Living in a Jumble of Wishes

Chapter 6

“Pamela McCloud,” My philosophy teacher said and I cursed under my breath.

He just had to pick me today! It’s like he knew I didn’t study this time and he picked me to recite on purpose.

I hesitantly walked up to the front of the class and he started firing questions at me.

I barely answered them, trying to remember what we wrote on Tuesday during his period but I just couldn’t. I didn’t even know which chapter we were studying before he started asking the questions!

He gave me a disappointed look as I went back to my place, knowing that he was writing a failing grade next to my name right now.

“It’s okay,” Zack mouthed when I got back to my seat.

I gave him a half-smile and he smiled back.

I spaced out for the rest of the period because I was angry about the recitation. When I’m angry, I can’t concentrate on anything.

We had a biology test right after the philosophy period. But unlike my philosophy recitation, I did okay on this one. I had studied biology last night. Well, as much as I could with Zack texting me constantly.

I knew I could’ve studied more and done better but I think I will pass that test.

The English test we had that day wasn’t good either. The questions were very confusing and I just felt as if all that I wrote didn’t make sense at all!

And of course, to add to my horrible day, my history teacher decided that it was time for an oral recitation and yup you guessed it, my name was the first one she picked.

I did better than the philosophy recitation but it still wasn’t that good.

I was sulking all day. I didn’t have one good thing all day! I couldn’t be more relieved when the final bell rang, I barely said a good bye to my friends as I rushed home, wanting to get away from school as much as possible.

All those tests and recitations gave me a massive headache and I just wanted to release some of the stress.

Sports aren’t really my thing but I just couldn’t sit in the house alone. I needed to go out.

That’s when I decided to go for a run. Ha! Like that would happen. I’ll just walk around the neighborhood like a lazy eighty year old woman, I thought.

I took out a pair of sweatpants and put on a short sleeved white shirt and grabbed a jacket just in case I got cold.

I took my earphone and phone from my bed and made sure to shove the keys into my pocket before leaving the house. I didn’t want to stay locked out. My parents were out on a ‘date’ tonight.

They acted like a high school couple… At least they were happy and in love and that’s all that matters.

I put my earphones in my ears and started walking. I admired the buildings and the trees in our neighborhood as I passed by. I’ve never really taken the time to look at the details of the buildings or the nature around here. I’ve been living here for a really long time—ever since I was born—but I never even thought that about really seeing the place.

Maybe it’s because I’ve never went for walks like that—I’m always too lazy—or maybe it’s because I don’t have friends around here so I never had an excuse to walk to their house or meet under one of the trees on the side of the road.

Why don’t I have friends around here anyway? Aren’t there any teenagers living here?

And it’s like someone heard my questions when I saw a teenage guy walking a few feet away from me, coming in my direction.

When he was just about to pass me, I blurted out, “Hey.”

It was one of those moments when you do something you haven’t even thought of doing. It’s like someone was controlling my tongue as the word slipped out.

He stopped walking and looked at me, trying to see if he knows me then a confused smile made its way to his face when he noticed that he didn’t know me.

“Hey,” he replied, a bit awkwardly and I chuckled.

“Sorry about that,” I said. “I didn’t mean to be a creep but I was just walking and I was thinking why I don’t have friends around here. I mean I’ve been living in that neighborhood for sixteen years. Then I thought that there are probably no teenagers that live here but then I saw you and now I’m rambling so I’ll shut up before you call the cops and tell them that a psycho is stalking you.”

He blinked at me then burst out laughing. I blushed and tugged at the hem of my shirt, thinking if I should be running away now to spare myself the embarrassment.

“Wow, that’s probably the most unique way someone has ever introduced themselves,” he said amusedly.

“Yeah well I’m unique?” It sounded more like an awkward question.

“I’m sure you are,” he said, his blue eyes shining with amusement.

I grinned. “I’m Pamela, by the way.”

“Landon,” he replied, smiling at me.

“So Landon, I’m guessing you live around here?” I asked.

“Yup, that house over there,” he pointed to a small white house that looks familiar.

“Oh cool,” I replied. “I live a bit to the front.”

He nodded then I said, “So will you be my first friend in the neighborhood?”

He chuckled. “Sure.”

“If you want I can show you where my house is,” I said, trying to start a conversation. I mean he was a total stranger! What if he’s a creep? Or maybe a serial killer?

He glanced at his watch then said, “I should actually go home now because my mom is leaving and I have to babysit my sister.”

“Oh,” I said, disappointed because I couldn’t have a good conversation with my new friend.

“But you could come with me and we’ll bring Hannah, my little sister, with us,” he suggested.

I smiled. “That would be great,” I replied and we started walking to his house.

I was actually a bit scared. What if that was his way of getting me to his house to kill me or hurt me?

I forced myself to calm down when I started to panic.

Soon, we got to the white house and Landon took out his keys and unlocked the door. As soon as he stepped in, a woman spoke from some room in the house.

“Oh good. You’re here right on time, Landon,” her voice got clearer as she got closer and soon I saw her standing in front of us.

I recognized her from somewhere but I couldn’t remember where.

“Oh hi,” she told me, wearing the same confused look her son was wearing a few minutes ago.

“Mom, this is Pamela, my new friend,” He said, “Pamela, my mom.”

“It’s nice to meet you…” I trailed off, not knowing what to call her since I didn’t even know Landon’s last name yet.

“Selena,” she said, smiling warmly. “And it’s nice to meet you too.”

“Hey mom do you mind if we take Hannah with us for a walk?” Landon asked.

“Not at all, but I have to go now or I’ll be late!” She said.

I suddenly remembered where I knew her from.

“Oh!” I exclaimed and their gazes snapped to me. I blushed. I really needed to stop that ‘oh’ every time I discover something.

“Sorry,” I mumbled embarrassedly. “I just remembered where I know you from. I saw you a couple of times in church. You’re one of the people who sing right?”

She smiled at that. “Yeah, that’s me. Do you go to church regularly?”

“Um no,” I said, uncomfortably. “Only on Christmas and Easter.”

“Oh,” she replied. “You should go more often.”

“Yeah,” I replied awkwardly. I just don’t have a really strong faith so I find it pointless to go to church every Sunday.

“Leave her alone, mom,” Landon said, rolling his eyes at his mom.

She rolled her eyes as well and waved goodbye as she left in a hurry.

“Hannah?” Landon called out.

“Landon!” A little voice said and then a little girl with red hair and green eyes ran into Landon’s arms and he lifted her up, tickling her in the process, making her giggle.

I watched the scene with a smile on my lips. I love guys who show affection towards their little siblings.

“Who is that?” The girl suddenly asks, pointing at me, looking curious.

“Hey Hannah,” I say, smiling at her. “I’m Pamela, Landon’s friend.”

“You’re really pretty,” she said in a shy voice.

“Thank you,” I told her, chuckling at her cuteness. “And you’re even prettier.”

I poked her nose making her giggle.

“So how old are you?” I asked her.

She lifted six fingers in the air. “I’m six! And you?”

“I’m sixteen,” I replied.

“Just like Landon!” She said happily.

“Yup,” I replied, just finding out that Landon is sixteen as well.

“Do you want to go for a walk?” Landon then asked Hannah. “We’ll go see where Pamela’s house is.”

“But I don’t like walking,” she complained. “It hurts my feet.”

“It’s not very far,” I coaxed. “And I have a lot of candies at home.”

Her eyes lit up at that. “Gummy bears?”

“Yup, two bags of gummy bears.”

“Let’s go to Pamela’s house, Landon! Let’s walk!” She said, suddenly excited and Landon and I laughed.

“Go get your shoes first,” he instructed and she ran to a room to the right.

Landon smiled at me. “She likes you already.”

“She’s adorable!” I replied. “But you two don’t look alike at all!”

“Yeah,” he replied. “She looks like my dad and I look like my mom.”

“I noticed that,” I replied, the image of his mom flashing in my mind for a second.

Soon, the little girl came running out of her room with tiny black shoes in her hands. Landon crouched down and helped her with her shoes.

A few minutes later we were ready to go.

The five minute walk to my house was filled with Hannah’s constant chatter. She told me about her friends at school and how they have tea parties every week. She also told me about how she loves to bake cookies with her mom.

“Your house is bigger than ours,” She said when we got to my house.

I just smiled awkwardly because I didn’t know what to reply. It’s not that they were poor but they weren’t rich like my parents were.

Landon just gave me a warm smile and I unlocked the door of my house and let them both in.

“Can I see your room?” Hannah immediately asked.

I chuckled. “Sure,” I replied. “It’s upstairs.”

She held my hand, making me smile. We then walked upstairs to my room with Landon behind us.

I opened my bedroom door, hoping that I didn’t leave some clothes on the floor because I didn’t want to make a bad first impression.

Luckily my room was tidy except for a few papers here and there where I was trying to study but of course I just had to fail all my tests these days!

Okay so maybe I was a little busy with my friends and my boyfriend…

“Wow it’s so pretty,” Hannah said, looking around in awe.

“Thanks,” I said, looking around my room as well. It was pretty big with a queen sized bed, wallpapers, and curtains all a blue color like the sky on a summer day.

My closets, bedside tables, and desk were a dark brown wood and two of my four closet doors had mirrors on them.

I had a blue lamp on one of my bedside tables and another one on my desk where the math papers were scattered.

“You like math?” Landon asked, looking at the papers on my desk.

I grimaced. “Not really…”

He chuckled. “Me neither.”

After a few minutes in my room, Hannah asked where the gummy bears were, making me laugh.

We went back downstairs and I got the two bags of gummy bears. We sat in my living room and chatted about school and the casual stuff as we ate one of the bags.

“It’s getting dark,” Landon said. “We should get going.”

“But I want to eat more gummy bears!” Hannah complained.

“You can take that bag with you for later,” I told her and her face brightened.

“Really?!” She asked.

“Yeah,” I replied and she jumped on me, giving me a hug.

I let out a surprised yelp but then chuckled and hugged her.

“Thank you!” She said, holding the bag in her tiny hand, making me smile softly.

Landon and I exchanged numbers then he took his sister’s hand and got ready to leave.

“I’ll talk to you later and we’ll meet up some time later this week?” He said.

“That would be nice,” I said, smiling at him.

He gave me a final smile that made his dimples appear and then left.

Well, one good thing about this day was that I made a new friend!

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