A Dog Named Bear

fourteen

Iris

iris | jay

"Hold up, lemme take this phone call real quick," he says after the tenth ignored call. "What do you want?"

"Jay-Jay!" l chuckle when l hear his friend's voice as loud as it would have been if he stood beside me. "Finally! Where have you been?"

Jay winces and moves the phone away from his ear. "James! Stop screaming!"

His friend grumbles. "Why?"

"Because you're going to make me deaf! Although, I'm not sure l would mind as I wouldn't have to listen to you anymore," he adds on.

"Rude?" James's voice was just as loud as it had been previously, if not louder. "Just because you said that I'm going to scream as loud as possible! Lalalala! l love you! You love me! We're a happy family! With a great big hug and a kiss-"

"For the last time James, you are not Barney," Jay says with a laugh.

"You just had to ruin my dreams!" James screams back.

Well, one could never say James wasn't stubborn. His voice rang through the phone loud and clear even with the phone an arm's length away from Jay.

"Babe, please stop yelling! Just because you're trying to annoy Jay, it doesn't mean my ears aren't dying either," another voice says.

"Eliza! Can you punch James for me?" Jay shouts.

I hear someone on the line laugh before an "Ow!" answers.

"Thanks Liz!"

"No problem!"

I giggle at their playful banter and Jay smiles at me. "Okay! I gotta go James!"

"See, Liza! Jay hates me now! He never talks to me anymore," James yells while fake sobbing.

"He was talking to you in class today!" Eliza yells back.

We hear James sob harder. "But he used to talk to me at least ten hours a day. Now it's only seven!"

My eyes wide and I look over at Jay. "Seriously?"

"Maybe," he mutters. "James is very persistent."

"Hey! Who are you talking to?" James screams. "I knew it! You found yourself a new best friend and you don't want me anymore! How is he better than me? Tell me!"

"James, I don't think anyone could beat you." He chuckles as he leans against a tree. "I'm just with a friend. You know the one you screamed at in class yesterday?"

James is silent before he says, "Nope."

Sighing, Jay shakes his head. "Okay, well that's who I'm with."

The next few words I can't quite make out, but they seem to amuse him. "It's a she," he says with a laugh.

"Yo, seriously?" James says. "You're dating someone and you didn't tell me?"

"No! I'm just hanging out with a girl! Why do I have to be dating her?"

James is silent for a moment. "Why do you think?"

"Shut up."

"Hey! I'm not judging!" James shouts defensively. "So, can we meet her?"

Jay glances over at me and I shake my head. "Why?"

"Because she's the first girl other than Liza and Ky-Ky that you hang out with as just friends," he says like it's obvious. "We gotta meet this miracle worker and ask her all her secrets! Like did she drug you?"

Jay buries his face in his hands. "Seriously?"

"Yes."

"James, you realize she can hear you?"

There was a long beat of silence that was soon interrupted by screaming. "What? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know! You're the one screaming the whole time. Obviously she can hear you," he says laughing. "By the way, she doesn't want to meet you."

"Excuse me? Honey, you want to meet me, right? Then I can tell you all of Jay's secrets like the time he got drunk and-"

"O-kay! I think it's time to shut up now, James."

I arch an eyebrow. "What happened that time you got drunk?"

"Nothing happened." Jay glowers at me. "Nothing."

"Right. I thought we were friends, Jay. Why are you keeping secrets from me?" I ask.

"No! I refuse to tell you so stop asking."

"I'll tell you!" James yells.

"Shut up! Or we're breaking up!"

James gasps loudly. "No! Jay-Jay, I swear I won't tell. But can I please meet her?"

"Works every time," Jay mutters. "Iris, you want to meet him?"

"Please say yes! Pretty please?"

I cringe away from the thought of meeting someone new, especially someone as loud as James. But then again, I had a feeling he would talk enough for the both of us. "Maybe."

"She says maybe," Jay relays and James cheers.

"Okay, I'm going to your house by the way," James says. "So, I'll see you and maybe your friend soon. I love you!"

Jay rolls his eyes, but he grins. "I love you too, James."

"I love you more!"

"I love you most!"

"Not possible! I love you-"

Jay groans. "Not arguing. I'm hanging up now."

"Wai-"

Jay pockets his phone and beams at me. "You ready to go?"

. . .

i need someone like James in my life.

thanks for reading! if you enjoyed, please vote, leave a comment and i'll see ya later! byeeee!

~ Jells ❤️