How to Save a Life | Joshifer

Chapter 20: Together

I run upstairs to plug in my phone and place my three letters on my bed. Once the phone turns on again, I have over fifty messages from Tori. I skim through them. Each one asking where I am, If I was okay, and If I got home safe. I text her back saying I got home and my phone had died. I run back downstairs and Woody and Josh are on the couch watching baseball. I sit between both of them. I don't exactly hate the sport but it not at interesting as basketball or football is to me.

The door bell rings and Woody gets up and answers it. Josh and I started a poke war. We completely ignored the t.v.

"Oh my god! I thought you had died!" screams Tori. Avan follows her in. "Once you didn't text back I thought something bad happened to you!"

Tori takes my hand and pulls me up off the couch. Avan instantly sits down. Him and Josh start to talk and Tori pulls me up the steps to my room. She closes the door and sits on my bed. I never really had a girl friend come to house in Arizona. I only had guy friends, for example, Nick Hoult. He was my only best friend.

"So...Xander and I are online official now." She says with her girly voice. I raise my eyebrows. They did seem the compliment each other's craziness.

"So making it official on like Facebook means its a done deal?" I ask. I don't have a Facebook. Even though I have a laptop, it never interested me. I mean why talk to people through a computer when you can do it in person. Yet again I text and call people with my phone. So you could call me a hypocrite.

"Yeah I guess. I mean we both you know- defined the relationship- yesterday but now everyone will know. Instead of me having to tell everyone and tell them to pass it on. It's much faster this way." Tori explains. "So what happened yesterday? Where did you go?"

"Well, after you love-birds left. I sat at the benches and met up with Max, Max Holder-" I begin.

"You know the beef that Josh has with him right?" Tori interrupts.

"Yeah. That's actually what we talked about. And then Lanchen and Josh came up to us. It was pretty brutal." I say. It was the first time I actually felt...I don't want to say like a girl, but it's the only way I could describe it.

"Then?" Tori says on her toes wanting to hear more.

"Then I left and went to the car. But you two didn't come. So Josh gave me a ride. The the worst of the worst happened." I say with my hands on my face.

"TELL ME WOMEN!" Tori yells and places her hands on my shoulders, shaking me back and forth.

"Okay, okay. Your brothers car broke down. So we had to spend the night in the car together." I say sheepishly. Tori has a grin from ear to ear. Then she starts poking me over and over. "Nothing happened." I say bluntly.

"You like him don't you?" She says in a sing-song voice over and over. Josh comes in the room. "Who does she like?" Josh asks curiously.

"A boy, Josh. It's none of your damn buisness." Tori says getting up dropping the letters on the floor. She tries to push Josh out of the room. I start to giggle to myself, seeing skinny Tori trying but not succeeding. Josh starts to laughing himself.

"Woody said to come down for lunch." Josh says finally giving in. Tori shuts the door closed. And walks back. She picks up the letters before she sits back down.

"Jullliard? Oh, my god! That's for crazy talented people right?" Tori says choking on her words. I nod sheepishly. "Seriously? Wow! I would have never guessed you would have a secret talent, no offense." Tori says.

"None taken. I'm not going so..." I say.

"Why not? This is like...a huge deal." Tori says excited.

"I can't.I have too many issues, you could say." I explain.

"It's a great opportunity." Tori tries to convince me.

"No, I think I'd rather go back to Arizona or maybe even local. Here in Union." I say.

"Well if I ever got two letters to leave Union for New York I'd do it in a heartbeat." Tori admits. "But people have their own views and dreams."

"I'm starving." I interrupt. I try to change the subject. I stand up and take Tori's hand, as she did with me, and I drag her downstairs. Everyone sits in the backyard eating pizza they must have ordered.

"Glad that you two could join us." Says Woody eating his pizza on one of the lawn chairs with his feet up. Same with Avan and Josh. They both put on their sunglasses and lie down eating.

"You guys act like you are first class people. Reality check. You're eating pizza in a backyard." Tori says joking. I giggle and all three of them glare at me and Tori.

"Ha ha, that was so funny I forgot to laugh." Josh says in perfect timing.

We grab our pieces and sit between the lawn chairs with the boys. Woody says a few jokes and Avan says some dirty ones. Josh and I crack up. While Tori thinks of them as childish. After the 12 piece pizza is finished our lazy asses lay out in the sun. Woody goes back inside to lie on the couch. Avan falls to sleep on the lawn chair with half of his body falling off. Tori gets picked up by Xander for a surprised date.

"You don't mind if I take Victoria for a while, do you, Jen?" Xander asks.

"I want her home by ten. You hear." I joke. They leave and I go back to the back yard with Josh and sleeping Avan. Josh sits quite looking at the pink and orange sky. I drag the third lawn chair and connect it with his. I lie down putting my hands under my head, relaxing.

"So you planning on going to New York?" Josh says almost sad.

"No. It's not for me." I reply. I start to poke him again, the game that we never got to finish.

"Anyways, what was that third letter about?" Josh ask as the game gets more aggressive.

"An invitation from Max." I say with no fear. I start poking him in the stomach. Abs? Do I feel abs? Oh I melt.

"Oh it's probably the business party his father throws at the end of June. It's a big deal for high-class people in Union. My parents always drag me and Connor every year." Josh says.

"Well, we could ditch it together." I look up at him and on this jaw. He poke the tip of my nose.

"Okay. Yeah, together." He confirms. He pokes my stomach and I am super tickle-ish. I make a squeaky groaning sound. Avan shoots up and looks at us.

"What the fuck are you two doing? I thought you were doing the nasty! Freaking moaning out loud Jen." Avan plops back down on the chair. I start to laugh and Josh smiles and shakes his head.

"Tell me. What is this party even celebrating?" I say catching my breath.

"Max's father throws this party for all his companies he owns. He invites some local neighbors and sometimes he auction off's some of his belongings to support charities. It's a huge deal around here. People dress fancy and act proper." Josh explains not to happy.

"Oh" I reply quietly. "Well I'm not going for sure."

"Good. We can hang out at my house or here that night." Josh says.

"Won't Lanchen want to go? I mean you're her boyfriend and all..." I realize.

"Oh yeah. I'll take care of that." Josh says. What does he exactly mean about taking care of it? He probably means he'll talk to her....

He gets up and helps me up. "I got to go. And Avan does as well." We both turn to him and giggle at his sleeping position. Josh shakes Avan awake and Avan gets startled so he falls off. Josh laughs and I try to hide my ever growing smile. Avan gets up and fixes himself. We all walk in the house. I close the sliding door. We walk past Woody who is sleeping on the couch.

Avan gives me a quick hug goodbye. Josh gives me a bear hug. Warm yet gentle. And they leave.