Wished

Chapter 4 - The Best Friend

Something weird was going on. Makeup, curls and a pair of shorts weren't magic and yet here I was. Here I was transferring the blurred number on my hand into my phone. Not just any number, but Jordan Taylor's phone number. Jordan Taylor, probably the most popular guy in school thanks to his perfect smile, his place in the football team, his easy going charm and well, everything else that made him pretty perfect. He was Jordan Taylor, the school's equivalent of a celebrity and I had his number, his personal phone number. Jordan Taylor. Me. I had Jordan Taylor's phone number and the best part was the he gave it to me and told me to text him.

This was my third fangirl freak out since Jordan gave me his number.

I wasn't crazy or anything, I swear.

Still I was serious when I was saying it was weird. First Luke freaking Masters and then Jordan dreamy Taylors. This really had to be a dream because this was the first time in my three and a half years in high school that I had gotten attention from guys. I mean sure there was the random passing comment but I think I had a tendency to scare guys off. I wanted a relationship but the guys who decided they were going to pay attention to me for a while, they definitely didn't want one of those with me. Something was off here but I couldn't tell why it was

I tapped my phone against my knuckles as I thought about what I should do. Shauna had told me not to worry but I couldn't help it. I had been thinking about this moment for years now, just hoping that one day I could catch Jordan Taylor's interest. Shauna had always preferred Luke Masters because she thought the whole 'bad boy' image was alluring. I just thought it was kind of scary. I didn't want a guy who got caught up in all of those bad things that scared me. Don't get me wrong, Luke Master was swoon worthy but I'm not attracted to the whole bad boy thing, it's just not that attractive.

"You look troubled. What's up El?" I looked up from my staring at the thick, cream carpet and at Zach. Zach was my brother's best friend, he had been since they were only kids. He lived across the street from us for a couple of years before they started playing together when they were seven and now they were eighteen going on nineteen. I have to admit, Zach was my first crush. When I was eleven and boys weren't gross anymore, Zach was that awesome, super cool twelve year old with a smile that gave me butterflies and just seemed so grown up but so fun. But he was my brother's best friend and all that I was ever going to be to him was a little sister.

"Boy troubles Zach. Well not troubles exactly. Actually it's kinda the opposite because this guy gave me his number and told me to text him and I want to but I'm not sure whether I should or not because I'll probably make a fool of myself and even if I do text him, when should I text him? What should I say to him because what if he doesn't remember me?" I vented all my worries to Zach in almost one breath.When I was finished I sighed and looked at Zach who had sat down beside me on the soft, brown leather couch. I scooted closer to him so my leg was touching his, tucked mine beside me up on the couch and rested my head on his shoulder. This kind of affection wasn't strange for me when it came to Zach, I was like his sister.

It seemed like Zach was hesitant to move but he wrapped an arm around my shoulder after a few moments and I felt his thumb brushing up and down on my arm and I'd be lying if I said that there wasn't little tingles every time but I ignored it. "So you're finally putting yourself out there?" Zach asked and if there was anything other than curiosity in his voice I couldn't hear it. I let a short, sharp burst of laughter escape my lips before I shook my head against his shoulder.

"It was a complete accident. Here I am talking to Shauna about this really good looking guy and then he is thanking me because he'd heard everything when he was standing behind us. It was signle handedly the most embarrassing time of my life," I answered and moved around to get myself a little more comfortable. Zach kept his arm around me and let me move closer to him without saying a word.

"Even more embarrassing than that time when we went to the water park two years ago and you took your shirt off to go on that ride and when you put your shirt back on you could clearly see your bikini and you had to walk around like that all day?" Zach asked and I felt my face burn bright red at the memory. I got so many looks that day, it was like mothers thought that I'd done it on purpose and sent me the dirtiest looks. Not to mention I was walking around with two obviously older teenage boys, that didn't sit the best with parents either. I swear they were trying to kill me with their eyes.

I turned my head so my face was hidden in Zach's arm and tried to hide my blush while Zach was laughing his head off, his shoulders shaking with his laughter. "Okay, that one wins," I muttered and Zach just laughed harder. I joined in with him and after a while we were both in tears. It wasn't even that funny but we were just kind of setting each other off. I sat up and pulled a throw pillow from behind me. Zach looked confused for just a moment but when I put the pillow on his lap he nodded his head and a grinned at him. I lay down with my head on the pillow on his lap and my feet dangling over the edge of the sofa.

"You know Ellie, I have so many other embarrassing moments that I could mention but I won't. I've known you for years, I've watched you grow up El," Zach said, tapping my nose lightly once and making me giggle. I could have sworn I saw a flash of something in his eyes for a moment but I was probably wrong. I was just his best friend's little sister, I was probably just like his little sister. I couldn't stop those faint butterflies in my stomach though. It was probably just because he was so hot. I mean, cheekbones like that should be illegal.

"Yeah you got to see me in my annoying stage, my awkward stage, my annoying and awkward stage. I'm still there by the way," I joked and Zach's lips twitched into a smirk. I grinned, happy that I was able to make him smirk like that but it died when his fingers lightly cupped my chin and his thumb brushed against my jaw. I think my heart stopped and I had to swallow past the thick lump in my throat. I know that it probably meant nothing to him but I couldn't help the stomach flipping, the racing heart and slightly shallower breathing. Zach hesitated for a moment before taking his hand away and grinning at me. I returned it, shaking my head at my stupid hormones.

"So, how's life slacking off?" I teased and we talked for a good hour before a girl came running down the stairs with mascara streaking down her cheeks and slammed the front door behind her. I sat up from where I was still on Zach's lap and he stopped twirling my hair around his fingers.

"What was that about?" I asked and for the first time I wondered why Zach was here in the first place. It was normal occurrence for him to be here but he was usually with Adam. I hadn't seen Adam since I came home and that was about an hour ago. I cocked my head to the side and Zach smirked.

"Took you long enough. Adam just broke up with his girlfriend, well he made out with her and then broke up with her," Zach laughed and I sighed dramatically.

"Sounds like him," I muttered and wrapped my arms around Zach's neck. He hugged my waist without hesitation. "It was nice talking to you Zach. We should do it again sometime," I told him before pulling away, plucking my bag up from the floor and heading upstairs.

The butterflies I felt around him wasn't right. He was my brother's best friend. And I had a crush on Jordan Taylor. Jordan Taylor! I pulled my phone from the pocket of my shorts and before I could lose my confidence, I sent him a text. Now it was all a matter of whether he cared enough to reply.