Chapter Eight: Not A Chance

I always seem to forget why I love the mall so much until I'm actually here but then I remember. It's the atmosphere and simply all the good memories. Nothing beats a good mall run.

"Ooooo, lets go in the toy store! I haven't been in there in forever!" I said excitedly, already starting toward the store.

I saw Crystal roll her eyes at my child-like antics but begin follow me never the less.

"You know why you haven't been in there since forever, right Alex?" Jenni said an identical roll of her eyes.

I stopped walking to turn with a frown upon my lips, "Oh, come on guys, you know you loved this place!"

"Loved. That's past tense hun, not present."

"Oh whatever. Lets just go somewhere else." I huffed.

Crystal sighed exasperatedly, "Oh, don't be a sore a*s about it. Where do you want to go instead?"

"I'm NOT being a sore a*s about it. I was simply naming a place to go and you both shut me down." I crossed my arms and glared at her.

"Alex, come on- Woah, Jen, you okay?" Crystal stopped mid sentence as Jenni swayed for a moment and leaned into her. Her face was pale and she looked as if she was going to faint at any moment.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine but can we just sit down for a minute?"

I grabbed her arm and lead her over to one of the benches, sitting her down.

"Are you okay? You don't look so hot.." I said, looking over her body. I hadn't really noticed before but Jenni had lost a lot of weight. I felt concern creeping in. What if she'd been sick for awhile and I just hadn't been paying enough attention?

I gave a mental shrug. I was probably worrying about nothing. It was probably just a dizzy spell or something, right?

Jenni sighed and leaned over, her hair creating a curtain around her face.

"Jen? ..." I looked over to Crystal, who was on the other side of Jenni's still body. Our eyes met and we exchanged worried glance.

"I think," Jenni slowly lifted herself up to meet my eyes with her own faded green eyes, "I'm just going to call Evan and have him bring me home. And before you say anything, I'm fine. I just don't think I'm up for this today."

Something wasn't right. Something wasn't right at all. Even a blind man could see she wasn't fine.

Crystal spoke up, breaking the silent argument between me and Jenni, "Do you want us to walk you out or wait with you or anything until Evan gets here?"

"No. You guys go have fun. Don't let me bring you down with me," she laughed and stood, starting toward the entrance of the mall, "See you guys tomorrow!"

I watched until Jenni disappeared out doors before I turned to Crystal with a glare.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I didn't do anything!" She immediately defended.

"Why did you ask her if she wanted us to walk out with her?! Shes obviously not okay! It should have been expected that we walk out with her!"

Crystal rolled her eyes and made a shooing motion towards the doors, "I don't know why you're making such a big deal about it but go, wait with her if you want. I can find a ride when I need it."

She didn't even want to come!

"Crystal, ugh, you know what? Never mind, have fun. I'll see you at school tomorrow." I gave a fake little wave and made my way towards the front entrance.

I couldn't believe her! Did she not care at all about Jenni? I mean, I know they aren't best friends like Jenni and I, but still..

I pushed my shoulder against the double doors and walked out into the dusky night. I stood for just a moment, leaning against one of the doors taking in the beauty of the setting sun. Taking my eyes from the sky, I looked to right where we often waited to be picked up. Seeing nothing, I turned to the left at the benches seeing nothing at first but than doing a double take.

Was.. Was that a body on the ground?!

Cautiously I made my way over to the large wooden benches. I was about 10 ft before I recognized the it as Jenni. I rushed over to her sprawled body and spotted her cell open and on the grass, a few inches from her hand. I picked it up and the screen flashed a "Call Ended" notice. I flipped it shut and hurried back to her side, finding her eyes shut and her breathing shallow.

"Jen? Jenni, are you alright?"

I placed my palms gently on her face and tilted it up towards me.

"Jenni? Jen babe, you need to wake up," I pleaded with her motionless body. When that received no reaction I began to panic. I could have just ruled it off as her passing out if she had woken up but now I knew this was serious.

"Jen. Please hun, wake up." I said again, my voice shaking and a tear escaping to travel slowly down my cheek to fall onto Jenni's own.

"Jenni, you gotta wake up. You hear me? You gotta wake up, come on girl," I begged. With trembling hands, I pulled my cell out and dialed a familiar number. Evan. He picked up on the first ring.

"Alex- "

"Evan, it's Jenni. She- She, " I began flat out crying.

"Are you with her? Alex, you need to tell me exactly what happened. She called me but then I heard a crash and the line went dead."

I sucked in a deep breath, "We were in the mall and Crystal and I got into a fight and then Jenni went outside to call you and I followed her out to come wait with her and found her collapsed on the ground!"

"Alright, calm down, I'm on my way."

I could hear the car rev up in the background but it offered no comfort. Jenni was still unresponsive and I felt helpless.

"Please, Evan, do you know whats wrong? I need you to help her."

I heard a sigh, "We'll talk when I get there," and with that he clicked off.

I fell to the ground beside the bench and took Jenni's head into my lap. Crying silently and stroking her hair I waited for Evan to arrive. I heard a car pull up some time later and was struck by the headlights. I looked up shielding my eyes from the glare to meet Evans own sorrow filled ones as he jumped from his jeep. He made his way towards us and I rose, flinging myself as him and wrapping my arms around his frame.

"She won't wake up. She won't wake up Evan. I don't know what to do, I don't know who to call. You're here, tell me you know whats wrong. Help her. Please, help her Evan." I babbled another onset of tears beginning.

"Shh.. It's okay and shes okay but I really need to get her home alright?" Evan murmured, running a soothing hand down my back before releasing me to kneel beside Jenni. He placed an arm beneath her shoulders and another beneath her knees to lift her easily bridle style carrying her towards the car.

"Wait... Evan? Do you know what's wrong?"

He turned from the jeep after buckling Jenni and making sure she was secure. Weariness and stress read plain on his face.

"I won't lie Alex, I won't lie to you. I do know but it's not my place to say and when shes ready she'll tell you." He gave a thin lipped smile before getting into the car and slowly pulling away.

I collapsed back onto the ground, my arms around my knees and my head down choking back sobs.

Eventually another set of headlights came to stare me in the eyes. It could have been an hour later, a few minutes, several hours. I don't know, the passage of time seemed irrelevant. I was like a deer in the headlights and I must have looked a nightmare with my mascara a mess and eyeliner running like a river. The moment I saw Andi emerge from his truck it didn't matter. It didn't matter that I looked like hell because someone had cared enough to find me. Andi had cared enough to come look after me. I jumped up from my perch on the curb and ran to him, flinging myself into his arms and wrapping my legs around his waist. I burrowed my face deep into the notch between his neck and shoulder simply breathing in his scent.

"Woah, woah, baby, whats wrong? Evan called me, he said I might find you here," Andi ran a hand gently up to my chin tipping my head back to meet my gaze. More tears had formed when I saw his truck and new trails began to find their way past my cheeks. I closed my eyes as I felt Andi bring his thumb under my eye to wipe away the fallen tears, releasing him and slowly sliding back to the ground.

"Hey," He lifted my gaze back up with a gentle hand, "Chin up, pretty girl, it's going to be okay. Whatever it is, I'll make it better."

I closed my eyes for a moment and flashed back to our first kiss.

"Like this." he whispered.

He placed another trail of butterfly kisses down my cheekbone, hesitating only when he reached my lips. His dizzying green eyes looked up at me asking a silent question. I went with my instincts and closed the rest of the distance between us. Our lips melded together and I found my fingers running through his hair.

I reopened my eyes to find Andi's gorgeous green ones only inches from mine. I grabbed Andi by his shirt collar and pulled him down to my level meeting his confused face with one of my own. His eyes tried to confuse me with their thoughts and his mouth began to move but I quickly silenced it with my own. Andi gave in for just a moment before pushing me back.

"Look, not that I don't love what you're doing but this isn't you. Somethings wrong and you're avoiding it. You need to let me in."

I pulled back, a little ashamed and quite embarrassed of what I'd just done. I felt Andi's hand land gently on my shoulder.

"Alex.. Evan called me for a reason. What's going on?"

I shook him off, turning around again and beginning to pace. He stopped me, placing both hands on my shoulders.

"What's wrong love?" He asked again softly, his gaze never straying from my eyes as if he could find out from them.

"I- It's ridiculous really," I sighed running a frustrated hand through my hair, "I don't know why I'm so upset. I just.. Jenni collapsed today, right here," I pointed to where I had sat before, "And, I got that feeling, you know? Like the calm before the storm. And I don't know where the hell I've been! And how I could have missed it.. She's my best friend Andi, I should have seen something like this before it happen and the worst part is I don't even know what this is!" I threw my hands up in an end to my rant and fell to the bench to bury my face in my hands much like Jenni had on the bench inside the mall.

I felt Andi's warmth as he sank down next to me and his arm as he threw it around my shoulders as they shook for the millionth time that day.

I sniffed lifting my head once again and turning to face him on the bench, "Jenni's just always been the strong one, you know? Shes always taken care of me. She sweet and amazing and I love her and shes just... Jenni's perfect. Shes the girl I've always wanted to be and wished I could become someday. And Evan, when he got her.. his face. I know it's bad, I just know. I can't tell you how or why but I know and that scares the hell out of me. For him, for Evan, of all people, to look that way, it has to be terrible."

Andi remained silent, I suppose probably waiting for me to continue but instead his silence made me uncomfortable. I shook my head and abruptly stood up.

"I'm sorry, god, I'm so sorry. I'm just sitting here ranting about my problems and you really don't need to hear them and," I ran distasteful fingers through my hair, "I know I must look like a nightmare." I laughed lightly, trying to cover up the awkwardness as I diverted my gaze to the side. In a cliche sort of way I almost wanted him to say I was beautiful just so I could have that guy that everyone talks about. You know, that guy who tells you you're beautiful even when you wear sweats and don't bother to put make up on. I almost wanted him to be that guy. But I knew that wasn't the kind of guy Andi was so I was relieved to hear him meet my laugh with his own.

"You could never look like a nightmare to me no matter how hard you tried but I will admit that is a funky style. You could be starting a new trend." He ruffled a hand through my hair, pushing my bangs from my eyes. I blushed looking down at my converse covered feet.

"Ha, uh, look, I'm really sorry about the way I greeted you. That,uh,kiss." I rushed over the word, "I don't know what came over me, we should just forget about it, okay?"

At Andi's chuckle I looked back up and saw his signature smirk, "That's a hell of a way to be greeted, love. I assure you, I don't mind. I wouldn't even mind a repeat."

I hit his chest lightly, "Oh shut up, so I had a weak moment. Forget about it. And Andi? I still do want to take it slow but I think where we're at right now is good"

I looked up at him shyly through my lashes as I saw him step nearer to wrap me in his arms.

"Slow? Slow I can do but forget that kiss.." Andi laughed a gentle musical sound before dipping me low as if in a dance and placed a chaste kiss to my lips, "Not a chance. Not a chance love."