Maybe Forever (Missing Pieces Book 1)

by Keyanna Butler

  He takes a French fry from his plate and stuffs it in his mouth, surveying his options. It looks like he could sit by the trash cans…but no one wants to sit there…or he could sit at a table in the center of the room. There’s a girl sitting at that table. He stares for a few seconds and realizes she’s beautiful. She’ll probably run away screaming when he asks to join her. He takes a deep breath and walks over.

  “Hey,” he says. The young woman looks up at him from her book. Her hazel eyes pierce into him and he swallows, taken aback by their beauty. She smiles, and he thinks he may die right there in front of everyone.

  “Hello,” she says sweetly.

  “Do you mind if I sit here? There’s no other seats.”

  “Oh, no, I don’t mind at all,” she says. Jamie sets his tray down.

  “Thanks,” he says, taking his bag from around his shoulder and putting it down by his seat. He slides into the chair. She nods her head and then escapes to her book once again. Jamie takes this time analyzing her features once again. Her hair is dark brown, curly, and extremely long. His palms itch as he gets the urge to run his fingers through it. She runs her fingers through her hair and looks at him. Jamie looks down at his tray and stuffs some French fries in his mouth.

  “You look familiar,” she says and takes a sip of her soda. Jamie just looks at her. She stares at him intently for a few seconds.

  “I think you were the guy that bumped into me on the stairs this morning.”

  Jamie frowns. “I’m really sorry. I’m usually a lot more graceful than that. I wasn’t paying attention and I was rushing.”

  The girl laughs. “It’s okay. I’m tougher than I look.” Jamie laughs and then continues eating. “I’m Bianca. Bianca Bradley.” She holds out a delicate hand.

  “Jamie,” he says, swallowing his food and taking her hand. It feels like satin.

  “Nice to meet you. Freshman?”

  “Yeah. You too?”

  “No. I’m a sophomore. I saw you come in, and you looked like a lost puppy. Wasn’t too hard to guess.”

  Jamie chuckles. “I tripped, fell, and made my teacher think she had to do the Heimlich maneuver today, so I’m pretty sure everybody thinks I’m a weirdo anyway. Freshman is fine.” They laugh. Bianca puts down her book and takes a bite of the salad in front of her. Jamie glances at the book title.

  “Oh, To Kill a Mockingbird? That’s one of my favorites. I’ve been asking my mom for a puppy since I was like eight, so I can name it Atticus, like Jake Gyllenhaal.” Bianca laughs.

  “You’re kidding. Me too!” she says. “I have a dog named Atticus.”

  “Whatever,” Jamie says, laughing.

  “Seriously, I do. A German Shepherd,” she says, trying not to choke on her food. They share their favorite parts of the book and then move on to others, and by the time their lunch period ends, Jamie is sure he just made his first friend. When the warning bell sounds, they both walk over to the trash can to clear their trays. They stand in the hallway facing each other. Jamie nervously plays with the straps on his book bag.

  “Thanks for letting me sit with you,” Jamie says.

  “No problem. It was nice to have the company. What classes do you have for the rest of the day?” Jamie goes into his pocket and pulls out his schedule. He unfolds it and stares at it intently. Bianca bites her lip.

  “I have History with Mr. Samuels, Spanish with Dr. Vega, Physical Science with Mr. Ross, and Algebra I with Ms. Nelson.” Bianca leans toward him and reads the paper with him. Bianca nods. They start to walk down the hall.

  “Mr. Samuels is really, really cool. I had a blast in his class last year. Dr. Vega loves participation, so answer as many questions as you can and ask as many questions as you can.” Jamie nods enthusiastically, taking in her advice as she goes on about each teacher he will encounter this year. He smiles as he admires her mocha-colored skin for the hundredth time, the way the light hits her hazel eyes, and how each chocolate brown curl adorning her head bounces as she walks.

  “And I saw you have Ms. Baker for Health. She’s the tennis coach here, so pretend like you know everything there is to know about Andy Roddick and she’ll give you an A regardless if you actually participate or not.” She stops in front of a classroom. “Here’s your history class.”

  “Are you sure you’re not a part of some sort of freshman mentor program?”

  Bianca smiles and blushes slightly. “Nope, just doing my good deed for the day. Random acts of kindness. Pay it forward. That sort of thing.”

  Jamie nods his head, smiling. “Well, it’s very much appreciated.”

  “You’re welcome,” she says. She starts to head down the hall to her next class.

  “It was nice meeting you,” Jamie calls.

  “You too,” Bianca says back.

  “I’ll see you around!” he shouts. Bianca giggles and waves goodbye as she disappears around the corner.

  ***

  Harper

  “Why are you all Sponge Joy Smiley Pants today? What’s up?”

  Harper laughs out loud at her coworker as she tries to decipher writing on one of her patient’s charts. She bites down on her pen to stifle the laugh. “What are you talking about?”

  Casey Reynolds closes a chart and sticks it in the shelf with the others. She leans one elbow on the counter in front of them and tilts her head, looking at Harper.

  “You’ve been smiling and laughing at everyone’s jokes and you didn’t react to any of Mrs. Peterson’s insults. What’s the deal?”

  “There is no deal. Can’t I just be having a good day?” she says as she finally figures out the notes from the doctor and closes the chart.

  “You could, but Mondays Dr. Andrews is on call and you hate Dr. Andrews, so you never come in here looking like that.” She gasps. “Did you get laid?”

  Harper immediately starts to blush. “Oh my God, Casey. No, I did not get laid. Why do you ask questions like that?”

  Casey shrugs, giggling at her friend’s embarrassment. Harper has known Casey since Jamie was born. They met in nursing school and became fast friends. Two years later they got jobs at the local hospital and haven’t left each other’s side since.

  “You have the I-got-laid glow, though,” Casey says, still teasing.

  “I’m not even going to enable this conversation right now,” Harper says, chuckling.

  “Hey, Suzette. I’m going on break.” Suzette, their coworker, nods her head.

  “Me too!” Casey says. “Janet’s my relief.” Janet, who is sitting at the computer behind the counter, looks up at Casey and rolls her eyes. Casey ignores her. She catches up with Harper as she walks down the hall, trying to get away from her friend. She isn’t sure if she wants to talk about her and Dakota yet—not even to Casey, who she considers a close friend. Part of her feels like if she talks about it, it becomes real, and then there’s room for jinxing. They both head down the hall to the nurse’s lounge. Harper grabs her lunch from the fridge and plops down on the sofa in the corner of the small, square room. She looks around as if she isn’t familiar with the brown cabinets adorning the walls, the round table in the middle of the floor, and the sink below the cabinets that Casey is currently washing grapes in. For some reason, everything just looks different to her today, and she isn’t sure why. She tries to hide a grin as she unwraps her lunch and begins to eat, but Casey spots it as she sits at the round table, popping a grape in her mouth.

  “I won’t talk to you for the rest of the day if you don’t tell me right now what’s going on with you.”

  Harper sighs deeply, knowing that Casey’s threat isn’t empty.

  “Fine,” she says. “But promise me you’ll let me get everything out before you state your opinion on the matter.” Casey nods. Harper sits up straight on the sofa. “Friday night, Dakota told me that he’s been harboring feelings for me for quite some time.” Casey sits up in her chair and opens her mouth to speak. Harper holds her hand up for silence. “And…I realized that I had been
doing the same thing.” Casey’s face begins to turn red as she holds in her comments. Harper bites back a laugh. “He spent the night and we talked and we decided to start dating and see what happens.” She looks at Casey; the color seems to have left her cheeks. She sets down the grape she was about to eat and runs her fingers through her hair. Harper continues.

  “Dakota takes care of Jamie in ways that Aiden never has. He’s there for him when he needs it and even when he doesn’t. He’s more than just a babysitter. It’s deeper than that. He’s someone Jamie looks up to. Someone he can depend on. Jamie knows that no matter what’s going on, he can call on Dakota no matter what.” Casey smiles.

  “I know all of this, Harper. Why are you defending him to me?” Casey gets up from her seat at the table and sits down next to Harper. She leans back on the couch and loops her arm through Harper’s. “I think it’s awesome. Dakota drives me insane, and sometimes I picture him being trampled by rabid raccoons.” Harper laughs. “But he is good to Jamie and he’s so good to you. You would have been crazy not to develop feelings for him.” Harper takes a bite of the turkey sandwich then puts it back in her lap.

  “So you think it’s good?”

  “I do. I really do. And I think it’s going to work.”

  Harper’s smile spreads to her ears. She exhales. “Did you see this coming?”

  Casey presses her lips together and nods.

  “How?”

  “You talk about him all of the time, you guys joke and laugh like teenagers, you look at each other like there’s no one in the room, and whenever you have a conversation you are inches away from each other’s face.” Harper blushes.

  “He’s really young.”

  “So what?” Casey says, shrugging. “Age means nothing nowadays. Besides, if he’s mature enough to keep a single mother and her teenage son sane, then he’s mature enough for anything.” They laugh, almost snorting. Casey groans. She goes into the pocket of her scrubs and pulls out some money.

  “Here, give this to Jamie.”

  Harper takes the money, confused. “For what?”

  “I bet him that you and Dakota would stretch this out until Christmas.” She gets up and walks back to her lunch at the table. Harper shakes her head.

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “Nope. That’s only twenty-five. Tell him I’ll bring him the rest at his birthday dinner in a few weeks—little shit.” They both laugh. The door to the lounge opens, and a petite brown-haired woman comes in.

  “Nurse Montgomery.” Harper looks up to see Dr. Meredith Andrews.

  “Yes, Dr. Andrews.”

  “Sorry to interrupt your lunch, but when you’re done with your shift, I would like to see you in my office.”

  Harper looks at Casey nervously, who gives her a pacifying smile.

  “Okay,” she says. Dr. Andrews nods a goodbye and then leaves the lounge.

  “I wonder what that’s all about.” Harper shrugs.

  “Guess we’ll see.” She glances at her watch and starts to pack up her half-eaten lunch. “Let’s head back early. Janet looked like she wanted to kill us.”

  “She always looks like she wants to kill us,” Casey says.

  “Well, maybe if you wouldn’t shamelessly flirt with all the male nurses she has a crush on, she would like you more.” Casey shakes her head as she brings her trash to the tiny can by the door. Harper gets up and meets her after putting her things away in the fridge.

  “That’s a good point,” she says and takes a swig of out of the water bottle in her hand. Harper opens the door, laughing as they head back to work.

  Chapter Six

  Jamie

  When the bell rings, Jamie walks out of his high school with a huge smile on his face. The afternoon was miraculously better than the morning. After meeting Bianca, everything changed. History had easily become his favorite subject once he met Mr. Samuels, and most of Bianca’s advice worked like a charm. He also made another friend during the course of the day. Mason Lincoln was a sophomore like Bianca, who partnered with him on some introduction exercises in Spanish class. All in all, it was a pretty cool first day, and he doesn’t regret it at all. He spots Dakota’s car across the street, loving that he doesn’t have to wait to share the events of his day until he gets home.

  Dakota, spotting him, begins beeping the horn obnoxiously and shouting his name. “Jam! Jamie! Jam!”

  Jamie starts laughing.

  “I’m guessing that’s your ride?” Jamie turns around and sees Bianca smiling at him.

  “Yes,” he says, shaking his head.

  “Your brother?” she asks. Jamie scratches his head, not sure how to label him. He never really thought about it before now. He was always just…Dakota.

  “No, my friend.” Bianca nods, glancing at Dakota briefly.

  “How was the rest of your day?” she says.

  “It was good. Thanks for all of your help. I think I made a really good first impression. And Mr. Samuels is awesome. I think he’s going to be my favorite teacher this year.”

  “That’s great. I’m happy I could help,” she says. Dakota starts to beep the horn obnoxiously again. Jamie hopes he can see his glare from across the street, but he doubts it.

  “Well, I’ll let you go. Looks like your friend is getting impatient,” Bianca says, chuckling. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Yes, sure thing. Free to crash your lunch table again?”

  “Absolutely,” she says, smirking, and then walks away. Jamie watches her for a few seconds and then crosses the street.

  “Dude, who’s the girl?” Dakota shouts. Jamie gets into the car and punches Dakota in the arm once he’s settled. Dakota laughs as he pulls off down the road.

  “Is this what I have to look forward to in high school? You cock blocking?”

  “I didn’t know we were at the point where your cock had the ability to be blocked,” Dakota says, raising one eyebrow and glancing at him briefly as he stops at a stop sign.

  “It’s just an expression,” Jamie says.

  “So who’s the girl?”

  “Bianca Bradley.”

  “Bianca Bradley? Nice. Is she—?”

  “A superhero? No.” They both laugh. “You’re such a dork.”

  “What? I think anyone whose first and last names form an alliteration should be a superhero. They just should be.” Jamie shakes his head still laughing.

  “Your mom is working the nine to nine shift, so we have to figure out dinner. I’m thinking, if you finish your homework quick enough, we could go to that awesome Chinese place a town over?” he says. Jamie nods enthusiastically.

  “All right, besides the girl, how was your day, kid?”

  Jamie smiles big, sits back in the seat, and begins.

  ***

  Harper

  Harper walks into her house smiling from ear to ear. She drops her car keys on the table by the door and walks into the living room. She sees no sign of Jamie or Dakota, so she walks straight to the kitchen.

  “You can’t be serious, D. Come on,” Jamie says, his face contorted.

  “I’m dead serious.”

  “If you could be in any action movie it would be The Fast and the Furious?” The two are seated at the kitchen table, a tub of vanilla ice cream between them as they argue. Harper leans up against the archway, watching them while they are completely unaware of her presence. Dakota nods enthusiastically as he sticks a spoonful of vanilla ice cream into his mouth.

  “Yes, and I don’t like your judgy little tone. Hot cars, hot races, hot chicks? Enough said.”

  “Whatever, man. I would be Bruce Willis any day.”

  “Bruce Willis? B. Willis? He has one facial expression, and he talks in that same monotone voice like he’s constipated.”

  “Oh and Vin is sooo much better? He’s incapable of wearing anything other than the tightest white or black t-shirt in the entire world, and come on, you’re not fooling anyone with your racial ambiguity. Trying to be all mysterious
.” Dakota almost chokes on his ice cream as he snorts, laughing at Jamie. Jamie starts laughing too. Harper can’t help but laugh too, blowing her cover. Dakota and Jamie both look toward the archway, surprised.

  “How long have you been there?” Dakota asks, raising an eyebrow. Harper walks over to them and sits next to Jamie. She takes his spoon out of his hand.

  “Ummm…long enough,” she says, winking and digging into the tub of ice cream. They both chuckle. “How was your first day, kid?”

  “It was pretty good.”

  “Make any friends?”

  “A few,” Jamie says, trying to ignore Dakota staring at him.

  “That’s great, Jam. Any cool teachers?”

  “Yes, actually. Mr. Samuels is pretty cool. He’s my history teacher.”

  “History’s boring,” Dakota says.

  “Yeah, it is, but he makes it suck less. He’s really funny, and the syllabus seems to be very hands on, which I like.” Harper nods her head.

  “That’s awesome. So you think high school is going to be all right?”

  Jamie nods. “I think I can handle it.”

  Dakota smirks. “Of course you can. Never doubted you for a minute.”

  Jamie rolls his eyes. “Thanks, Dakota,” he says, trying to hide the fact that he loves these moments when they fawn all over him. Jamie gets up from his place at the table.

  “I think I’m going to head to bed.” He glances at the time on the microwave behind him.

  “Wait…before you do, I have something to tell you. Both of you.” Jamie sits back down. Harper takes a deep breath. “So today, at work, Dr. Andrews told me she needed to speak to me after my shift, and when I went to meet with her, she told me that Nichole, our current Nurse Manager, is moving, and so they’re looking to hire within to fill the position and my name came up.”

  “Are you kidding?” Dakota says, grinning.