the boy on the bridge ✔️

45. forget boy

Chapter 45 — forget boy

"Dude, what the fuck? I thought he was gay?" Josh hears another voice, as Valerie pushes him away.

"What the fuck are you doing?" she is shocked by the blond and then turns around, "And you keep your voice down! You're gonna wake my parents up," she whispers harshly to whoever is inside the house.

"Who's that?" Josh asks, slowly coming to his senses, the hurt and anger he was feeling moments ago slowly morphing into panic at what he'd done, "Wait... Fuck!" his eyes widens, and he quickly takes a few steps back, swearing some more — for someone who doesn't like swearing, he swears like a professional sailor. "I'm sorry," he apologises to Val, "Shit I didn't–," he starts stepping back, but the girl reaches out and grabs him by his shirt's sleeve.

"Stop. Shut up," she tells him curtly but with a hint of gentleness to her tone — she can tell he isn't quite himself, as if she needed more prove than the kiss, "Just... come in but keep your voice down, my parents are upstairs sleeping,"

"I'm so sorry," he starts, choking up.

"Dude, is he for real right now?"

Josh hears the foreign voice once again, he can't quite see who it belongs to though since the lights are turned off.

"Shut up, Lexi," Val snaps at the hidden figure, before turning back to her friend, "It's all right, Joshy," she says softly — Josh only feels more guilty about his rash actions, "Just come with me, I'll make us some hot chocolate and we can talk,"

"Ok, I'll get going then,"

"No, Lexi, wait," Val leaves him for a moment and goes to the stranger, and they start whispering, so Josh can't really hear them.

And then a few moments later, the girl leaves and Valerie comes back, "Come," she nods towards the kitchen and Josh silently follows her, and sits on one of the stools as Val puts on the kettle.

"Who was that?" Josh asks.

"A friend, I can call her, I guess," she shrugs. "She's just helping me find the girl from the party,"

"You're still looking for her?"

Val shrugs again, "So, what's up with you?"

"Nothing,"

"You kissed me, Josh," she points out, "That's not nothing,"

"I'm sorry," he wails, and the girl hisses at him to lower down his voice. "I'm sorry," he repeats in a whisper.

"It's alright, but are you going to tell me what is going on?"

"I just... want this night to be over already," he groans, covering his face with both his hands.

"Well technically it is over," Val says glancing at the clock on the wall — both the long and short hands pointing towards one.

Josh just grunts in reply, and doesn't say anything, until Val slides a mug of steaming tea in front of him. He wraps his hands around the mug, welcoming the warmth and blew in it softly.

"My father has been cheating on my mother," and before Val can even express her shock, he adds, "With Ms Naser,"

Val's jaw falls open and her eyebrows almost reach her hairline as she stares at her best friend — it takes her a moment to regain her bearings and even then, all she can respond with is a dumbfounded, "What?"

Josh sighs and then proceeds to repeat himself, "My father–"

"No, I heard you the first time, I meant — what the fuck?" she shakes her head slowly, "With Zach's mother?" she asks softly.