Lovestruck (EDITING)

14: It Wasn't a Very Good Joke

The almost empty bus pulls up to the bus stop on Shana's street and I climb down the steps as the door closes behind me. Crossing the road to Shana's house, I see her white Prius in the driveway. I wonder when she came by to collect it. It had to have been early this morning, before I left for rehearsals. Why wouldn't she come inside? Or atleast text me to let me know she came by? I shake off my questioning and throw my bag over her dad's fence before climbing over myself.

I slide the already unlocked back door open and close it behind me before taking the steps two at a time up to Shana's bedroom.

"Hey," my best friend smiles at me from her place on her bedroom floor as I swing the door open. She's wearing black sweatpants and a grey cami, her hair in a ponytail. Arctic Monkeys is playing from the speakers of her laptop and she seems distracted as she types something into her keyboard.

"Hey," I drop my bag before sinking to the floor beside her.

"How was rehearsals?" she mumbles absent mindedly.

"Fine," I give her most predictable response. "Hey, why didn't you come inside this morning?"

"Hmm?" she's still typing.

"When you came to get your car, I mean. Why didn't you come in? Or text me or something?"

"Oh, I didn't come by," she closes her laptop. "I asked this guy to get it for me. Thanks for taking it by the way."

"What guy? The guy you were with at the party?" I didn't recognise him, but I guess he's an old friend of hers.

"Yeah. Dan. He's cool," she leans her head back against her bed.

"Right." I don't know why she's being so vague with me, but I don't like it.

"So you're coming to this party tonight?" she turns her head to face me and looks at me with hopeful eyes, the eyes I could never deny.

"Yeah, I guess I am. Whose party is it?"

"Connor, that guy from school with the huge arms, you know?" she curls her arm as if to impersonate this guy, but has no visible muscle at all. I giggle at her attempt and nod once before reaching over to pull my phone from my bag.

3 new messages. 1 from my mother. 2 from an unknown number. Jayden? I sigh and open the one from my mother.

*Working late tonight. Do you need money for dinner? xx*

My mother works late every night, this is just her way of asking what I'm doing tonight. She's always worrying about me. What she doesn't know is that I'm much more worried about her than she is about me. Dad leaving didn't hit me as hard is it did her, even if she refuses to admit it.

*No, that's fine Mom. I'm staying at Shana's tonight x*

I open the first text from the unknown number and just as I thought, it's from Jayden.

*Sorry about being so pushy earlier. I just wanted to see you I guess. This is Jayden*

My heart flutters slightly at his sweet words and I open the second text.

*I still want to see you*

I feel a smile creep onto my face as I add his number as a contact in my phone and reply to him.

*I'm sorry too, for getting annoyed. I've just been a bit distracted, that's all. I want to see you too :)*

I put my phone back in my bag and wipe the grin off my face, realising I probably look like a complete idiot right now.

"What are you smiling at?" Shana turns to face me, the corners of her mouth creeping into a grin.

"What? Nothing. Mom made a joke," I stutter and feel like face palming. My mom isn't funny at all.

"Your mom doesn't make jokes," she giggles. She knows my mom too well for that.

"Yeah, that's why I was smiling. It wasn't a very good joke."

I stand from my spot on the floor and walk over to Shana's dresser to look for a change of subject, but it looks as though she has already dropped it by the way her eyes are glued to her computer screen once again.

Shana has a wonderful collection of perfumes sitting on a gold tray on top of her dresser. Everything from designer brands to celebrity scents. I've always admired it. I pick up one of her Marc Jacobs scents and spray a small amount onto my wrist. I've smelt this one before. It brings me memories of summer time, of our directionless drives into the middle of nowhere, hiking up mountains and watching the stars from the passenger seat of her car. This is why I love Shana's perfume collection. Every scent brings with it a memory, a story, an era.

I'm shaken from my thoughts by Shana's announcement.

"It's time to get ready," she grins at me before pulling me into her bathroom.

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Getting excited for our second big party! I have a feeling this one might be a bit more of an emotional rollercoaster for our girl Skye than the last one was...

Vote and comment :)

fancyauthor xxx