I run to catch up to him on his way to his old car that I found out got him from Ohio to Pennsylvania to Orlando.
"What do you want, Josh?" he asks me, annoyed.
"Can I confide in you?" I nervously ask him.
"You're sweating bullets. I'm gonna guess it has to do with 'Drya. I have plans to suffer through 'Phantom of the Opera' with her and my sisters."
"I've come to realize that I really like her."
He looks at me quizzically before bursting out in loud laughter. "I could tell two months ago!"
"It's that obvious?" I ask, my hand going to the back of my neck and rubbing it.
"Yes, since day one. It's been a couple months since I met 'Drya and I like her, but I'm still getting to know her. Her cousin is very protective, nice as well and her aunt and other cousins are a blast. I've been hanging out over their house alot around my tutoring and MMC. She's a ball of pure energy and has proven to be a good person. "Chris!" I yell out, calling to him and She likes you too. My mom is okay with her spending the night at your house for your birthday. Hell, she was even told she could spend the weekend after your birthday at your house! You get two whole days with her as your shadow and a weekend to hang out with her, seeing as she's become good friends with your sister and our moms have become close."
It's two days before my birthday, I'll be 14 and I hope that 'Drya has a good time at my house.
Heather and 'Drya have been speaking in pig Latin around me, I'm most likely the subject of those conversations and she's been teaching Heather Spanish. Tyler walks up to the two of them in the yard, says something in pig Latin and Heather grabs his shirt, ready to tear into him. He puts his hands up in surrender and I read his lips-'I won't tell Josh, promise'. 'Drya had stayed with me after the taping and walked the couple blocks back to my house. We've been here for about half an hour maybe and Tyler's already bugging them.
He walks to me and smiles. I launch my arm out to grab the back of his shirt, stopping him beside the hammock I'm laying on. "What won't you tell me? I know you don't keep those promises," I say, speaking the truth.
"Just that 'Drya likes you."
"I know. I found out from her cousin earlier. I like her too."
Tyler carefully sits on the hammock, a confused look coming onto his features. "Why not tell her?"
"I don't want to scare her."
"Dude, she's afraid to tell you because she thinks you'll laugh at her."
"Really? I'll try to talk to her later, walk around the block alone later."
"I'm not sure mom and dad will allow that."
"It's not like I'm going to try anything," I scoff, rolling my eyes.
"Whatever, ask." He gets up and walks around to the side of the house, disappearing inside.
We're almost done with dinner and I decide that now is the time to request what I have on my mind. "Mom, dad, is there any chance you'd allow 'Drya and I to walk around the block alone after dinner?"
I push my meatloaf around my plate, waiting for my parents to answer while they discuss it. I watch them out of the corner of my eyes, hoping they agree that it's ok and give me the required stipulations. "Josh, you can do that, but you have to stay in the cul de sac and have to be back in this house by nightfall," mom informs me a few minutes later as we begin to clear the table.
'Drya smiles at me, her lightly tanned cheeks a rosy pink and goes to grab her shoes from Heather's room, her feet lightly hitting each stair as she ascends. I get my shoes from near the back door and slip them on, waiting patiently on the bench by the front door. Dad stops in front of me and raises an eyebrow. "You like her, son?" I nod, too embarrassed to say much for the moment. "A piece of wise advice-don't rush her and don't ever compare her to any other person."
"Thanks, dad."
"I'm ready to go."
"Dad, can we take the bikes over to the field off to the side?"
"Sure."
I lead the way to the bikes, taking mine and adjusting my spare bike for her. We get to the fields, lay in the tall grass and she lays on her side. "Can I be honest with you?"
"Sure you can." She turns onto her side as I do, facing one another.
"I like you."
She says nothing for a couple minutes, looking into my cerulean orbs with her dark honey eyes as she studies something and slowly smiling. "I think I like you, Joshua."
That day had been the best day and a couple weeks later was the worst day, the day I asked Nikki out drove a stake between us until Justin came on set.
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