GILROY by A Hudson (sight word books txt) 📕

"The great empire will be torn from limb,

the all-powerful one for more than four-hundred years:

Great power given to the dark one from slaves come."

-Nostradamus

The afternoon sun beat down on my hair. I held a lock in my hand as I inspected the ends. Josh came into view behind my hair.

"-and that's because he thought he had it easy but she just laughed at him and left him back in Detroit." He laughed to himself as he looked back on it. I wasn't listening to him nor was I paying any attention. It's what happens when I get nervous. I twiddle with my hair and pretend I've got a million dead ends or I stare at something so intense, I might aswell burn a hole through whatever was unlucky enough to be in my view. The one guy who's taken interest in me after three years of my giggling over him in my bedroom with Ashleigh, was talking to me while I was seemingly in a better place. Josh wasn't the 'leader' of the 'GB' group. GB was what Ashleigh and myself nicknamed the popular group. It stands for 'Gotta Be'.

Anyways, back to reality. Josh was smiling at me and then the corners of his mouth slowly went down. I looked at him and asked, "Hey, what's wrong?" He looked down towards the ground.
"You just don't seem so..." I could see he was looking for the words and he pushed his back into the park bench. "All I'm trying to say is that you just don't seem into what I'm talking about. Don't take any offence but it's almost like you're not even there." He grimaced. Woah. That sort of hurt but I guess he's probably feeling the jab a little more than me. I dropped my lock of hair and placed my freshly coated pastel pink nailed hands on his lap. He looked up at me with sad brown eyes. "I'm sorry... but Josh, I-" And then my phone started ringing with the Big Ben tune. I tore my eyes away from his and removed my hands so I could reach into my jeans pocket for my phone. Lucky my nails are well done and dried.
I flipped it open to find my dad's name on the screen with his face in the background showing his big toothy grin. I pressed the answer button and pulled it up to my ear. I could hear a giggle and then a, "Hey darlin'!" Oh god. "Hey dad." I replied with a little enthusiasm in the back of my throat. "How did everything go with the good ol' dudely Joshua?" He said it loud enough for even Josh to hear who's smile grew wide reaching both of his eyes and then he leaned forward pulling his hand through his rough golden hair. God he was such a pretty boy. Wait, did dad say something else?! "Wait, what was that dad?" I said abit to fast and Josh was laughing. Oh no... "It's your mother sweetheart... I asked if he, you know, but you can spill the beans to me tonight over a good container of Chinese. OH and, and text him and ask if he'd like to come over tonight for dinner." She said with a little bit of too much excitement. I sighed and covered my eyes with my free hand so I didn't have to see Josh's reaction. "Um, he's sitting right in front of me." Then the phone went silent. What sort of parents did I have? Then after an eerie silence, "Edward, I told you not to call yet!" And then I groaned. My eyes still covered. "Sorry baby, we'll see you tonight and hopefully Joshua too. Love you!" She yelled and I rolled my eyes and finished with a, "love you too." And then I closed the phone shut.

Josh's face full of amusement when I pried my index and middle finger apart. "You heard that?" I asked with a stifled sound of annoyance in the back of my throat. He just smiled and put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his chest. He placed his other hand on top of my hand on my face and pulled them away. I must have been so red I'd put a tomato to shame because I felt the beginning of a laugh rumble in the center of his chest and then he started his fitful laugh and I couldn't help but join. An elderly couple walked past in their yellow and red tracksuits and smiled with their lips but the old woman gave us a toothless grin. We just smiled as Josh raised a hand to greet them and they kept powerwalking at a speed that would be walking to us. He just let out a sigh with a hint of a giggle. We sat closer to the edge on my side of the bench and as we looked at eachother I felt fingers on the sides of my ribcage and then before I knew it I was squirming away and I fell of the end of the bench and he followed after. His arms on either side of my head and his nose only mere inches from my own. Just in case you didn't know, I'm actually a lip virgin. Yes, it means that I've never been kissed. And look at me, I'm living my dream of the perfect kiss with the perfect boy. He leaned in and I closed my eyes and puckered up like they do in the movies. I slowly lifted my head and our lips were about to touch until a gigantic tongue came my way and got a good streak from my ear to my cheek and then my nose and then I guessed it flicked up onto Josh's forehead. I opened my eyes and Josh was in another fit of laughter. When I said the perfect kiss... pretend I never said it.

I was pissed. The terrier was sitting there with its tongue hanging out panting. It looked happy that it split us up. Almost too happy and I hope it was goddamn satisfied. Perfect timing mutt. Josh was already over giving the dog a scratch behind the ears. I went to push myself off the ground but Josh was leaning over me with his hand out. I took it and he pulled me up. We looked at eachother for a while and then a voice broke our trance. "POLLY! COME HERE GIRL!" The owner of the voice emerged from behind one of the scrubs beside the cement walkway the old couple took. He wore a Scottish farmers uniform with the tan tan on his head and you could see a tinge of red in his grey hair and bushy brows. He was slouched but walked with no problem. His eyebrows flew up and he walked faster. "POLLY MY GIRL! RUNNING OFF ON POOR TOM! ALMOST SENT ME TO A BLOODY EARLY GRAVE MY GIRL." He bent down and reached for the white and brown dog. His arms cradling the mutt. "Did y'find my dear girl?" He asked us with his brows still up. Josh looked around and then replied, "I think she found us." He laughed and the old man laughed with him. "Well me and my Polly better get'a going. Betsy won't be impressed that we're home late f'er good vegetable pie. G'evening to you both." And with that, Tom tilted his tam and off he went with Polly in hand.

I looked up at Josh and his arm was down behind my back and my long hands were in his big hand. His hands were pretty soft for a football players. I looked from our hands up to his woodland eyes. I had to say it now or never, "Josh, I've got to tell you something important and you might not like it." His eyebrows lowered a little and I turned to see the sun only barely peering over the trees tops. The sun and the bench were my audience. Here it goes. "I'm going to a boarding school." I thought the weight would have lifted but it was still heavy and waiting for Josh's approval. I kept my attention on his blue V neck t-shirt. It hugged his toned shoulders, chest and stomach. Talking about stomachs, I needed to bring up mine. I swallowed against it as bile rose in my throat. I looked at my feet to calm myself and all I saw were his black jeans and black flip flops. Everything was too quiet.

"You promise you'll text me and send me emails back?" His voice hopeful and I looked into his eyes which were giving off the same feel. I smiled and the weight lifted and so did the bile. Before I knew it, I had my arms wrapped around his neck and he vice versa. "Will you?" He asked again. "Der!" I answered as I rolled my eyes. The sun was now just below the trees line and out of view. I guess he was only sticking around to find out the result. I flicked my hair back off my shoulder. The air slowly getting colder and biting at my bare collar. Thanks to Ashleigh and her fashion choice for me before Josh picked me up from her house. Which I have to text her later to fill in the details. She's been in denial and pretty pissed off about me going to boarding school.

Awell, I'll text her later. Josh grabbed my left hand in his right and we started walking down the path. "I better get you back. It got dark pretty quick." He said looking up and the navy blue sky, "So, you aren't going to have dinner with us?" I asked. He still looked up. "I've got some things to take care of." I looked down at the ground in disappointment as we walked. I felt his eyes on me and he squeezed my hand. I looked up at him again and all he said was, "Sorry babe." And then he looked forward again. I felt a warm sensation in my chest. He called me 'babe'. Oh dear god. Babe means one thing... HIS. I smiled to myself but continued to walk as we came to the curb where his car was parked and he pulled out his keys and unlocked the car with the button. He guided me over to the passenger side and opened the door for me. I slowly detached my hand from his and I slid inside as he closed the door after me with a slow thump.

My jeans pocket material lit up into a brighter dark blue. The vibration tickling my leg. I pulled it out as Josh jumped in the drivers seat. The message was from Ashleigh. I opened the message.

Okay, so I wanted to just ask...
ARE YOU AND