The Distance between us by Jennifer Trevino (phonics readers txt) 📕

Prologue

                “Give me back my toy,” the small four year old girl ordered as she stood in front of the small boy her age. She pouted her small lips, and folded her arms over her chest in anger, her hazel eyes sending fuming glares at the boy.

                “Nope,” the little boy declared, he gave her a sheepish grin his cheeks flushed as he raised the doll to the sky.

                “Josh! Give it back! She is my doll not yours!” The little girl fumed, her arms reaching up to try and get her precious Barbie doll back from the boy. Her short hair swayed along with the summer breeze as she struggled to rise on her tippy-toes.

                The boy laughed at the girl’s exasperated face, and lifted the doll higher so she wouldn’t reach it. The girl stretched her fingers high but to no avail she could not reach the doll. The little girl decided to stop, and looked at the boy with a tearful look.

                He noticed the way her precious eyes became to water just like when his mom cried every time she was watching those cheesy movies, and he felt a weird stinging pain in his chest at the thought of seeing Emily cry. So he just shoved the doll into Emily’s arms, adverting his gaze away from her.

                “There, now don’t cry,” he demanded his tone laced with seriousness as his frown deepened. “I don’t like it when girls cry,” he mumbled lowly.

                “You idiot! If you ever get my doll again I’ll make sure to cry really hard!” Emily exclaimed as she brought her empty hand to her eyes and wiped away a few stray tears.

                “Fine I promise not to do it again,” he grumbled angrily shaking his head at the bipolar girl he actually had as a friend.

                “I don’t trust you,” she replied with furrowed eyebrows.

                “Fine, let’s pinky promise then,” he suggested taking out his pinky and intertwining it with hers. “I promise not to steal anymore of Emily’s dolls. Happy?”

                “A bit,” she grumbled a small smile tugging on her lips.

There I was standing in the pouring rain my eyes spilling out tears of pain as I stared at the love of my life kissing another girl. There was a sharp pain stinging my poor heart. My clothes were already soaked to the skin, and my hair sticking to my neck and face irritably.

            I tried to force myself to look away from them, but my body was frozen in place, my eyes trained on the familiar figure of my best friend since childhood. The guy I have known ever since I was a kid, the guy that was always there for me, and the guy I have always loved since I can remember.

            It was kind of sad for me to just stand there under the wild storm watching as Josh kissed another girl, it almost seemed as if though destiny was punishing me with this unbearable scene. But yet I had the choice to leave and walk away, but I just couldn’t.

            I brought the back of my hand to my bloodshot eyes and tried to wipe away the tears that I had shed after watching Josh and his new sex-toy.

            I wanted to laugh at my stupidity, but all I could do was just stand there like a deer in the headlights. After all what did I expect? For my childhood friend to finally realize his undying love for me, and kiss me happily ever after?

            “Moron,” I mumbeld.  I turned on my heels and started to walk toward the school gates.  Josh was supposed to drive me home today, just like every day. But I guess he forgot, because now I’m left with walking my way home under this rain.

            The walk to my house wasn’t that long, it usually took me a few ten minutes to reach home sweet home on foot. And I admit the rain had slowed me down, but at least I had gotten home.  I’ll probably get a cold for it, but I doubt Josh would have driven me home.

            I took off my shoes and set them next to the door, my parents were gone for the week and since I’m finally at the age where I don’t need adult supervision I get to stay alone in the overwhelmingly house. I would have jumped up in joy at being alone, but I was a little heartbroken right now from the scene a few minutes ago.

            I headed to my room on the second floor and fell with my clothes still dripping wet on the soft bed, my eyes staring at the ceiling as if it was actually interesting.

            “Get over him!” I screamed at myself trying to get the image of him out of my mind, but I just couldn’t his face was burned into my mind I just couldn’t forget him. No matter how much I tried.

            I have known Josh since childhood and he just means the world to me, even though I had to live with the agonizing pain of watching him play around with different girls in front of me. Yeah it all began this freshmen year when he discovered his ‘sexiness’ and was frequently pounced from girls all around him. He changed completely from the Josh I knew to an ‘Arrogant Jerk who always had his way’.

            He even had the nerve to one day push me against my bed and then try to kiss me; I admit I was so happy and excited at the thought of him actually kissing me. I was all like, “Yes finally he has realized his feelings for me!”

            But then I had remembered his little episode that day in the restroom where he was making out with some chick from senior year in the stalls, the sight had almost made me puke out all my breakfast into the floor but instead I had walked away with a pained expression.

            I had refused to be kissed by him after remembering where those lips were, and had forcefully got out of the room and ignored him for a whole three weeks which he kept on trying to get my attention and had profoundly apologized to me. And I being so stupid had forgave him.

            But after that he had become more distant and completely different, he seemed like a star to me now. The only reason we even talk is because we live close to each other and somehow still need each other.

            “Emily! Hey are you here!” A voice boomed from downstairs instantly making me sit up from my bed. What was he doing here now?

            “Josh, don’t you dare come over here! I’m taking a shower!” I shouted as I began to take off all my clothing and ran to the restroom in my room closing the door behind me.  I hurriedly turned on the faucet and cold water fell on me. I cursed at the temperature and set it to a hotter temperature, enjoying the feel of the warm water hitting me making my body relax and flush in contempt.

            There was a loud bang on the door, and I turned to the locked door hoping he wouldn’t come in here and see me completely naked. That would be more embarrassing than him finding me soaked to the skin with obvious tearful eyes.

            “Emily you in here?” He asked from the other side of the door.

            “Yeah, I’m taking a shower,” I answered quickly washing away all the dirt from today off my body. Damn I’m such a mess!

            “Oh, okay well I’ll just wait here,” he said aloud and I could hear him as he sat down on my mattress.

            “Okay,” I said calmly but I was far from it, because this was really weird of him. Wasn’t he supposed to be with other girl that I saw him kissing at school? What was he doing here?

            Thunder roared from outside, the rain falling harder on the roof. The lights in the restroom began to dim and I was afraid the power would let out and I would be in complete darkness. And that is a big no-no for me, because I am a little bit afraid of the dark. Just a little.

            Wrapping the towel securely around my body, I opened the door just a bit so my head could stick out. My eyes instantly met Josh’s bright emerald eyes that seemed to make my heart accelerate. His body was seated comfortably on the bed.

            “Josh cover your eyes and don’t look or I will beat the living crap out of your balls so you won’t reproduce,” I warned giving him my serious look.

            “Well hello to you to,” he said with a nervous chuckle.

            “I’m serious Josh, cover your eyes,” I growled out menacingly.

            “Okay, okay woman,” he said as he covered his eyes with his hands and turned around so he was facing the wall. I took my chance and sped for my drawer pulling out some clothes. And quickly putting them on in what seemed like seconds.

            “Done?” He asked uncertain.

            “Done,” I answered as I picked up the towel and put it in my basket near the one nightstand, I got my hairbrush and began to brush my wild dark hair. “So what brings you here?”

            Josh turned around and let out a sigh of relief, he made himself more comfortable on the bed and closed his eyes.  “I just came to check to see if you came home, you weren’t anywhere in school,” he replied to my dismay. “So who drove you home?”

            “I…uh-had Mimi drive me home,” I lied as I sat beside him and got the remote control, turning on the television and changing the channel into something amusing. “Nice rain we are having today, right?”

            “You hate rain,” he pointed out with a chuckle. His eyelids fluttered open and he sat up taking me into his arms, my back against his chest and his arms around me. His hot breath fanning my neck from behind, I suddenly felt more nervous. This wasn’t weird we always did this, but as always I was the only one left with a trembling heart and awkward stiff pose.

            “So when are your parents coming home?”  Josh asked as he got the control from my hands and changed the channel to sports. “Did they really leave you all alone again?”

            I felt my smile falter and shook my head; I knew what he really wanted to ask me. But he was such an idiot that there was no way I would avoid a topic related to her. “They told me Amelia will be checking up on me, so it’s okay to be alone for a few hours,” I replied feeling his arms stiffen at the mention of my older sister.

            Actually there is a reason that Josh became a player that teases other girls, and that is because of