"Friends"

"Friends" Chapter 4

VALERIE'S POV

I woke up and I was facing Jimmy. He still had his arm around me and he had messy bed head. He looked really cute.
It was official:
I really liked him.
I reached up and ran my fingers through his hair. He opened his eyes a little bit and the smile that I love appeared on his face.
"Hi..." His deep raspy voice was so cute.
"Hi there..." I still had my hand on his head as I ran my fingers down the side of his forehead. "I'm going to go downstairs and read... You don't have to get up yet."
He nodded his head and snuggled back up with the sheets.
I rolled out of bed and headed downstairs.
No one was awake yet and the sun had just come out. I grabbed a blanket off of the couch and went outside.
I felt the cold concrete underneath my feet and I had goose bumps on my legs.
I sat down on the chair outside and pulled my legs up to my chest. I wrapped the blanket around my body and looked around the yard.
I grew up here, I used to play in this yard with old friends who I hadn't seen in ages.
That was one reason why I was scared about getting together with Jimmy... If things ended and we weren't on good terms, I wouldn't only be losing a boyfriend, I'd be losing my best best best friend and he is really all I have...
I can't lose him...
He really is my everything.
There was only one other thing...
I'm still not ove Gio, my ex...
I just left and took off to New York, I left him here all alone.
He was actually about to propose to me when I left... that's how serious we were.
I still miss him like crazy.
I'm not sure if I'll ever get over him.
But I can't get over how Jimmy makes me feel either. He has a completely different effect on me. Whenever I'm around him, I feel genuinely happy and that's really hard to find sometimes.
One of the only things I've ever wanted in my life was to be happy and Jimmy seemed to be one of the only people who could make me feel that way.
I heard the porch door open and my dad joined me outside.
"How's it goin, kid?" He walked over to the chair next to me and sat down.
I looked over at him from my daydreaming and gave him a small smile.
"Eh, I've been better." I scratched my arm and looked down at my blanket.
"Wanna talk about anything?" I looked over to him and just observed his face.
My dad was always the dad who cared a ton about his kids. He didn't have favorites, not that I knew of, and he was always up for talking to us about anything.
He was the dad that was at every baseball game, every science fair, and was always cheering you on somewhere in the crowd. He was the best.
"Well... What do you think of Jimmy?" He looked up to the sky and smiled.
"I think that he's my favorite boy you've ever brought home. I can tell that he really cares about you and that means a lot to me, to any dad. I just like seeing you happy and since I've seen you with him, you've always had a smile on your face."
I smiled and thought about everything he said.
"Why are you wondering?"
"Ah, nothing..." I heard him chuckle and he stood up from the chair and walked towards the door.
"I will leave you with one thing, though."
I looked up at him and he took a step towards me.
"Regretting something is the worst feeling in the world. If you're given an opportunity to change your life and you don't take advantage of it, you may regret it. There are so many things I wish I would have done in my life and it kills me to know that everyone has to deal with that feeling. I don't want you to look back in a few years and say, 'jeez, I wish I would have done that'... Live your life and take risks, baby. Even if it goes bad, it'll make your life weird and interesting just for a little while... Just promise me you'll take risks, Val."
I nodded my head at him and he patted me on my knee.
"We are going to breakfast pretty soon, want to join us?"
"Yeah... I'll be ready in a minute."
He went back into the house and I thought about everything that he said.
Maybe I should just take a risk. My dad had a good point. I don't want to look back at this situation and wish I'd done something different...
I got up off the chair and went into the house. I trotted upstairs and walked into my room.
Jimmy was sitting on the side of the bed and he was looking through a photo album that I had on my bedside table.
"Hey..." He turned around and smiled at me. "We are going to breakfast soon... you going to come?" I walked over to the bed and stood by him.
"As long as you're going." He smiled his adorable smile at me and I sat down next to him and looked down at the photo album.
I laughed.
"This one is from my prom..." I pointed at a picture of me and my best friend in some awful prom dresses. "No one asked me to prom and so my friend and I went together."
"Aw," he giggled. "I would've asked you." He looked up at me and smiled. I wrapped my blanket around my arms and sat with my legs crossed on the bed facing him.
He faced me and just smiled at me.
I leaned into him and rested my forehead on his.
I looked into his brown eyes and put my hands on the back of his neck.
Take a risk.

JIMMY'S POV

She leaned into me and placed her soft lips on mine.
I felt so many butterflies in my stomach and I really didn't know what to do.
I felt her fingers dig into the back of my neck and I just decided to stop thinking and loose myself.
I deepened the kiss and put my hand on her knee.
I felt her tongue slip into my mouth and I really couldn't help but smile.
She pulled away and I was still in shock.
She smiled at me and took her hands off of me. She smiled the biggest smile I'd ever seen on her.
"I'm still iffy about all of this... I don't know what I want so just give me a little time... I'm sorry..." She let out the cutest nervous giggle and I reached over to her and just hugged her.
She rested her head on my shoulder and then I let go.
"We need to get ready, I'm starving." She got up off the bed and left me sitting there.
I watched her grab some clothes and head to the bathroom.
I got ready and we all left within twenty minutes.
As we sat down in the car, I got into the back seat with her and buckled my seatbelt.
I rested my hand the same place where I had it last time we were in this spot and she immediately held my hand.
I smiled at her and she leaned over and kissed my cheek.
I was so happy.
The girl that I've liked for several years finally likes me back.
She was someone I could actually see myself going places with. She was someone I would love to grow old with.
She was my rock. She always has been.
I rubbed a spot on her hand with my thumb and just cherished the moment we were sharing.
We finally arrived at the restaurant and we all piled out of the car.
I wanted to wrap my arm around her as we walked but she said she needed time. I didn't want to push it.
We got a table for five and all sat down. I sat at the end of the table with Val on my right side. Her mother sat on my left.
I looked down at the menu and I felt her grab my hand from under the table.
I gave her a sneaky smile and squeezed her hand.
"So Jimmy! Are you excited about shooting some movies?" Her dad looked over at me and took a sip of his coffee.
"Yes sir! I'm so ready... I am so used to live shows and not being able to screw up or break character but in movies, it's like a free ticket to screw up. It's new and exciting. I love it."
I heard a laugh come from Val and I shot a look over at her.
"What?" I nudged her underneath the table.
"Its just that, even though you weren't allowed to screw up or break, you always did!!!"
Everyone at the table laughed, including Dan. It was the first time I'd ever seen him laugh.
"True true..."
The waiter came and we ordered all of our food.
"So, how long are you two planning on staying with us?" Her mom looked at both of us and I looked over at Val.
"Well, since you have to shoot soon, we probably shouldn't stay long... You need to focus on everything right?"
Her eyes focused on mine and she waited for a response.
"No rush." I smiled at her and she smiled at me.
I was so wrapped up in her that I completely forgot that everyone else was sitting there with us.
Our eye contact lasted for what seemed like forever. Other people were talking around us, but I completely ignored them.
She looked away from me and she looked up to a person standing behind her mom.
"Hey Val..." I heard a man's voice and she immediately let go of my hand. I saw a look of panic in her face and she was pale.
She stood up from her chair and nearly knocked it over.
"Gio..." I looked over to the guy she was talking to. He was a very attractive with glasses and a little bit of scruff... He looked a little bit older than me.
I saw her run over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
I was confused.
I looked over at her dad and her mom.
Her mom had her hands covering her mouth and she had tears in her eyes.
What was happening?
Why was she with that guy?
She needs to be sitting here with me, holding my hand.
"I missed you, V." I heard the guy mumble into her neck.
"I missed you so much, Gio." She leaned back and their lips met.
In that moment, I felt my heart break.
I couldn't even comprehend what was happening and before I knew it there were tears filling my eyes.
I looked back at her mom and her dad and they were staring at me. A tear streamed down my cheek and I couldn't even control it.
I had to get out... This wasn't happening...
I stood up off of the chair and threw my napkin onto the floor. I ran out of the restaurant and I could hear her dad yelling my name.
I had to get out.
I had to get away from her.
I felt more tears run down my face and I didn't even bother wiping them away.
I don't even understand what's happening... She was just kissing me! Now she's kissing some other guy?
She said she needed time?
She's my best friend...
She is mine.
She was mine...