Just Friends

Chapter Four

I'm up early the next morning. I'm the first one up, not surprisingly. I can hear Jake snoring across the hall. Yawning I shower quickly and get dressed in some jeans and a cropped jumper. Then I make some effort to neaten my hair though it almost never works. Then I jump, skip and hop downstairs for breakfast. I make myself a simple bowl of cereal. Cornflakes are always my go to.

"So where do you want to go first?" I ask Rose once we get in the car.
"Don't ask me, I just moved here!"
"Um.. What about the.. Mall?"
"Yes! Let's go shopping!" She laughs and I can't help but join in.

The mall is in the centre of town. A big building with many windows and a packed car park. We pull up into the only empty space left.

"Here, Rose try these on!" I hand her a golden frilly dress. It looks beautiful and would look great on her, I could already tell.
"Ooh OK!" She takes it and closes the curtain.
I wander about until I get a text.

Rose: Can you help me zip this up?

I hurry back and open the curtain cautiously. The zippers half done up.
"I think Its a size too small.." I think aloud.
"Hang on, let me get one a size bigger."
I return with a bigger dress, "Here see if that fits."
Rose slides the dress off and I blush and look way. Why am I blushing?

She then tugs on the other dress.
It's a perfect fit.
"Yes thank you!"
"No problem" I smile. She gives a little twirl.
"Its looks incredible on you!" I say.
"Maybe next time" Rose pouts.
"What do you mean?"
"It's sixty dollars, I don't have that much right now."
She changes back into her normal clothes
"Oh my gosh Grace this suits you perfectly!"

Before we leave I ask the to put the dress on hold.

"OK, I need a refreshment, how about the juice bar?"

Later:

"Thanks for today" Rose says when we pull up at her house.
"I had so much fun," I gush. She gives me a hug before running inside. It felt like the day had gone too qiuck.

The house was empty when I got home, mum was most likely working late and only God knows where Jake is.
I send Rose a quick text telling her how much I enjoyed her company then settle down on the couch to flick through netflix. I pick a movie and grab a blanket. Soon I'm asleep on the couch.

I wake up in bed. It's Saturday which means school goes back in two days. My phone pings with a text message. I silently pray it's Rose.

Rose: Wanna meet up at the Park?
Me: Yes! Of course, what time?

I sigh in happiness.

Rose: Now?

Okaaayy, jumping out of bed I grab the nearest item of clothing, it just happens to be the same thing I wore yesterday. Oh well. I grab a banana from the kitchen, grab a hair tie and close the door behind me. Seven minutes, not bad Grace, not bad.
I head down the mainstreet toward the edge of town. I presume that's the park shes talking about. Presume. Becuase I've never been so excited to see someone on my whole life I arrive in record time. The parks empty, it consists of a set of swings, a climbing frame and monkey bars. Not the most entertaining but I doubt Rose and I where going to spend hours sliding down a 'slippery dip'.

I sit on one of the swings and almost instantly Rose comes around the corner. Her face lights up and I feel a smile stretching over my face as well. She runs over and sits on the swing opposite.
She eyes my outfit.
"I didn't have any to change okay, you gave me extremely late notice."
She laughs.
We sit there and talk for awhile before Rose turns serious.

"What? Are you OK, was it something I said?" I asked worriedly. I didn't want to lose a new friend, especially now.
"No, no way, I'm just, promise you wont laugh?" She asks.
"Promise," I replied.
"OK, the thing is, I'm scared of starting a new school." She says, her cheeks turning pink. She looks cute like that and all I want to do is wrap her in a hug.

"Don't worry about school, Hilberry Higb is amazing, the teachers are awesome." I tried to reassure her.
"Thanks Grace but it's not the teachers I'm scared of, it's the kids."
I gulped. She was right, she should be worried.
"Im scared too, who know's what will happen." I whispered.
"Hey," She nudged my arm gently.
"At least we have each other."

By the time we leave its late afternoon.
"You are one of a kind Grace," Rose says completely out of no where.
"Is that good or bad...?" I grin.
"Good, definitly good."

That night was spent on the phone to Rose. We talked from. Nine to four in the morning. Even then we didnt hang up. Rose talked about her fears and I tried my best to make her feel better. I'm pretty sure those attempts had no affect, on either of us.

The next day was spent preparing for the next term. Jake was out for most of the day, he said he was hanging out with some close friends. I didn't question him. I'd learnt to just let it go over the last couple of months. He never tells me where he is or what he's doing. Unlike me though, Jake had to know where I am every second of the day. To make sure I'm OK, which is nice but most of the times I wish he'd leave me alone.

I went to bed that night worried but not as much as I was a week ago. Becuase now, I have something I didn't think I would have.

I have a friend.

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Ahhhhh! I live this book soo much. 💕
And, surprise, a super early update!! I've had a lot of time on my hands lately so why not?
Anyway, what do you think, what do you think happened last summer? Did you guys use to call the slide a slippery dip? I did. 😂
See you all next time.