Three years after his mother's death, Noah Reed is lost once again. Unsure of where to go after running from his problems for so long, he ends up back home, wanting a place to finally settle down. He's ready to tie up loose ends and to try and corre...
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"So, have you heard?"
I glance at Jess, my best friend, skeptically as I lower into the seat before me, holding back a smile. If there's one thing I know about my best friend, it's that she can be quite the drama queen. Jess has a tendency to make ordinary things into something extravagant, especially when it comes to gossip. I suppose it was only fitting for her to choose drama as her major when we started university last year, and to keep going with it into our sophomore year.
The last thought has me thinking of my own college experience so far, and I smile at the memories. After I graduated high school, I began attending the university in the next town over, where my father works. My sister and a friend of mine, Mia McHenry, also attended the school. Jess and I started together, of course, though we don't see each other around campus as much as we'd like. I suppose this is because Jess chose to take up drama, while I began training to become a teacher.
I guess my career choice had been pretty expected, considering my father is a teacher and I've been surrounded by kids my whole life. Having so many younger siblings means that I was often helping them out with little things, such as homework. Part of me always knew I wanted to work with kids when it came to choosing a career, and teaching is what seemed natural.
Coming back to reality and noticing Jess staring at me makes me realize I've spaced and ignored her question. I look around the campus courtyard before reaching for my coffee, remembering to answer her.
"Heard what?" I ask.
Jess's expression turns hesitant. I begin to feel immensely curious as my best friend averts her dark eyes from me, focusing on the tabletop in front of us.
"Jess!" I exclaim. "You have to tell me now. I mean, you brought this upon yourself."
Jess still looks nervous as she bites down on the corner of her lip. Glancing at her, it's hard to believe I've been by her side since elementary school. We're both twenty now, young women who have evolved and grown together. The plus side is that there is nobody else I'd rather grow with, as Jess is the best friend I could ever ask for. However, the down side is that I know everything about her, including being able to read her easily. The expression she wears now tells me that my best friend is keeping something from me, something I have the strong urge to know.
"Jess," I say in a warning tone.
"Okay, okay," she murmurs, surrendering. "I'll tell you. Just promise you won't be mad at me."
My eyebrows furrow as I glance at Jess quizzically. "Why would I be mad at you?"
"Well, something tells me you're not going to be very pleased with what I have to tell you." Before I have a chance to respond, Jess blurts, "Noah's back."
With the one sentence, I can feel my resolve disintegrating. I'm suddenly wishing I hadn't cared so much about what Jess had to say. Somewhere deep within my heart, a little broken piece twists into my mended parts, causing pain so sharp it almost feels fresh.
