Day and Jess Versus the World

 

*If you can't read right now you can listen to me reading the post to you here.*

This is a story I wrote for one of my classes in the last semester of my Bachelor's degree. It was a class of narration and healing that let me explore my writing in a safe, non-judgemental environment. This was my final assignment where she asked us to write a story from two different points of view to explore the two sides of the same story. I had never done something like that so this was a bit of a challenge, but I was a little proud of the result so I wanted to share it with you guys. I hope you like it and if you have some pointers you want to give me, please feel free to write in the comments! Also, if it so pleases you, share it with your friends.   

Day and Jess Versus the World

            The two of them were sitting across from each other at the dining table. Neither knew how to start the conversation. Both were very confused as to how they ended up there. If someone, a year ago, had told them they would be here sitting in silence, both hurt at the hand of the other they would have laughed. Their friendship was too strong for petty fights or for any fight really. No matter what, they would emerge together. However, things don’t always work out as expected, and both friends were now there not knowing where to go from there.
            They had been friends for almost their whole lives, ever since Jessica had saved Daisy from bullies in the park. Jessica had been on the swings minding her own business when she noticed a commotion by the slide. None of the adults were paying attention, which really didn’t surprise the kid, but she had to do something. No one deserved to be bullied and no one would be if Jessica had anything to say about it. She immediately stopped mid-swing and ran towards the slide.
            Daisy had been trying to get to the slide because that was her favorite place in the whole park. Most people go for the swings, but right there on the slide Daisy always felt like she was on top of the world and the way down was way too much fun. Really who could prefer the swings to the top of the world? However, on her way to the slide she didn’t notice the two figures in front of her. It was normal for her to be this distracted so as she collided, she quickly apologized and tried to make sure she hadn’t done much damage. The next thing she knew she was thrown to the floor and someone was standing over her. She had bumped into the wrong person it seemed.
    “Watch where you’re going next time, punk,” said the person Daisy had just bumped into.
    “Maybe you’re the one who should watch it,” another girl stepped in before Daisy could say anything and from that day on Jessica and Daisy were inseparable. Where one was the other one wasn’t far behind. They took care of each other and through heartbreaks, laughter, and losses Daisy and Jessica were two against all odds.
            That is until a month ago when they let the stupidest thing get between them, a boy. A boy, who in all honesty, was not worth it and that as soon as things went south had disappeared leaving the two best friends truly alone. Just sitting across each other neither knowing how they let this happen. Neither knowing if their friendship could be mended. It was funny, how things could change in less than a month. How years of friendships could be ruined by a slip in judgment and a very charismatic boy.    Maybe their friendship hadn’t been as solid as they thought if one lousy boy was enough to destroy it. Neither moved, they just looked at each other, sadness and disappointment in their eyes.
            It had been Daisy the first to meet the boy. She had been in a coffee shop waiting for Jessica’s class to finish when he walked through. She had been struck by how beautiful he was. She knew any boy that pretty, surely meant danger, but boy, how pretty danger looked. She obviously didn’t do anything, that wasn’t her style. She just stared from the top of her book if by some miracle he looked she could rapidly avert her eyes and read her book.
Miracles must have been real because he did look her way, it had been so surprising that she didn’t even have time to avert her eyes so as he caught her eye, he smiled. What a dazzling smile that was. The thought had shocked Daisy; she wasn’t one to swoon. She smiled back and with blushing cheeks buried her face in the book hiding herself altogether. Could she have been any more obvious? She thought that would be the last of the encounter, but he had other plans. She was a pretty girl with an innocence that men usually found alluring so he decided to walk up to her.
            Daisy couldn’t believe her eyes. These types of things didn’t happen to her. To Jess? Sure, all the time, but she was always the awkward friend observing the interaction. Never in a million years would she think a guy would just walk up to her. She had learned to be the one to make the first move in the past because with Jess beside her she was never an option. Not that she minded, usually the guys who approached Jess were creeps who just ended up breaking her heart. But this guy wasn’t like that, or so it seemed.
    “Hey, is anyone sitting here,” he asked. “Everywhere else is full”. Daisy looked around and found at least three empty tables but didn’t comment on it and just gestured for him to sit. She had two more hours before Jess would meet her and company was always welcomed. How much damage can a guy in a coffee shop do? Turns out that a lot, but she didn’t know that. They talked for what felt like hours. Just the two of them in a little bubble. Apparently, boys who have the potential of destroying your life are very charming. After almost two hours of talking he had to leave, but not before exchanging numbers. As soon as he walked out Jessica walked in.
    “Did you see that guy who just left? What an eye candy,” Jessica said sitting in the spot the ‘eye candy’ had just vacated.
    “Must have missed him,” Daisy answered wanting to keep the guy a secret for a bit longer. As soon as she told Jess it would become real and reality had a way of screwing people over.
    “You’ve got to lift your head out of the books from time to time, Day, otherwise you’ll miss life,” Jessica said while standing up to order some coffee.
    “I’ll keep that in mind,” Daisy said to herself a small smile on her face.
            There was no smile on her face now, she didn’t know if she could smile again. Hurtful words had been exchanged and some things you just couldn’t take back. Looking at Jessica now, Daisy wanted nothing more than to take them all back to just have her friend back. To feel the soft embrace of her tough friend. If the situation had been different Jessica would be looking for the guy, ready to kick some ass. But they both had been played and they both had fallen really low. Daisy sighed, maybe she should be the one to start.
            Jessica and the boy met each other in very different circumstances. She had been at a party after Daisy had canceled their plans because she had to ‘study’. This had been about two weeks after the coffee shop and Jessica had a feeling Daisy was hiding something. She figured it was a boy since Daisy always gets weird about boys, but somehow this felt different. What could be so bad about telling her she liked someone? So, a little annoyed with her best friend, Jess decided to party. Nothing better than a good party to forget your worries. However, the party was boring as hell. And no amount of drinks was making it better, so she ditched. Walking home drunk wasn’t the best idea, but she figured it was better than staying there. On her way home, she realized she was hungry and decided to go to the taco food truck close to her house. Taco was always her favorite drunk food all greasy and savory. Just as she was getting close to the truck she bumped into someone.
    “Oh, sorry, I’m very drunk,” she said without thinking. The person laughed and in her drunken state, it sounded like an angel. She looked at who she had bumped into and immediately recognized him.
    “You’re coffee shop guy!” She exclaimed with no filter whatsoever. He looked at her very confused since he was pretty sure he had never met this girl.
    “Sorry, it’s just that I saw you a few weeks ago leaving my best friend’s favorite coffee shop and boy are you hot and a boy this hot tends to make an impression,” she explained. Jessica in her normal state had a very little filter, but a drunk Jessica meant her thoughts went from her head to her mouth with nothing to stop it. It usually made to very cringy conversations and one of the main reasons Daisy didn’t go partying with her. The boy found her word vomit alluring and decided to stay a little longer with her. She told him where she was going and invited him to tag along. They ate their tacos in very little silence because Jessica had to fill every pause with something. She hated quiet and if nobody was talking, she could monolog the silence away. They talked for a long while but alas, it was late and if she didn’t get home soon Daisy would worry.
            Jessica left the boy by the food truck ready to tell Daisy all about him! That is until she remembered she was annoyed at Daisy because she was hiding something so really it was only fair that she returned the favor. When she got home, Daisy was on the couch asleep with her laptop in her lap. Typical Day, she didn’t know when to stop studying and just rest so her body usually takes her choice away and she crashes. Jessica was always telling her how unhealthy that was, but Day never listened.
Jessica watched as Daisy sighed. She was really worried. She had never seen Daisy so mad at her it almost felt like years since she’d heard her friend talk. Living in the same house but still, she missed her friend. In previous fights, Daisy was always the one who would start the conversation. She was the rational one, the one who forgave first. But it had been weeks since their big fight and sitting across from each other in silence had been the most contact they have had. No boy was worth losing Daisy. But awful words had been spoken between them. This fight had gone beyond just a boy. Daisy had resented Jessica many years now and the boy had just been the catalyst. The issues they’d just laughed away for years suddenly came rushing out of both their mouths. Jessica thought that Daisy would hate her forever. Daisy suddenly stood up, startling Jessica out of her thoughts.
    “This needs to stop,” Daisy said. “I refuse to be one of those girls who stop talking to a friend because of a guy.” Jessica just stared at her. That is not what she expected. After all the things Daisy had said that fateful night, Jessica thought Day would never in any world forgive her.
    “Neither of us knew he was seeing the other. We let this guy get between us because we stopped communicating. Instead of talking, we just repressed everything and started resenting each other.” Daisy continued nervously. She knew it would take time, but she would not lose her best friend because of this. “I’m sorry for all I said, some of those things I didn’t even mean. I was hurt and I wanted to hurt you too. I know it’s wrong and making it better will take time. But there’s no way I’m losing my best friend, Jess. I refuse.”
            Jessica sighed in relief. Daisy didn’t hate her and that’s all she needed to hear. Jessica stood up and walked toward Daisy with purpose. Daisy shifted her weight nervously; surely Jess was going to tell her to piss off. To Daisy’s surprise, Jessica embraced her. The arms she thought she would never feel around her again were hugging her and that was enough to make her lose it.
They both cried for a while just hugging each other. They knew they had a lot to work through to mend their friendship completely, but for now, this hug was all they needed. Whatever problem they faced in the future they would face it together. Day and Jess versus the world.