Mom called me down for dinner a couple of hours later, and I hesitantly made my way downstairs. Poking my head into the dining room, I was pleased to see that Josh was gone. The looks from my family, however, showed how much they disagreed. Before Josh had gone off to college with Jake, he had eaten dinner with us at least three or four nights a week, and I think that perhaps they were hoping to start that tradition again. Over my dead body.
Sitting down at my usual place, I cast furtive glances around the table. Jake looked the most upset, and that kind of hurt. Jake and I had always been close, and my aversion to his best friend couldn't make him happy. “Listen, don't be mad at me for-”
“Honey, could you pass the salt?” Mom gave me a sharp look. Obviously I wasn't supposed to say anything about it. I, however, wasn't going to give up so easily.
“Anyway,” I said, after handing her the salt, “I don't want you all mad at me for what I said. It's not my fault that I-”
“Sis, listen, it's not a big deal,” Jake broke in before my parents could. “I know it's gotta be hard, and I guess I should have thought a bit more. I should have known when I decided to bring him home you wouldn't be happy about it. I'm sorry I didn't think about it... You ain't that mad, are ya?”
I sighed. “No, Jake, I'm not that mad.” Pushing a hand through my short hair, I put a bite of food in my mouth. “Is Josh mad?” I tried to sound indifferent, but I knew that I didn't do a good job at it. I was concerned for Josh and about Josh's feelings, but I didn't want to admit it and I didn't want anyone else to know.
“No, not mad, just hurt, maybe a little disappointed. He was expecting you to be excited to see him, and things didn't go his way.”
“How could expect me to be excited? I haven't seen hide nor tail of him since he left with you for college. Even when he came home for holidays he didn't come around here to see me.”
“He came around, you just weren't here,” Jake pointed out. “He wanted to see you, and he wants to see you before we head back to California. I told him not to hold his breath, that I know my little sister. When she gets an idea in her head, she keeps it.” Grinning, he ruffled my hair and we dropped the conversation.
Later than night, me and Jake rode into town, we were going to go hang out at the local Wal-mart. Where we lived that was about all there was to do, hang out at Wal-Mart or the mall, and the mall closed at eight. Tons of my friends were there, seemed almost the entire graduating class (ha, that was only what, a hundred kids or less?) had turned out. Most of them knew Jake, and were excited to see him. Not long after we arrived, a lot of girls had swarmed him, so I dropped off to go look at the pens. I always bought pens when I went to Wal-Mart.
Staring at a pack that had five different bright colors, I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Turning around, Josh was grinning down at me, though he was biting his lip nervously.
“Yeah?” I asked, putting a hand on my hip and arching an eyebrow at him.
“Hey, listen, I don’t know why you’re mad at me…” He leaned on the shelf, and it wobbled slightly. Josh didn’t notice. Instead he flashed me that gorgeous smile of his. “But there really is no need. C’mon, Issy, it’s me, Josh. You used to love me more than anything, what happened?”
“I grew up,” I snapped. “And I realized there is more to life than crushing on a guy who can’t ever possibly love me back.”
Josh frowned. “Listen, Issy, there is no need for you to be so mad at me, okay? C’mon, let’s go for a drive like we used to. There’s some stuff I need to talk to you about.”
I hesitated. Go on a drive with Josh? I’d love to. But should I? I was supposed to be MAD at him. “Well, let me uh… Go and tell Jake, okay?”
“Already did,” he said, snaking his arm through mine with a triumphant grin.
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