i kept tossing and turning in my bed, trying to force myself to fall asleep. during break, i had stayed up until early morning and woke up late afternoon every day. trying to get my sleep schedule ready for school really was a struggle.
i checked the time for the third time in the past minute. it read 10:37 p.m. i sighed and decided to check my phone. i noticed that the most recent notification was a text from jaeden, my next door neighbor. we've lived next to each other for as long as i can remember. our rooms's windows faced each other and we went to the same school, so we talked often.
jaeden
what's up?
y/n
just trying to adjust my sleep schedule haha.
jaeden
wow, sounds fun. no success, i'm guessing?
y/n
nope :(
jaeden
sorry :(
y/n
i've decided i'm not gonna be able to sleep anytime soon lol. wanna talk irl instead of text?
jaeden
haha sure :)
i smiled at my phone. every time jaeden and i talked, my heart fluttered. he always knew how to make me feel loved and important.
i threw on my jacket and slowly peeked out my bedroom door, making sure the hallway was clear. once i confirmed there was nobody there, i started towards the door. after carefully and silently opening it, sneaking out, and closing it, i took in a breath of fresh air. as soon as i reached the end of my driveway, my eyes met jaeden's.
"what's up, loser?" he asked me. i rolled my eyes.
"i'm the loser. okay, bill." i laughed. he smirked and grabbed my arm.
"come on, i wanna show you something." he told me as he led me down the dark road. i followed him. after a few minutes, we found ourselves at the neighborhood park.
the neighborhood park was a place we would go when we were little. we would always play together and had great memories together. we were always happy here. we stopped going after second grade, when his acting career started and kept him busy.
i smiled a wide grin at him. he smiled back at me and led me to the swings.
"so how has your break been?" he asked me
"average. you?" i responded.
"it's been alright." he glanced up at the sky. "the moon looks pretty tonight." i nodded in agreement.
i dropped my hand to my side. jaeden noticed and took the open opportunity. he held it. i looked at him in shock, but at she same time, with a genuine smile.
"not to be sappy or anything, but honestly, i've missed this. i missed hanging out with you." he said quietly.
"i've missed this too. i've missed you. after you started acting, i feel like we haven't been as close. of course you're still my best friend, but it's felt different." i said, a little louder than he had.
"want to mend that bond?" he asked me with wide eyes. i nodded.
we talked for what felt like 5 minutes, when in reality, it was over an hour and a half.
by the end of the night, we were laying on the mulch. my head rested on his shoulder. i was extremely tired, but he was worth staying up for.
i figured that tonight, my sleep schedule was not going to be any better.
