"Friends"

"Friends" Chapter 21

JIMMY'S POV

As I walked home, I felt so incomplete. I really wanted Valerie in my life but it seemed like that wasn't an option. I knew I probably should have never gotten involved with her, romantically. If I never kissed her, if I never touched her cheek or held her hand, we would be sitting at our favorite Mexican restaurant right now just laughing about old times.

But it's all over.

I held the sweatshirt in my hand that still smelt like her.

I looked around me as I walked down the street and realized that I had no idea where I was. I must've been daydreaming or something.

I turned around and tried to find something that looked familiar. My eyes stopped on an entrance to a park and I wandered over there.

I looked over at an older couple that was sitting on a bench and they were holding hands.

I want to be like that with someone someday.

I sat down on a bench next to them and looked down at the piece of fabric that rested in the palm of my hands. I ran my finger over the white letters and felt the cold breeze blow my hair. I felt goose bumps all over my forearms and I looked down at the concrete.

"Jimmy why the hell did we come here?" I looked over at Val who was tightening up her skates.

"Hey, Its Christmas time and our offices are literally right there! Its about time that you came here." I finished tying my skates and carefully stood up. She rolled her eyes at me and struggled to get the other skate on. "Need help?" She dismissively waved her hand at me and stood up as well. Her ankles wobbled as she tried to find her balance.

"Got it." She gave me a cheeky smile and we began to walk over to the ice rink.

"Okay, you ready for this?" I stepped onto the ice and took off.

Growing up in upstate New York, Ice Skating was a hobby that I grew very fond of. Every Christmas, Glor and I would run down to the lake by our house with our sharp skates in our hands and create memories that I cherish till this day.

"JIMMY! You can't just leave me here like this, you asshole!" I heard Valerie scream out to me. I giggled and turned around. I made my way back over to her and reached my hand out to her.

"Come on, just one step..." She held both of my hands and set her wobbly feet onto the crisp ice. "Okay, good so far!" I gave her a reassuring smile and grabbed on to her arm to help her gain balance.

"I'm sooo going to fall flat on my face..." I felt her fingers hold on to me tighter as I pulled her along side me.

"No you wont, I'm here. I wont let you damage that face of yours..." I bit my tongue and we began to skate around. "This isn't so bad, huh?" I looked down at her for a second and then looked back up to the ice in front of us.

"Nope. Not at all... Thank you for dragging me here." She hugged my arm a little bit and I blushed. Gosh she was cute.

I looked back down to the navy material and ran my hand through my hair.

"You and I are SO over... We need a new word for 'over'..."

I couldn't get everything she said out of my head. I was suddenly brought back into reality when I heard a soft voice speaking to me.

"Excuse me, young man." I looked over to the older man who was sitting with his wife. "Would you please take a photo of us?"

"Yeah, of course." I stood up and took the camera from his large wrinkly hand.