Waiting on You

Chapter 16

"No. No way. It's way too cold!" Jules protested on our way out the door. "I just bought these shoes," she whimpers.

Tucker shakes his head. "Why are you wearing them when it is snowing outside then?"

Juliette scoffs. "Don't sass me, Tuck-man. You of all people should know not to mess with me. Just ask Rory."

He looks at me and I shake my head. "She's small, but she has he ability to seriously injure you."

It was true, Jules didn't take any crap from anyone. In the third grade, I stole her favorite pixie eraser and she stabbed me with her pencil. I still had the lead in my hand to prove it.

Tucker shrugs. "If you don't want to go, then you can stay here with Sam."

Juliette fake gags. "What? I'm not hanging out with your little brother!"

He laughs. "Since when are you this high maintenance?"

"Since when do you have so many comebacks?" She snaps back.

"Puberty changes a man," he responds with a sloppy grin.

I burst out laughing. "Is this your guys way of flirting or something?"

They both give horrified looks. Tucker goes pale and shakes his head violently.

"It's not, don't worry," Juliette gives me a look.

"Okay," I clap my hands together. "Can we go then?"

I follow Tucker out of the house, Juliette trailing behind us mumbling.

The park is only about a block away, and all the kids in the neighborhood would play there, including me and Tucker when we were younger. But now, because of the cold, it was empty.

Juliette immediately heads over to the swing set, limping like she was hurt, but really she just didn't want to get her shoes wet. I followed her, occupying the swing that I always sat on when I was little. Juliette sat in her swing as usual, but Tucker's, right next to mine, was empty because he was over playing basketball on the court.

"Do you ever get confused?" I call over to him. He pauses, holding his ball under his arm, breathing heavily.

"What?" He asks.

I smile. "I mean, your a running back playing basketball..."

He flashes me a wild smile that I hadn't seen in a long time. His blue eyes brighten and the dimple on his right cheek looked bigger than ever. "No. It's kind of a boy thing."

"You guys are adorable," Jules chuckles, adjusting her scarf. "I can't believe you guys haven't dated yet."

The blood rushes from my cheeks. I look over at Tucker to see if he heard, but he has already continued his one man game.

"What?" I whisper. "What are you talking about?"

She cocks her head as if there is something on my face, her eyebrows raised. "Ror, did you seriously not get the hint last year? At the dance?"

I shake my head, blonde curls falling into my face. "Our first freshmen dance? I kinda remember." That was a lie, I remembered that night like it was yesterday.

She twirls a piece of cherry red hair around her finger. "I was trying to set up you and your boyfriend there, but your little freshmen self never noticed, I guess."

My heart skips a beat. "You don't think he- Tucker... Likes me, do you?"

Jules shrugs, looking off into the distance.

"No he doesn't, that's crazy," I mumble under my breath.

Apparently my best friend heard me, because she chuckles. "Life is crazy."

I nod, glancing over at Tucker. I can't help but notice that he had gotten taller, and how his shoulder muscles showed through his shirt. But still, he was Tucker, my best friend. He didn't like me that way. I didn't like him that way.

I sigh, overwhelmed by all of my crazy thoughts. I guess I could never be quite sure about anything anymore.

-------------------

It had been months since I had seen him. I had already lost count of how many days.

He constantly was on my mind, but I couldn't help but notice how my thoughts of him had slightly become more limited. I guess life gets in the way sometimes.

I had looked in that terrible, wonderful, horrible boxes too many times to be healthy, but that still didn't stop me from wondering. Wondering where Jacob was.

Even though I hadn't heard from him for what seemed like a million years, I couldn't help but feel like this wasn't it, that this wasn't the end.

My assumptions had been right, because the day after the park, I noticed that there was a letter in the mailbox.

And it was addressed to me.