Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
We’ve got the TV going on in the background while the two of us get work done on our laptops. Well, Jessie might be actually getting work done. I’m over here daydreaming about the dreamy Jordan still. His chiseled jaw, blue eyes, and that charming smile. He makes me swoon.
“Jessie?”
“Yeah?”
“Oh, never mind.” I shake my head, not sure if I want to tell her. I guess I want to tell her, but I’m still worried she’s going to take it the wrong way.
Because what if she thinks what we did was so wrong and abysmal that she doesn’t even want to be my friend anymore? How would I even broach the subject? All the boy talk we’ve have had has been purely hypothetical, since we don’t really go out on dates. Now, having a real man to worry about has me all mixed up.
I go back to staring at my laptop, doing a crossword I’ve been tackling for the past hour. I’m going to have to find another time to do my homework because it’s due this week, but clearly, it’s not getting done today. I can’t even focus on this puzzle for more than a second.
“Mira?”
I look up over my computer screen. Jessie’s looking at me with a curious expression on his face.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I’m not the best actor, but I think I can pass.
“Are you sure? You seem kind of distracted today, but not by the TV. Is this about what happened with Cindy yesterday?”
I manage a weak smile.
“Oh, I haven’t thought about that for a while.”
And that’s the truth. I haven’t thought about Cindy and her band of mean girls since leaving Pastor Jordan’s office. Events like that used to bother me for days. I’d stew and feel bad, unable to let things go. But now, I just don’t care because there are more important items in life.
“That’s good,” Jessie sounds genuinely happy for me. “I’m always trying to tell you that Cindy and her crew don’t matter. Their opinions are just as irrelevant as they are.”
Jessie has always been better at brushing off insults than me. Her confidence is definitely part of what drew me to her, that plus her optimism. Seeing a big girl like me, living her life so freely is heartwarming. Plus, she also doesn’t make me feel bad for feeling bad. She’s the perfect friend.
I think Jessie’s about to drop it because she goes back to her laptop, but then her head pops back up, and she looks back over at me with a question in her eyes.
“If it’s not about that then something else is going on. What is it? Come on, spill.”
The one thing I can’t deny about Jessie is the fact that she is observant as all hell. It’s part of what makes her a good friend, so I give in.
“Promise me you’re not going to freak out or laugh at me.”
“Promise, totally,” she says, closing her laptop. She must be super serious if she’s getting rid of all distractions. Jessie even turns off the TV to give me her full attention.
I close my laptop too, sighing a bit.
“Remember how we took those Promise Vows at the beginning of the semester? How we went to that weird church over in Midtown that had the really small congregation with the witchy woman as their pastor? And how we took those vows?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Do you ever wish we hadn’t taken them?”
A blank look comes across her face, as Jessie processes what I’ve just said. She leans back in her seat, lying back against the couch.
“Well, I don’t know,” she starts laughing. “I haven’t even thought about it to be honest because there aren’t exactly men lining up at my doorstep, waiting to have their way with me,” she adds a rueful smile at the end.
Her response makes sense. A day ago, I would have said the same thing. The only reason I’ve been thinking about my Promise Vow is because of my encounter with Pastor Jordan. Before that, it hadn’t crossed my mind in ages. Not in any significant way, anyway.
“Come to think of it, I’ve actually never been on a date,” Jessie says ruefully. “So I guess the vow doesn’t really have any application.”
“Yeah, sorry for bringing it up,” I respond, shaking my head. “Just wondering.”
“No, I’m glad you told me what’s bothering you. I’m just a little confused though. I mean, where is this all coming from Mira? Did something happen?”
Something did happen, and maybe if I tell Jessie, she can help me figure out what to do. She always has the best advice, and delivers it gently too, instead of crushing you to pieces.
“I don’t know. It’s just that,” I stop talking when my phone pings. It says I have an email, so I open my computer to check. “Just give me a second,” I tell my friend. She nods and goes back to whatever she was doing while I check my inbox.