brained idea. Adam was the fun friend while Sam was the responsible friend.