CHAPTER 10

                                    

                                          
CHAPTER 10
                          
Hey kiddies! I'm back--finally. I was still a bit sick this week so I was still sleeping a lot :/ 
                          
I'll try to update everyday, but I'm sorry if I can't :) got a lot of school work as well.
                          
. . .
                          
After I told Jeremy my story, we just sat together on the swings, talking about the most random things. 
                          
Jeremy is actually really funny. I was laughing so much at one point that I almost fell off my swing. He had to quickly grab my arms so that I wouldn't knock my head on the ground. It was a bit awkward when our faces ended up only a few centimeters away from each other, due to the way the swing pushed me forward when he pulled me upright, but Jeremy just cleared his throat and moved away again, letting go of my arms.
                          
"How did you get my number?" I asked when I safely had my balance on the swing, not only because I was curious, but also to get rid of the fresh tension between us.
                          
Jeremy bites his lip and it seems like he doesn't really want to tell me.
                          
"It's okay, I won't think you're creepy or anything," I laugh. Since I started being friends with him, I laugh a lot more.
                          
"You might get a bit mad though..."
                          
"Maybe, maybe not. Anyway, you should be used to me being mad by now."
                          
Jeremy rolls his eyes before saying, "Just promise me that you won't take it out on Lucy."
                          
Lucy? What's Lucy got to do with this? Wait, hang on. There was something that she wasn't telling me this morning.
                          
"Just tell me Jeremy, I'm not a very patient person."
                          
"You want the whole story?"
                          
"Yup."
                          
Jeremy takes a deep breath before he begins what seems like a long explanation.
                          
"After my cousin came crying to me that day, I wanted to know who had upset her--I wanted to help them. When I realised that it was you, I was still at Gloria's and Lucy just happened to be ordering some biscuits. I knew that you two were really good friends so I went up to her and asked her about you. She didn't tell me much at first, but when she realised that I only wanted to help you, she told me a bit about you. She told me that you've always been a grouchy, horrible, mean, angry--"
                          
"Okay! Goodness," I laugh, a bit uneasily. "I get it Jeremy."
                          
"Right," he says, smiling in an embarassed kind of way. "Sorry. Anyway, she told me that she didn't know why you were like that, and that she didn't think you had opened up to anyone. She told me that you really like cupcakes and she gave me your number." 
                          
Jeremy must seen the slightly angry look on my face because he added, "Don't be mad at her Jules. She was genuinely worried about you. She told me that she's been trying to help you for the past three years but you wouldn't talk to her about it. When I managed to convince her that I only had good intentions, she agreed to help me."
                          
I'm not really sure what to say. I'm not mad at Lucy, or Jeremy, but I just don't know what to think of their little agreement.
                          
"What did you do to convince her that you just wanted to help?" I know Lucy would never want to hurt me, and she knows that I don't like to talk about my past. She would only do something like this if she completely trusted the person.
                          
"I told her that I used to be like you, which is what I told you too. I didn't tell her my story, but I guess she could tell that I wasn't lying."
                          
Everything actually makes sense now. That's why Lucy was trying to get me to be nicer on Friday, and why she left me alone with Jeremy on Saturday. Her thinking that he liked me was probably just her cover-up--she's really good with coming up with those. 
                          
"Are you mad?" 
                          
Jeremy's looking at me worriedly.
                          
"No," my voice is quiet and he leans slightly closer to hear me. "I'm glad that it happened. I actually owe you two a lot."
                          
Once again, we realise that our faces are only separated by a few centimeters. This time Jeremy doesn't move away immediately and he takes a loose piece of my hair in his hand. Instead of the usual, romantic 'tucking it gently behind my ear' motion, the doofus tickles my nose with it and then throws it across my face. Urgh, the nerve of some people.
                          
Not that I want him to be romantic or anything--we're friends. And I like Kyle anyway.
                          
"Why did you bring me cupcakes though?"
                          
Jeremy laughs and after staring into my eyes for a little while--I can't decide if that's creepy or attractive--he finally moves away from my face again.
                          
"It was a sort of 'let's be friends' gesture. I didn't want to fight with you, but I did need to talk to you. But seeing as we had hardly spoken before, I thought it would be better to--"
                          
"Bribe me a bit first?" I smirk.
                          
"Not bribe. More like get you to trust me a bit."
                          
"Because you lied?"
                          
"I didn't lie."
                          
"You said the cupcakes were from Gloria."
                          
"That wasn't a lie, she did bake them."
                          
It's funny how we always end up laughing after having an argument. I don't really know why the two of us didn't become friends sooner.
                          
Uh, 'cos you were a self-centred maniac, my inner voice tells me. True, but still.
                          
...
                          
It's twelve-thirty at night and I just can't sleep. And damn, I have school tomorrow which means that I'm only going to get about six hours of sleep. And that's only if I fall asleep right now, which doesn't seem likely.
                          
Six hours may seem like a lot to some of you, but I need at least seven to function.
                          
As I'm pondering over this thought, I hear a soft doof. 
                          
It can't be my parents--they're not going to be back until thursday since my aunt needs looking after.
                          
Doof.
                          
Some brave teenager with a baseball bat would have gotten out of bed and gone to inspect the 'doofing'. But not me, I'm a wimp I'll admit.
                          
So instead, I bury myself deeper into my covers and hold onto my pillow for comfort.
                          
Doof.
                          
The 'doofing' seems closer and I realise that it's coming from my window.
                          
I finally get out of my bed. Only Greg or one of my other friends would throw stones at my window to get my attention.
                          
I open the curtains and my window and lean out.
                          
Below me stands Jeremy. Well that's unexpected.
                          
"Jeremy! What are you doing here?"
                          
"I couldn't sleep."He shrugs.
                          
"So you decide to go all burglar on me?"
                          
"Hey, I didn't break in or anything. I just threw stones at your window. It was actually a lot of effort because I didn't even know which window was yours. It took me three tries."
                          
"Why should I care again?"
                          
"I did help you, remember?"
                          
"Only because you wanted to so technically I did you a favour," I smirk at him. 
                          
"Yea, yea whatever," he sighs. "Well, anyway, since you clearly can't sleep either, do you want to go for a walk?"
                          
. . .
                          
Hope you're enjoying ABoY so far :D
                          
Thanks for reading!
                          
Trish **