The summer we turned thirteen (Published)

Chapter forty-three: Can we still be friends?

James

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Harlee wouldn't respond to any of my calls or messages.

I'd sent her at least thirty texts and called her phone more times than I could count but to no avail. I even tried going back to her house after I'd finished cleaning my room up, but no one was home.

Either that or no one was answering.

I hoped it was the former but had a feeling it was the latter.

I supposed this was my comeuppance for the way I'd ignored all of her calls and messages in May.

But it still hurt, nonetheless.

I resolved that since Harlee needed time to cool down for a couple of days, I should try and go ahead and fix things with Hyland.

Or set things straight anyway.

So Tuesday afternoon I texted her asking if we could meet at the mall.

We hadn't talked since the day of Evan's birthday party, so it didn't surprise me that she was hesitant to speak with me as well.

We called things off, James, she texted me in reply to my request.

I sighed, trying to figure out how to convince her.

It sure is sad how I've made two girls I care about despise me so much, I thought to myself.

Please, I've figured things out. I just want to talk, I sent in reply.

She didn't respond for a couple of minutes, and I worried she'd resorted to ignoring me.

It's probably for the best anyways if we keep our distance, I thought helplessly, shoving my phone into my pocket.

But I was really hoping we could still be friends.

My phone pinged right then, and I pulled it back out.

A smile formed on my face at her response,

I'll see you at the food court then.

Maybe, we could still be friends after all.

When Lizzie dropped me off at the mall, Hyland hadn't arrived yet.

I was glad I'd beaten her there, though, because it gave me time to think of what I was going to say to her. As I was trying to figure it out, my thoughts were interrupted by someone calling me by my dreaded nickname.

"Hey, Jamie," a voice said behind me in line at Jay's Hamburger Barn.

I closed my eyes and sighed in exasperation.

I knew who that voice belonged to.

And it wasn't Hyland Pennington.

I turned around to see Jasper and Mike glaring at me with their signature scowls. Rolling my eyes, I turned back to face the line. It hardly ever worked before, but maybe, if I ignored them, they'd go away.

"We never did get to pummel you for what you did last week," Jasper remarked.

At that, I tensed up but didn't let my fear show.

I'm trying to be brave, I reminded myself.

Can't let him or anything else intimidate me.

Besides, we were in a food court with lots of other people; they wouldn't try anything here.

"Things still good between you and Harlee?" he asked.