Living in a Jumble of Wishes

Chapter 8

Friday afternoon finally arrived and I was more than happy that the weekend was here. I didn’t have any plans for the weekend so far especially because Zack was going to be out of town visiting his cousins.

As soon as I stepped inside my house, my phone started ringing. I didn’t need to look at the caller ID to know who it was because that ringtone was specifically for Landon.

“Yo!” I said into the phone as I closed my front door.

“Back from school?” He asks.

“Yup, I just got back home,” I replied as I went upstairs and put my bag in my room.

“You’re up for some ice-cream?” He asked and I grinned.

“Yeah!” I replied.

“I’ll be at your place in five,” he said before hanging up.

I didn’t bother changing the clothes I was wearing all day but I just grabbed a thicker jacket in case we stayed out longer and it got even colder outside.

I went downstairs and waited for him in the living room.

Around five minutes later, I heard the doorbell. I grabbed my phone and jacket and shoved my keys in my pocket as I walked towards the front door.

I opened the front door and grinned at Landon. He was wearing light blue jeans and a black sweater. His hands were in his pockets and his cheeks were red from the cold.

I gave him a hug but he didn’t hug me back.

“Sorry, my hands are freezing,” he said and I slapped the back of his head.

He chuckled and said, “Okay, okay.”

He then removed his hands from his pockets and hugged me tightly. When I wanted to pull away, he didn’t let me. He just pulled me closer to him.

“You’re keeping me warm,” he said, burying his head in the crook of my neck, making me shudder when his cold cheek touched my warm skin.

“We can’t walk like that to the ice-cream shop,” I joked. “So you should let go.”

“Sure we can,” he said then he started walking and I gasped as I made my legs move backwards so that we don’t fall.

I then tripped on something and we both fell.

“Landon!” I groaned. “You’re such an idiot.”

He laughed and shook his head to remove his hair from his eyes.

He stood up and gave me his hand. I took his cold hand and he lifted me up.

“Sorry about that,” he said as we started walking normally, side by side, to the ice-cream shop.

I just chuckled. It was actually funny.

“So how was school?” He asked.

“Good,” I replied, shrugging. “My grades are becoming good again.”

“That’s great!” He replied, smiling proudly at me.

We got to the ice-cream shop soon. Matilda, the owner of the ice-cream shop, smiled when she saw us.

“How are you two today?” She asked us as she started preparing the usual.

“Good,” we replied simultaneously and smiled.

“How are you?” I asked her.

“I’m fine, dear,” she replied, giving me my favorite chocolate and caramel ice-cream.

I thanked her and then she gave Landon his strawberry and blueberry ice-cream. It was Landon’s turn to pay this time so he gave Matilda the money as I went to one of the booths.

A few minutes later, Matilda walked up to us and gave us a piece of strawberry cheesecake.

“Thank you!” We said in unison then started fighting over the piece of delicious cheesecake. Matilda laughed and muttered something that sounded like ‘cute’ under her breath before returning back to the counter.

“Do you want to come spend the day at my house tomorrow?” I asked as I licked the caramel off my spoon.

“All day?” he asked after swallowing the last bite of cheesecake.

“Yeah,” I replied. “Why? You’re busy?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “But I was expecting you to be going out with your boyfriend.”

“Oh no, Zack is out of town,” I replied.

“So I’m the substitute?” He said and I shook my head vigorously.

“No! No! You’re not!” I replied.

“Relax, Pam, I’m just kidding,” he said, chuckling lightly.

I let out a breath of relief then glared at him.

“Well you’re not funny!” I said.

He smirked. “But you love me!”

I snorted and he narrowed his eyes at me.

I smiled innocently as I ate some chocolate ice-cream. Suddenly, I saw another spoon in my cup of ice-cream.

“Hey!” I said but it was too late. Landon had already taken a spoonful of my caramel and chocolate ice-cream and shoved it into his mouth.

“I hope you get a brain freeze!” I yelled at him and he started shaking with laughter.

When he swallowed—and didn’t get a brain freeze, unfortunately—he smiled at me and said, “No need to pout, you can always take some of my ice-cream!”

“But I like mine better!” I whined.

“That doesn’t mean that you don’t like strawberry and blueberry,” he pointed out and I nodded reluctantly.

“Yeah, I guess,” I said.

He then scooped a spoonful from his cup and put it in front of my mouth. I opened my mouth and ate the ice-cream off his spoon.

“You still surprise me,” Landon said suddenly. “You don’t start screaming ‘eww’ when we eat from the same spoon.”

I chuckled and shrugged. “I don’t really mind eating from the same spoon as you.”

He smiled at that. “That is because you wuv me.”

I laughed. “Wuv?”

He laughed too. “I don’t know why I even said that. Just ignore it,” he said.

“Nah, I’ll tease you about it later,” I joked and he chuckled and kicked my leg lightly from under the table.

We were silent for a few moments then our eyes met and we both smiled. At that moment, I felt something weird. A mixture of warmth and peace.

I didn’t know what it meant but I liked the feeling a lot.

“What are you thinking about?” Landon suddenly asked.

I looked up at him and smiled. “I’m just thinking about us.”

“Us?” He said, leaning over the table, closer to me. “What would your boyfriend think of that?”

My eyes widened and my mouth fell open. My heart beat accelerated. Oh my God, I didn’t mean it like that!

“I-I oh God no Landon, I didn’t mean it like that,” I stammered. “I-I meant our friendship!”

He lowered his head slightly still leaning forward then started shaking with laughter.

“Hey!” I said when I noticed that he was teasing me.

I slapped the back of his head but it turned out stronger than I thought and his face collided with the table.

I gasped. “Oh my God I’m so sorry!” I said then burst out laughing when he lifted his head and I saw a red line on his forehead.

He narrowed his eyes at me. I covered my mouth with my hand to stop my giggles.

“I-I’m sorry,” I managed to say between fits of laughter.

“It hurts,” he whined, rubbing his forehead.

“I’ll get you some ice,” I said as I stood up from my side of the booth and went over to the counter where Matilda was.

“Hey Matilda do you have some ice?” I asked her.

“Sure, why do you need it for?” She asked.

I let out a giggle then said, “Landon hit his head on the table.”

She looked shocked but amused. “How did he manage to do that?” She asked.

I took the ice pack from her and shrugged. “You know how he can be,” I finally said and she shook her head with an amused smile playing on her lips.

“Thanks,” I said and went back to the booth where Landon was. I didn’t sit facing him; instead I sat next to him.

He lifted his head when he felt me sitting next to him and I smiled and I lifted the ice pack to his forehead. I gently put it against his red forehead.

He looked into my eyes intently for long minutes. That feeling from earlier returned but more intensely now and it made my heart beat faster.

I held his gaze for a long time and it felt as if we were on our own in the world right now.

He swallowed and let his gaze travel over my whole face.

I shifted the position of my hand slightly because his head was a bit far and the ice pack was slipping. He put his hand on my thigh and moved slightly closer to me, the whole time still looking into my eyes.

I bit my lip and finally averted my gaze when I felt my cheeks heat up.

“Pamela?” He said in a quiet voice.

“Mm?” I hummed, still looking at the empty cup of ice-cream and avoiding his gaze.

Suddenly, his hand was on my chin, moving my face to look into his eyes.

He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again. Many emotions flashed in his eyes and they finally turned apologetic.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I was staring.”

I was surprised that he admits that he was staring at me and it made me blush.

“I made you uncomfortable,” he said, wincing slightly. “I didn’t mean to. Y-You’re just really pretty.”

He muttered the last part, his cheeks turning pink.

I never really thought I was pretty and hearing it from Landon made my heart beat faster and butterflies erupt in my stomach.

“S-Sorry,” he stammered. “I’m making you uncomfortable again so I’ll just shut up.”

I finally had the courage to speak so I smiled and shook my head.

“It’s okay,” I said, my voice slightly shaky. “And thanks.”

He smiled as well and took the ice-pack from me, holding it with his right hand now.

I wiped my now wet and cold hand on my pants, trying to reduce the cold I was feeling.

Soon, we left the ice-cream shop and started walking back home. Landon, like every time, dropped me off first.

“So I’ll see you tomorrow?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he replied, smiling at me. “See you tomorrow.”

I gave him a hug and unlocked my front door and stepped inside.

“You’re home,” My mom said, smiling at me. “Where were you?”

“I was out with Landon,” I said. “I invited him over to spend the day here tomorrow so you’ll get to meet him when you return from work.”

She grinned. “That’s lovely! I’ll make pasta for dinner!”

I chuckled. Mom always thinks of food first.

I talked with my parents for a bit then went up to my room when they started watching some TV show I don’t like.

I changed into my pajamas and texted Zack for a bit but he was too busy with his cousins so I told him I’ll talk to him later.

I climbed into my bed and pulled the covers closer to me.

I tried to fall asleep but I couldn’t stop thinking of that moment with Landon at the ice-cream shop.

It meant nothing, I tried to convince myself but I couldn’t help but think of the feeling that I got when we shared that moment.

I never got that feeling with Zack.

Wait, why am I even comparing him to Zack? They are so different!

I shook my head and took my earphones from my bedside table. I put a calming song on my iPod and listened to it tell I fell asleep with the image of Landon’s face in my head.

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