I Found You

Chapter 11

After the hardest school week of my life, it's finally the weekend Jade invited me and Lacy over for dinner with her parents. "Thanks for having us for dinner Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs," Lacy says when we walk into the house. Jade's mom is really nice, but her dad is slightly scary, he has a really deep voice and talks really loudly. He's not mean or anything, I just try to avoid him when possible. "You're welcome, Lacy." Mrs. Jacobs says. Jade and her mom could pass as twins. They have the same hair and the same eyes. The only real difference is Jade is a lot darker than her mom. She got her dad's skin tone. Supper at Jade's house is always a guessing game, her parents are health nuts. Everything is organic, locally grown, vegan, and gluten-free. Sometimes the food taste really good other times it tastes like nothing, and on rare and horrible occasions it's awful. Luckily tonight diner smells good.

Jade's dad made vegan chilly. As we sit down to eat Jade's mom drops a bomb. "Jade, did your dad tell you who is coming to visit next weekend?" "Uh no?" Jades says very confusedly. "Grandma and Grandpa Jacobs!" Her mom says happily. No one says another word for the rest of dinner. In the two almost three years I have known Jade I have never met her dad's parents. I have never even heard her talk about them. I assumed they had died, since she always talked about her mom's parents, but not her dad's. After dinner, Jade goes straight to her room, and Lacy and I follow.

"You okay Jade?" I ask when we get to her room. "No, I don't want to see them!" Jade says with tears brimming her eyes. "Why, you love your mom's parents?" Lacy "Yeah because they love me," Jade says. Before Lacy or I can ask any more questions Jade changes the subject. "Both mine and Dani's parents agreed that I can go to Halifax with them for spring break, what about Karen and your parents Logan?" What? "Um, what?" I ask. "Oops! Jordan hasn't asked you yet has he?" jade starts. "Well anyways I was over there yesterday, and Dani asked if I could go with them to look at apartments and stuff, I know it's early but the sooner the better right, but anyway back to the point, Laura asked why you two weren't coming and we didn't really have an answer other than we didn't ask, and that's when Laura said to invite you two, I thought Jordan would have invited you two already, Brad is coming." Halfway through her speech, I texted Jordan to ask him about it. I don't know how I feel about spending a week in Halifax with Jordan and his family apartment hunting. "Well, if we are going to look at apartments in just over a month, we need to start looking for something!" Lacy says.

After hours of searching, we still haven't found anything. I drive Lacy home, then go home myself. When I get home my family is playing a board game at the kitchen table and laughing. Now is the perfect time to ask them if I can go to Halifax. "Hey guys, I'm home," I say judging the mood of my parents. "So, you know how I'm going to be moving to Halifax soon..." just when I'm about to ask my dad cuts me off "Jordan already called us, you can go." Well, that was easier than I thought it would be. I say thank you and go to my room to text Lacy to see what Karen said. It would be weird if she wasn't allowed to go but Brad was. *What did your mom say? * I ask Lacy. * She wants to go over everything with Jordan's mom and dad but she said most likely she's just worried about me being so far away even though we are going to be living there in less than a year. * Lacy responds within seconds. I would love to spend a weekend out of town with Jordan and his family, but I'm worried about being with him in Halifax. How is he going to act around his friends and his brothers? I decide to text him to try and calm my nerves. * Thanks for asking my parents for me, I love you* I a few minutes later * Ur welcome baby, I love u 2*

The next morning my mom wakes me up to tell me that she just talked to Karen. We all are going over to Jordan's for the parents to talk about the trip. I just found out about the trip yesterday and now that's all anyone seems to talk about. Me, Lacy, and Jade still need to find a place before we go, and we have to make sure they will hold it until we move, and we don't even know when we are going to be moving yet. The plan used to be that I would leave the day after graduation and stay in a hotel until I found a place than Jade was supposed to come down the day we could move into the new place and Lacy would move down at the end of August. Now I don't want to leave that soon. I want to be able to spend the summer with Lex and my family.

Me, my mom, and my dad to over to Jordan's around 12:00. We are the first ones there. "Come on in guys, it's so nice to see you again," Laura says cheerfully like always. I don't think she even knows how to be mad. "You'll have to forgive me I'm horrible with names." She adds, "My mom is Lilly and my dad is Dr. Hills." I say before my parents have a chance to answer. "Matt is fine you don't have to call me Dr. Hills," my dad says. Weird I was always told to introduce him to people as Dr. Hills. "Nice to meet you both. I'm Laura, and my husband is John, he's just on a call right now." Laura says. "He is also a doctor, Ph.D. not M.D though," I add. What am I doing? I think my nerves are getting the best of me. Luckily for me, John and Jordan walk into the room. "You guys already know Jordan and Danielle, right?" Laura asks. "We know Jordan and your daughter Dani I don't think we know Danielle, wait never mind." My mom says and we all start laughing this doesn't seem so bad. Before my mom can embarrass herself anymore. Jade and her parents show up followed by Lacy and Karen. A few minutes later Brad and his mom and step-dad show up. I think Jordan only invited Brad because Lacy was coming, and he didn't want her to feel left out, well, and because they have become really good friends.

Well, our parents talk; we go to the basement. This basement has become my favorite place to be. Its where we all always hang out. Mainly because Jordan's parents are the only ones who let us all hang out here together. Lately, the 6 of us have been together a lot, and when Lex and Jake decide to hang out with us there is 8. What is Lex going to do when we are in Halifax? She doesn't hang out with Alexis anymore; she has a lot of other friends but she doesn't bring them around our parents very often.

It's nearly 5 by the time our parents are done talking and call us upstairs. "So, as you all know we were talking about the trip to Halifax, there are some rules we have all agreed on," Laura says Uh-oh. "Rule #1. The boys and girls sleep in different rooms, Jade and Dani are not allowed to sleep alone either, Rule # 2. Curfew is 11:30 no exceptions. Rule # 3. If anyone is caught drinking or doing drugs, they will be on the next plane home." Laura says. Everyone is excited to go. Except for me, I know both Dani and Jordan were really popular in Halifax. Jade has nothing to worry about she may not fit in with the popular group but she will at least look the part, me on the other hand, I will not.

Ever since we all found out we were able to go that's all everyone talks about ever. Even Lex keeps talking about it and she's not even coming she keeps saying I'm so lucky to be going away and that I get to see Halifax before I move there, she keeps telling me she so happy for me. I'm way too nervous to be excited. I know I sound crazy, but here all his friends are my friends too. I have no clue what I'm going to be walking into when we get to Halifax. I can't stop thinking about it. What if his friends think I'm weird and hate me? Will Jordan care and dump me or will he stick up for me against his friends? I want to talk to Jordan about it but I know I will sound crazy. Jade isn't worried, she's excited to meet all of Dani's old friends.

There's only one week left until we leave, and I still haven't talked to Jordan. As he drives me home, I think he notices something is wrong. "Is everything okay?" He asks. "Yeah" I try to lie. "Are you sure? You seem a little off" He pushes. "I guess I should tell you, I worried about meeting your friends," I admit. "Why?" Jordan asks he looks genuinely confused. "What if they hate me, I'm not like the people you use to hang out with," I say staring at my hands. "Don't be silly they will love you because I do, just like Mike and Alex are going to love you." He says and grabs my hands

When we get to my house, he gets out of the car with me. "I hope you know that no matter what, I will always love you." He says while he hugs me. "I'll always love you too," I say back. "I mean it even if my old friends don't like you it won't change the way I feel about you." He says and my fears melt away with his words. I can finally put an end to all the worries I have about going to Halifax and finally be excited about it like everyone else. I have been so worried thinking about Jordan's friends I haven't even started packing yet.

As soon as I get in, I run to my room to pack I leave in a week and I don't want to forget anything. I never wait this long. I usually have everything packed weeks in advance. I rush to the bathroom to grab travel size toothpaste, conditioner, shampoo, and a new toothbrush, my parent stock up on these things since they go away for a weekend once a month. When I have everything I will need packed other than what I'm going need before I go, I move both my suitcases downstairs and put them in the office to wait until we leave.