Sometimes I find my eyes finding his figure in the mist of the crowd, like a ghostly presence that never seemed to disappear from my mind. It was odd how I always think about him or where he is right now. It pissed me off how big he was taking up my mind and manipulating me with just a small smile.
“Earth to Emily,” Velma giggled as she waved her fork over my eyesight. I blinked and looked at her with a tease filled smirk, “Hmn?”
“What’s this, your face is all flustered? Don’t tell me you are thinking something naughty?” Velma stabbed the fork into the salad and brought it to her lips, munching on the lunch food with appeal.
I stared at my food which consisted of a brown-yellow mushy substance, bleh no way I will eat this. “No I am not, it’s just really warm,” I shook my head and glanced at the table to the right near the exit doors.
There was Josh eating a sandwich with a bright smile, the people around him laughing at something he said. I sighed and made myself look away because I knew I didn’t want to see him with other people. I felt selfish thinking that I only want him to smile at me...
“Wait let me check for your temperature,” Velma put her palm against my forehead and frowned at the result. “Emily you have a fever, and it feels bad,” she told me as to which I huffed. “You need to go to the nurse,” she advised with a motherly tone.
“No, it’s alright. I feel fine,” I denied forcing a smile on my face. But then I felt lightheaded and my sight blurred for a spilt-second.
“I don’t think so,” Velma shook her head and put her fork down. “We have gym next period, and you don’t seem to have the energy to survive,” she said matter-of-fact.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure I can survive,” I said as I took a bite off the orange I had peeled. It was fresh and cold and it burned as I bit into the softness and let the liquid go down my throat. I knew if I looked upward again then I would see Josh and my fever is sure to increase, silly I realized but the truth.
~~
Sweat and screams filled the air, and ringed in my ears as the squeaks of sneakers rebounded from the floor. I felt dizzy as I grabbed the basketball and threw it straight to a team member; my breathing came out labored as I ran forward.
“Over here!” Velma yelled as she stood near the hoop. I watched as Velma caught the ball and with agile reflexes shot the ball into the hoop. Everyone cheered and then we began to fight for the basketball, I was getting tired of playing and its only fifteen minutes into the game.
“Hey, Josh pass it to me!” Daniel, a friend of his, waved from the left he was tall and muscular with light dark skin. I paused in my tracks and watched in a daze as Josh dodged two people in his direction and dribbled the ball against the floor. He was so cool, and I felt my face blush as I noticed how he too was blushing from the rush of the game. Sweat dribbled off his brow and he was laughing as he played with his friends.
“Emily! Watch out!” I snapped my head to the sound of my name and my eyes widened as the ball came straight toward my face. Perhaps it was the fact of my fever that I couldn’t process what was happening but I stood frozen as the ball impacted onto my face.
I fell back and hit the floor, my eyes were blurred and I felt so sleepy. “Emily!” I heard a deep voice yell fading into silence until everything was completely dark.
~~
“Emily,” Josh smiled as he touched my cheek and locked his gaze with mine. I blinked in puzzlement and realized we were alone in the nurse’s office. I sat up and swallowed the lump welled in my throat, “Josh what are you doing here?”
“I was worried about you, you silly girl,” he smiled as he suddenly stood up from the chair beside the bed. “Emily, you are so cute,” he commented as he brought his lips against mine and kissed me sweetly.
I couldn’t breathe and felt like my chest would explode from the heart booming inside me. “Josh,” I mumbled through the soft kiss, who knew how warm a kiss could feel.
“Emily? Are you alright?” A female voice invaded my ears, followed by a mature woman’s voice reassuring the first. “She just needs some rest Velma.”
Wait a minute…what happened to me kissing Josh? I peered up at the white ceiling and glanced around the nurse’s office. Please, don’t tell me it was just a dream and let me get back at kissing Josh.
“Nurse Joy, Emily woke up,” Velma reported and I sighed in disappointment when reality told me that it was just a dream I had been having. “What you seem like if you were expecting someone else,” she teased with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
“What no,” I turned away and hugged the warm cover, shielding my body from the cold. “I was not expecting anyone else,” it was a lie even I could detect.
“Well don’t worry because Josh is coming back to pick you up,” Velma stood up from the seat and I immediately sat up and grabbed her arm, she paused and tilted her head to the side.
“What? What do you mean Josh is coming back to pick me up?” I questioned with alarm, my face must have looked full of life at that moment.
“Nurse Joy asked Josh to take you home because of your fever, don’t worry he went to get changed a minute ago,” Velma explained and then stopped with a giggle. “He looked super worried when you fell during gym, and when he picked you up you…” she trailed off and I wanted to know what I did.
“I what…?”
“You hugged him and whispered his name, everyone heard you,” she giggled and I felt like my meter of embarrassment blew over the top. I slid back into the bed and felt a shiver climb my back; with a jerk of my hand I covered my face with the white covers.
“Let me die already,” I moaned in agony.
The door to the nurse’s office opened and I fell mute as the footsteps made their way toward me. “Excuse me, Nurse Joy?” My ears tingled when I heard the voice of Josh. “I came here to get Emily,” he said as he closed the door behind him.
“Of course Josh,” the nurse’s tone suddenly seemed more sugary.
“Bye Emily and take care of her Josh. See you tomorrow,” Velma said as she left the nurse’s office, what kind of friend leaves alone a friend in need with her crush?
YOU ARE READING
The distance between us
Storie brevi❝He seems so far away, even though he is within my fingertips.❞ Emily and Josh have known each other since they were children, and grew up together in their small neighborhood. Their relationship was based off friendship, but Emily has always loved...
