My Kind of Woman

22. Not Lonely With You

AN: Hello! Slightly shorter chapter today, and uploaded earlier than usual, but this chapter is to show where each character stands with one another before the vacation (so, Mio, Norah and Giana). Enjoy! 

January began. The snow quickly started to clear with rainy weekends, but the temperature remained low most times, barely rising above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. School reopened and the seniors were immediately bombarded with the prospect of what lies beyond. It was draining. And though Jackie had moaned about it, she practically had her life planned out ahead of her. She'd mapped her college destination, and her second options, then what she'd do with her degree. What I would do next still felt like a mystery then. Something practical, but stable.

"Where do you think you'll go?" Jackie asked whilst we were roaming about the halls, not quite knowing what to do after eating.

I shrugged. "I guess I thought I'd just follow you. I could. It's that or look into the scholarship I was offered."

Jackie stared at me, wide-eyed. "What?"

"What to which part?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were offered a scholarship? Where is it?" Jackie looked offended.

"Sorry, Jacks, I just didn't think I was interested. I still don't know if I am," I said. "I want to go with you."

"Now, don't just follow me mindlessly. It's a scholarship! And it's probably somewhere ten times better than where I'm going. Where is it?" Jackie asked.

"Too far. That's where."

"Where is it?" Jackie repeated.

"It's in Canada! Too far! It's Benhurst in Vancouver. Too far."

"I can't believe you."

"We're not fighting, are we?"

"What's it on - sport? Swimming? How did they find you? Benhurst? Christ, Norah." Jackie said, continuing past what I'd said.

"Swimming. They were scouting at a tournament in September."

I thought Jackie might be a little hurt that they hadn't spoken to her - after all, she was a fabulous swimmer, just as good as I was. But, she had said before that she was only swimming for fun. I knew she loved it though. I hadn't mentioned it then because of that. Not spitefully. I just didn't want to seem like I was rubbing an uncertain accomplishment in her face.

"I cannot believe you."

I frowned. "I'm sorry."

"I can't believe you didn't want to gush about this to me! You're amazing, you know? That's why they scouted you." Jackie was grinning when I looked up into her face. But it faltered quickly when she saw my pressed brows. "Oh, no. You're not going to throw it away still, are you?"

I shrugged with a sigh. "I don't know! I'm still thinking. Being so far away... I don't know. Like I said, I want to go with you."

Jackie sighed herself then. "You don't have to do that. Distance won't change our friendship. I'll still be your best friend from thousands of miles away. You've got my number."

"I'm still thinking," I said coolly.

If we weren't talking about Canada all of a sudden, we were talking about the vacation. Well, Jackie was. She seemed to gush about it at every opportunity possible. I wanted to as well, I thought about it every night it seemed and in every silence. There was so much to consider, so many possibilities to think about and so much to plan. What would I wear? What would I take? What would she take? How far away was it from Twin? How warm would it be really? Would we go in Mr. Reed's car? Or take the train?