Pretty Little Miracles

Chapter One

Fall

 NATURE SURELY WAS in its element this beautiful morning. The indecisive leaves had begun to flee from the confines of their branches, prone to diminish under the weight of boots and sneakers. Trees still stood tall, bidding their old friends adieu and patiently awaiting new occupants to brighten their trunks.

A cool breeze swept through the town, but not too strong that I could be convinced to wear a jacket just yet. My mind was still trapped in the warm abyss of summer, despite being forced to go back to school today. Not that I necessarily minded; I yearned to acquire new information to stuff in my brain, not to mention an excuse to see my friends every day for the next handful of months.

Having school seemed to give my life the structure it lacked during break. Homework, studying, extracurriculars: they teamed up to fill my schedule and invite activity into my life.

My heart was nearly thrown into a frenzy as the ringing phone next to me made itself known. I sighed wistfully, gazing out my window at the lively environment before pressing the device to my ear.

"HURRY UP, BITCH!" My best friend's melodic voice sliced through the air, and I cringed as I had to distance the phone from my ear to prohibit hearing loss. "WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR OUR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL AS JUNIORS."

"I'll be down in a sec, Jas."

"That's what you decided to wear today?" She wrinkled her nose at me in greeting, starting the car and peeling out of my driveway.

"You do realize this is your shirt, right?"

"There's a reason why it is now in your possession, H."

"You never fail to boost my confidence," I began, feigning appreciation as I took in my surroundings. Trees whipped by in a flash due to the speed at which Jasmine's topless convertible was traveling. "That, amongst many other reasons, is why I happen to love and cherish you so dearly."

"Your words held so much meaning, yet I had trouble overlooking the sarcasm stitched into them."

Our laughter filled the world, and I had trouble ridding my face of the smile it held. I loved nothing more than having a sore mouth as result of being too happy. I ran a hand through my now messy hair that was attacked by the wind, eyes surely twinkling as I shared a glance with Jasmine before she had to bring her attention back to the road. I loved my best friend.

"So," I said, my grin of glee transitioning to a knowing one. "How's Sara doing?"

I noticed her smile dim. She adjusted herself in her seat, her fingers clenching around the wheel. She took a peek at my now curious expression and sighed heavily. "We—uh—we didn't work out."

"Aw, Jay." The red light forced us to roll to a stop, and I took the time to rub her shoulder in a comforting manner. I didn't put much thought into how she seemed to stare down at the contact between us a fraction longer than normal. "What happened?"

"I—I—It's nothing, really."

"No, it obviously—"

A loud honk caused us both to jolt in our soft leather seats, our eyes finding that the traffic light had turned green. Jasmine sighed once more, pressing on the gas and we continued to roll along.

"I think I might like someone else." Was all she said after a moment of silence, and something told me not to pry any further. I knew Jasmine better than practically anyone, even her own father. The only thing she needed right now was space, and I knew that I had to give that to her.

Love was always a weak topic of approach for Jasmine. Her childhood wasn't as plentiful with the feeling as I wished it had been. Her mother perished giving birth to her, and her older brother always blamed her for it. He judged her, called her names, but she nonetheless had the courage to come out to him. He had no outward reaction, as if she had mentioned something as nonchalant as the weather.

Jasmine only ever really had her father, who was nothing but a superhero in her eyes. She adored him, cherished him with her whole heart. He was the only person who was really ever there for her. The only one who always resided in her side of the ring. To this day, he still tells her how proud he is of her bravery, how happy her mother would be knowing that she gave birth to such a miracle. That part is true; Jasmine truly is a miracle.

Aside from her father, I've been one of the only people she was capable of opening up to. From the time she was put in diapers, all the way to the present: I know pretty much everything about her. In fact, I may know more about her than I do about myself.

"Alrighty, here we are." Her announcement pulled me from my internal thoughts, my eyes shooting to her before viewing our school standing tall and proud before us. Waves of teenagers were already pouring in; some held hands, some with their arms around one another, others just side by side. Students reunited outside, rejoiceful grins on their lips as they embraced. I smiled to myself at the sight, energized myself by the prospect of seeing my own friends I hadn't had many chances to see over break.

"Hey," I snapped out of my reverie, grabbing her wrist to stop her from exiting the vehicle. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She tried to smile reassuringly, but I could see straight through her lie. Releasing herself from my grip, she grabbed her bag from the backseat and left the car. I heaved a sigh and followed her lead.

I tossed an arm across her shoulders and pulled her close as we strode down the familiar hallways of our school. "Even though I can't tell what's wrong with you, I can tell you—right now—that we're gonna have a kick-ass first day back, alright?"

She allowed a small smile to reappear across her lips, and the sight gave me hope. Playfully rolling her eyes, she wrapped her arm around me and choked on a laugh. "You're ridiculous."

"Guess it's just in my jeans." I snickered, slapping my butt. A loud, obnoxious laugh bellowed from her lips and I grinned victoriously.

There we were; two guffawing, grinning idiots stumbling through the halls because we definitely didn't own them. I paid no mind to any questioning looks that may have been tossed in our direction, because I couldn't find it in me to care.

If you're happy, why change for anyone?