68 Days And Counting

Chapter Twenty Six: Ripping His Shirt Off.

"A whole bunch of things to buy for Christmas dinner tomorrow night."

"I can get them. Actually Justin and I can. You have anything to do before tonight?" I asked my brother.

He shook his head. "Not really. Emma's going out with her sister...Christian and couple other of us were honestly just going to go play Xbox... so nothing."

"Alright we can go. We're just going to have a visitor who actually has a car."

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"I haven't seen you in months. Since August and the first thing you do is call me and tell me we're going grocery shopping?" Simon asked, pushing the cart forward.

"Of course." I took a glance at him. He wore glasses on his face and had on a funny winter hat, the flaps over his red ears. I took in his jaw and cheeks which never had the ability to grow facial hair.

Justin grabbed random things and started tossing them into the cart. I allowed him to seeing as they were on our list and the store was packed and supplies were running out fast but then he put in something we didn't need.

"No." I told him, handing him back the box.

"It's Christmas!" He defended, putting the package of Twinkies back into the cart.

"I don't care." I mumbled, looking at my brother and wondering how he was almost sixteen. He's in tenth grade in high school and the idea of him growing up bewildered me every time.

"You know what? Put it in." I could see him silently say 'yes' as he tossed in the cart.

"We're grabbing nachos after this right?" Simon asked me, glancing at me.

"Yeah sure."

"Then we can go bowling?"

"You still have an obsession with bowling?" I asked him, wondering if he was actual serious but like always he was.

"Of course. But seriously, if you make me to grocery shopping for food I'm not even going to eat then we're going bowling after and you're paying."

"I hate you."

"That's fine, as long as we're going bowling after." Simon shrugged.

I looked around trying to find tomatoes when I noticed someone grabbing onions, her phone nestled between her head and shoulder. She was talking on it with a smile on her face.

"Hey, it's Jasmine." Justin said, glancing at me.

"Yeah. Sheesh I haven't spoken to her in forever," Simon went up to go say hi to her but both Justin and I pulled him back. He stared at the both of us in confusion. "Am I missing something here?"

"I haven't told you some things for a very long time." I informed him carefully, trying to let him know I was serious with my eyes. 

"Are you and Jasmine still friends?" He asked me, looking over at her.

"Yeah...it's just-something- awkward I guess."

"Have you talked to her since whatever awkward thing went down?"

"Not really."

"Go talk to her," Simon put both hands on the cart already steering it in a different direction, over where the tomatoes were. "Justin and I are going to finish the list."

They disappeared out of my sight and I made my way towards Jasmine. She noticed me quickly, almost dropping her phone. "Uh, yeah I'm fine. I'll talk to you later. Bye."