The Exchange Student, the Pop Prince and the Raffle Tickets

Chapter Forty-Four: The Brunch and a Best Friend

Driving to the luncheon that day was nerve-racking. Bindi was furious. Jesse was taking deep breaths, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. Leanne had practically begged to stay at the apartment. I, however, was thinking of different major scenarios and ways to deal with them. Gosh, wasn’t I getting mature.

“This sucks.” I sighed slamming the door to the Range Rover. Well that’s really mature, I sighed thinking.

Bindi had a look of distraught on her face but other than that, she looked amazing. Her dark straight hair placed just past her shoulders with bangs that covered her light brown eyes, a motif white t-shirt, black jeans and a cute chunky cardigan.

However mad I was at her – and I was still very mad at her – I was also so proud. She had grown up. Maybe now she could finally live out her dream of being a novelist (did she still want to do that?), she had it in her.

Jesse in a navy t-shirt, casual coat and jeans combo, as always looked supermodel/ athletic hot. He winked at me before guiding us to the restaurant. The night before he made me promise that whatever happens I would sit next to him. I don’t think I would ever know how I struck such luck in finding a friend like Jesse Strachenburg.

We sat; me in the middle the other two beside of me. I gripped Bindi and Jesse’s hand giving them a small smile. Bindi looked scared and unsatisfied but the smile I got back from Jesse made up for it. This was going to a team effort and we all knew it.

I always knew that Sarah and Eli looked most alike but sitting them together the way they were now and you would have mistaken them for some kind of weird age-difference twins.

They both looked drawn, tired, nervous but happy. All in one expression. Joseph still looked how he always looked, stern. I always thought I liked Joseph, turns out I never really got to speak to him and when we did, we argued.

I started the conversation off first, seeing as no one really wanted to speak. “So, what’s everyone ordering? I haven’t had a good fry-up in ages…

Our awkward situation was getting more and more uncomfortable. I had images of our Sunday posh dinner’s together back when everything seemed a lot less messed up. Back when I thought what I was going through then was a disaster. I poked at my full English breakfast wanting nothing more than to be chatty and relaxed. My theory of not regretting anything was starting to backfire…

I glanced to Bindi, she looked fed up. Why couldn’t I ever help her? All this for her and she looks even more angry and even more unhappy than before.

I had thought that I was the hero. I had found someone who didn’t want to be found… but then, it hit me; if I was to read a story about a girl who didn’t want to be found… why would I want someone to find them, if they were fine?

Maybe I had this all wrong. I chewed my scrambled eggs slowly looking around the table just as slowly; if the person who found the girl who went away on purpose, would they count as the hero or the annoying character, or worse?

Unexpectedly, even to me, I stood up. I looked down at the table thinking of what to say, so I didn’t say anything. Without warning, I grabbed Bindi by the arm, pulled her up and walked towards the door.

 

Finally Sarah burst out. “I just wanted you to be happy Bindi.”

Bindi and I both winced stopping us in our tracks.

“You can’t just leave! We need to talk about is what you plan on doing now that you are back.” I heard Joseph say behind us.

I turned to Bindi sincerely being careful about my words. “If I went away, to get away, and someone found me and bought me back… that’s not being a hero. That’s a villain.”