“Tia and I ate lunch together and she waited to walk home with me after school. We chatted and it turns out she likes the exact same flavour ice cream that I do. How crazy is that?” I breathe out, excitement in my voice.
I barely give Jedd a chance to respond and continue to let him in on the most surprising day of my life.
“So we go to the ice cream shop to celebrate our new found friendship. I get a toffee popcorn flavour ice cream and so does Tia. I find out she literally lives three streets away from us! I didn’t even have to ask for her number, she took my phone and put it in there herself. Do you know what it’s saved under?” I ask, taking a deep breath in. I feel like I’ve ran a marathon. A word marathon.
Jedd blinks, a wide grin on his face.
“No. What is it saved under Bells?” He humours me, taking a bite of his sandwich.
“Ice Cream Buddy,” I respond excitedly, feeling my cheeks begin to ache from the strain of smiling. It isn’t the painful kind of pain, it’s the good pain. I breathe deeply a few times, forcing myself to calm down.
This is big news, major news.
“I have a friend.” I smile, unable to believe the words are coming from me. Jedd chuckles, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
“I’m happy for you kid,” He smiles, pushing my plate towards me. I grin back at him in return, feeling slightly embarrassed by my over reaction.
“Thanks Jedd.” I say quietly, picking up my sandwich before taking a bite. I take the chance to look at Jedd, noticing how his eyes look tired and withdrawn. He doesn’t seem his usual cheery self either.
“Are you okay?” I ask him, realising I’m so caught up in my own life to ask how he’s doing. Guilt consumes me and I put my sandwich down, focusing my attention on Jedd. He nods slightly, his head bobbing up and down.
“I’m fine,” he replies, barely looking up to give me some form of eye contact. I frown slightly, a bad feeling settling inside my stomach. I always know when Jedd is lying to me. He can never maintain eye contact.
“Jedd? What’s wrong?”
“I’m tired Bells, that’s all. I’m always studying late at night and getting up early.” He sighs, running a hand over his tired face. I nod slowly, that makes sense. Jedd is always studying, staying up until midnight or later to finish off his essays. Despite all his schoolwork, he manages to be an amazing brother to me. I couldn’t ask for a better role model.
“Why don’t you get an early night?” I suggest, leaning over to give his shoulder a re-assuring pat. Jedd nods slowly, rising from his chair.
“That’s actually a really good idea.” He yawns, rubbing his eyes.
“I’m not just a pretty face.” I joke, watching as he leaves the kitchen. He chuckles quietly, turning briefly to respond.
“No, you’re not.”
*****
I groan loudly, thrashing my hand around my bed to find my phone. It’s currently going berserk, flashing and pinging at the same time.
“Who is calling me at midnight? This better be good.” I growl, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I’d finally managed to drift off into a sleep full of Toffee Popcorn Ice Cream and now, someone is disturbing that sleep. I’m not okay with that. Two things I love most in life . . . Food and sleep.
“Hello?” I croak out, my eyes barely open. My room is dark, the only light coming from my fairy lights hanging around my bookshelf. They create a soft glow around the room, saving me from complete darkness.
“Hey beautiful.”
My eyes snap open and I immediately feel butterflies in my stomach from his smooth voice.
“Brody,” I whisper, sitting up straighter in bed. I tuck the covers around me, clutching onto the phone tighter this time.
“What’s wrong? Why are you calling me so late?” I ask, a frown on my face. It’s lovely for him to call me, but midnight on a school night?
Now, that’s risk taking.
“I simply want to hear my favourite girl’s voice, is that a crime?”
“You’re cute,” I grin, biting down on my lower lip. I feel happiness explode inside of me and the anger I feel from being woken completely melts into a pile of goo.
“I can’t stop thinking about you Bella,” he murmurs, causing my knees to weaken at the sound of his voice. It’s a good job I’m already lying down because boy would I need to after those words.
Brody shuffles around on the other end. I imagine him lying in bed, his hair ruffled messily as he clutches his phone to his ear. The image causes me to smile warmly —
“Are you in bed?” I ask, realising once I’d spoken the words how suggestive they sound. I slap a hand over my face, cursing myself silently. Brody chuckles on the other end, his laughter a slow, sexy rumble.
“Yeah I am. Don’t worry Bella, this isn’t a booty call.”
I burst out into laughter, my cheeks heating up from his words. On the other end, Brody chuckles quietly, our laughter mingling together.
“Am I not good enough for a booty call?” I ask cheekily, biting down on my lower lip. Brody doesn’t hesitate, his response instant.
“Darling, you’re way too good for a booty call.”
I giggle instantly, my cheeks aching from the width of my smile. Have you ever felt so happy that your cheeks feel like their ready to explode?
“Can I ask you a question Brody?” I ask, playing with the tassels on my blanket. “Fire away.”
“If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?” I ask, leaning back and getting comfortable in bed. I hear him pause on the other end, thinking hard about his answer. A comfortable silence falls upon us and I sigh contently.
“Nowhere.” He finally responds. I frown at my phone, confused at his answer. “Nowhere?” I repeat, waiting for him to elaborate and explain.
“Nowhere specific. I couldn’t possibly choose one place Bella. There is so much to discover and see, I can’t narrow it down. I want to go everywhere, I want to see everything. I want to experience different lives and cultures. There’s so much world out there that I want to experience.”
A warm smile spreads across my face at his response and I nod, even though I know he can’t see me. “You want to travel the world,” I reply, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Maybe you can take a travelling buddy with you?” I hint, excitement building up inside me. The thought of me travelling the world with Brody is almost unbelievable. Brody chuckles on the other end, humour in his voice —
“I already have the perfect one.”