BENEATH THE STARS

Friends

Chapter 03. Friends

Just as every other night Kate was looking at the stars from the cliff when she felt someone come behind her. She turned around to see Josh coming towards her. She waved at him and he waved back. She saw his hand was covered with bloody bandages. She wondered what would have happened. Did he get in trouble because of her stupid suggestion of moving out? Did he get in a fight with his parents? She had regretted about her suggestion the moment she'd told him. She thought it was not her place to suggest him something this important. Now she felt even more guilty when she saw his bloody hand. Whatever would have happened it was her mistake.

"Earth to Kate!" he said waving his hands in front of her eyes.

"Oh, hey! Hi Josh! Sorry I was just thinking."

"Ya, no it's fine."

"What happened? Why is your hand all covered up in bandages? Did you have a fight or something?" she asked.

"Well, no... lets sit and talk. I have a lot to say and I need a favour from you if you don't mind," he said heading towards the huge tree.

"Wait," Kate said, "before you ask me for a favour I want to ask you for one."

"Yeah sure, anything."

"I'd like to be your friend, " she said extending her hand.

"Nobody has ever said that to me before," he said extending his hand, "I'd like to have you as my friend too," he added shaking her hand.

"That's nice. So tell me what's the favour you need from me?" she asked.

He went and sat down on the same spot as yesterday. Kate did the same.

"Well, to start with, I have decided to move out. And I need your help to find a place for me to live. I am gonna try to find some work to earn money to pay the rent and stuff. I have some money which I had saved from whatever I got as pocket money and as blessing but I don't think that'll be enough."

"Wait... so-uh, you have made your decision?"

She felt like she should bang her head on the nearby stone. Why had she even suggested him to move out?

"Did you talk to your parents? They wouldn't let you... I mean I don't know anything about them but..."

"Yeah you don't know them. And no, I didn't talk to them and I won't. I am 18 Kate, I can move out if I want to. They can't stop me and they won't, I'm quite sure about that."

Well he'd had made his decision, she couldn't do anything now other than helping him.

"Yeah, okay. I'll help you. I-uh know a few places where my friends used to live, you can check those out. We can go tomorrow. Say around five in the evening... here?"

"Why evening? Why not in the morning, it'll be better, so as to move my stuff in time?"

"I have college to attend. And well after that I've my shift to work at the library which ends till 5 o'clock. That's why!!"

"Oh, okay then we'll meet tomorrow at 5, right here."

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Josh didn't head home. He decided he'd walk around till all the thoughts storming in his head got cleared. What was he going to do of his life, he thought. He'd never thought about it as he was just going to end his life, which he couldn't. He had months ago applied for a scholarship of photography, which his brother had suggested. He didn't know if he'd earned it or not. He took out his cell phone and searched through the useless numbers he had and finally got what he wanted. He called on the number.

"Hello Sir, I'm Josh. I'd applied for the photography scholarship in your college a few months ago. Can I know if I've earned it or not?", he asked.

What he got as answer shook his mind. He'd earned the scholarship and the college was going to start next week. The man on the other side had said that they had sent a letter at his home but he knew why he didn't receive it. His parents. They were never supportive about his talent and passion in photography.

Well not his brother, he remembered. He always liked the pictures Josh used to click, sometimes he also used to frame them in his room. And he'd mentioned it in his dairies that he did wanted to see Josh become a photographer in future, more specifically a wildlife photographer.

He smiled at the memory. He was happy that he'd earned the scholarship but there were still too many thoughts in his mind. He'd first have to find a place to live, a job to earn money.

It was something he'd never expected to happen just as he'd never expected to have a friend like Kate. She was a stranger but still she'd helped him from the start and was ready to help more unlike the people who called themselves as his friends.

His brother was the only true friend he ever had and now he was gone forever. How was he supposed to cope up with this loss? He wanted to think about his life but whatever he did his thoughts came back to one single hole left empty in his heart where his brother used to be. He missed his brother the most at this moment. If he'd just been alive Josh would have known if he was doing the right thing. He was alone with just one friend whom he could rely on, Kate. Not a stranger but a friend. He wished he could go and tell all of this to Kate.

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It had been a long time since Josh had left. But Kate was still thinking about him, about his decision. She was happy that she'd helped someone, a total stranger. But she didn't feel like Josh was a stranger, though she had just met him. She felt that she had met him before, that she knew him for a long time. She thought about the previous night when they had met first. She'd never said those things out loud to anyone but Josh and...

Suddenly she was pulled in a hug by strong arms and she knew who they belonged to. She turned around in his arms and hugged him back tightly.
"I knew you'd be here!", she said.

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Hey guyss!!!! We meet again...

So, who do you think is hugging Kate???

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!!

-------- Blackwood Heronstairs.