Forever

1999 Genie in a Bottle

Eating my oatmeal, I read my Psch book. Working, and studying was extremely hard to juggle, but I promised my parents i'd finish. My teachers are extremely understanding to the fact that I work as well, and give me the assignments I need to have completed, whenever I let them know i'll be missing a class. Communication is key. Also, my old roomate takes notes for me so I don't miss out on important things. For the most part, I attend every class, but it's not a rarety that i'd miss a couple days a week.

I heard feet walking towards the front door, and looked out the kitchen, and into the hall way. I noticed a short brunette girl, walking with James past the kitchen.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?" James asked.

"Yeah- of course." The mystery girl replied. I furrowed my eyebrows, and continued to eat my oatmeal, trying hard to continue to listen to their conversation. There was no sound for a few seconds, before I heard muttered byes, and the door closing. James let out a sigh, and walked towards the kitchen. He tossed a huge booklet, his script, onto the island before speaking.

"Good morning." He greeted, nonchalantly walking towards the fridge.

"Morning." I replied taking a bite of my cereal.

"Do we have any cream cheese?" He asked. I rolled my eyes, placing my spoon into my bowl.

"You're the one looking in the fridge." I scoffed. He turned to look at me wide eyed for a few seconds before scoffing.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." He chuckled.

"And someone woke up with a stranger in theirs." I muttered, almost sarcastically, looking down at my spoon. I didn't know why I was overcome with a certain agitation, but I was. I was extremely annoyed.

"Jealous?" James asked. Now I was even more annoyed. Although I wasn't sure if it was his smugness, or from the fact that he had some girl over all night that I didn't even know about. He had gone out with and hooked up with a few girls in Los Angeles, but to bring them to a place where I eat and sleep, not to mention being in the room right next to him-it was gross. 

"What would I be jealous of?" I asked. 

"That I'm actually getting laid." He muttered, pulling out the carton of milk. My eyebrows furrowed at his snarky remark, feeling the need to get out of the kitchen. Away from James.

"Wow." I scoffed, picking up my bowl and putting it in the sink.

"That's- that's not what I meant." James shook his head. Yes, I was 20 and still a virgin. In Los Angeles amongst actors and actresses I was considered a unicorn. Extremely rare. While I took full pride in my hopes to wait for the perfect man, it got annoying when my status as a virgin was often thrown in my face. 

"If I wanted to get laid- i'd get laid."

"I know." He nodded. 

"Actually, I have a date Friday." I grinned. 

"And-?" He asked opening up the cabinet to grab a bowl. I rolled my eyes at his response, realizing that it stemmed from all of my other failed dates. But this time it was different. 

"Like a real date." 

"Really?" 

"Yep. His name is Ashton." I grinned. "He's super cute- and funny, and nice, and tall." I went on. Although, I wasn't sure if I felt tempted to continue in order to inform James or in spite of him for having some girl sleepover in our apartment. 

"Sounds great." He muttered, grabbing a box of corn flakes.

"In fact, he's so good looking. He's even a male model. Now, are you jealous?" I asked, possibly sounding more smug than I meant to be.

"Yeah." He nodded pouring the cereal into the bowl. "Jealous because I was expecting to date a model before you did." He joked, now pouring the milk into it. I scoffed before shaking my head. 

"Don't be a jerk."

"How am I being a jerk?" He shrugged taking a bite of his cereal.   

"You-" I started before letting out a sigh, as I watched him open up his script once again. "Why aren't you the least bit of excited for me?" 

"I am, I just- I have a scene tomorrow and I need to have this memorized." He answered. 

"Fine." I rolled my eyes. He looked to me. And then back to his script letting out a sigh before closing his script, and leaning against the counter.

"Tell me more about- Asher." He said before taking another bite of his cereal.

"Ashton." I corrected, before the grin took over my face. "He came over to talk to me, and we were laughing, and he's so- ridiculously hot. Like the single most attractive guy I've ever seen with my own eyes-"

"That's not true." James interrupted with a smirk, slicking his hair back.

"You're right." I nodded. "I did meet Johnny Depp circa 95." I stated. He let out a sarcastic laugh, rolling his eyes.  "He wants to pick me up Thursday night, and take me to some greek restaurant in Beverly Hills." I continued. A look washed over James's face that was awfully unreadable, making that brief moment of playfulness seem to have disappeared.  I furrowed my eyebrows at his change of expression, watching him avert his eyes to the counter. 

"Nice." He muttered. Normally I was able to pick up on how James was feeling, or even what he was thinking but lately it's almost as though things were changing. We were still best friends, but he wasn't home as often, and when he was we'd only make light conversation. I was confused and slightly hurt, but by telling him about Ashton I felt as though we could be able to laugh, and that I'd be able to gush about the new guy in my life- but he wasn't letting me. Hell, he didn't even mention who the girl was that stayed at the apartment. 

"Well- if that's how you're going to be then just keep reading your script." I shrugged. 

"I didn't say anything." He responded. 

"Exactly." 

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Guys, don't hate me! Yeah, I'm giving Cassie a boyfriend, but mind you James is dating someone around this time period too. I find it important to emphasize the point of them both having lives outside of each other. Lives that impact their friendship in different ways. James and Cassie may, or may not end up together, but all in all...this is a story about their FRIENDSHIP. Not necessarily their romance. At least, not yet. I have a lot of things planned for these two over the "years".