I'd been asked it hundreds of times before but every time someone asked me I would just smile and tell them "I'm okay now." It was the biggest lie I'd ever told to anyone. I wasn't okay. I was never going to be okay either. Not anytime soon at least. James was still looking at me waiting for that answer and I could tell that "I'm okay" or "nothing" wasn't going to please him.
I explained to him everything with mum, the hospital, my grades, and my sister. I had tears in my eyes and as quickly as I tried to wipe them away, James had already noticed. He stopped in front of me and gave me the most amazing hug. I told him I was sorry for telling him everything and that he didn't need to hear any of it. He just pulled me closer. I looked up at him and for the first time I realized how beautiful his eyes really were. They changed colours as well. He seemed so wise, you could tell that he was thinking so many things but when his gaze met mine, I knew that I was his and that I was all he focused on. He leaned in and kissed me. This was my kiss though- I'm not gonna tell you all about it. That was my secret.
My phone started to ring. Perfect timing. It was Anna. I kind of had to answer my phone, it was a best friend law. "Hello" I said trying to keep from laughing, James tried to kiss me again playfully. "Yes, I'm listening. What's up?" I dodged it just as playfully. "Oh, Anna. Of course you can stay here, Brad as well? Yeah no that's perfectly fine, hurry though. I don't want you still in the city when it gets there." My face was all of a sudden very serious and even James could feel the bad vibes I was sending. I hung up the phone and started to make my way home even faster.
"What happened?" James grabbed my hand – it was the softest thing I'd ever felt.
"My two best friends from home, Anna and Brad are in trouble. The snow here was because of a major storm headed straight them. It's meant to be a category 5 cyclone, hail, flooding and storms. The adults are going to stay behind in the shelters but they have to come here and I know I'm rambling on right now but I'm scared. I'm really scared." He stopped me right in my tracks, I know I had to get home and warn dad but I needed a friend and at the moment, James was all I had. He held me for what seemed like forever, it must have been a while though because when I looked back up the street lights were on. "I have to go. Anna and Brad are going to be here in the morning and I haven't even told dad yet."
"At least let me walk you home." He was genuinely concerned. It was really sweet. He was really sweet and perfect. Did I mention perfect?
He walked me home. Sure enough dad was out the front waiting for me with the porch light on. The look on his face told me that I wasn't going to be in trouble. I took James up to dad.
"Dad, this is my friend James. He made sure I got home safely." James extended his arm and shook hands with dad.
"Well he's a lovely friend. Thank you for that, I was so worried. I take it Anna called you and told you she was coming? You look like you've been crying that's all."
"Oh yeah," I forgot about when I was crying. Dad's turned into a very keen observer the last few months, "they're still coming over in the morning right?"
"Darling, the storm was worse than we all thought and it got to the city a lot quicker than we first anticipated."